Thanks to Jay for some real world information.
Tom
>Return-Path: <jmp-owner@pwg.org>
>Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 18:34:38 PST
>From: JK Martin <jkm@underscore.com>
>To: rbergma@dpc.com
>Subject: Re: JMP> LPD Job submission mapping
>Cc: jmp@pwg.org
>X-Sun-Charset: US-ASCII
>Sender: jmp-owner@pwg.org
>
>Ron,
>
>Since we live and breath (and die?) in the Unix environment every day,
>perhaps we should respond to your question:
>
>> My understanding is RFC 1179 specifies that the Data File and Control
>> File may be sent in any order but most implementations send the Data
>> File first. I do not know of a method to reverse the order. Maybe
>> a Unix expert can help.
>
>Put simply, there is no real way to "reverse the order"...at least with
>respect to the protocol.
>
>The LPD protocol (aka RFC 1179) was NOT designed in a vacuum. It was
>designed as part and parcel of the LPD daemon environment; that environment
>expected to FIRST spool all components of the submitted job (one or more
>data files, followed by one control file). So, if you have the luxury
>of spooling all these components, then of course you can "reverse the order".
>
>Of course, given the typical printer implementation (ie, no disk, etc),
>this is not possible.
>
>LPD would work SO WELL if only the control file were always transmitted
>first. If this were true, then the notion of extending LPD to improve
>network printing would be a real possibility.
>
>In the category of "Fun Things to Know and Forget": in our travels,
>only OS/2 2.1 sends the control file before the data file(s). I wonder
>how many LPD daemon systems mess up as a result of this...
>
> ...jay
>
>