While trying to keep (catch?) up with the mail I came across this question
regarding "best effort"...
>That is, is the concept and mechanism of "best-effort" something
>NEW to the printing world?
I don't know that it should have any bearing on the direction of IPP, but
the answer to this question is NO... it's not new. IPDS addresses
"best effort" or "fidelity" in several ways.
Probably the best example is the Exception Handling Control command which
specifies whether or not Alternate Exception Actions and/or Page Continuation
Actions are taken when an error occurs. Page Continuation Actions are designed
to keep the printer printing in a "best can do" manner when a data stream error
occurs and there is a "reasonable" way to keep going (perhaps by substituting a
parameter or skipping an object). If AEA & PCA are not requested in the XOA
EHC command, the printer effectively runs in an "absolute fidelity mode". The
printer driver gets to choose between absolute fidelity and several variations
of best-can-do.
XOA EHC also lets the printer driver turn on and off the reporting of certain
kinds of errors and lets the printer driver control whether or not an error
page is printed.
Harry Lewis - IBM Printing Systems