Norbert Schade wrote:
> ...
> 2a. In the last UPDF conference we were talking about using
> registered IPP values as a common reference.
> ...
> As far as I know the list includes the following features:
> Print media size
> Page orientation
> Print media source
> Duplex
> Print media type
>
> There some more when it comes to Print quality or Font handling like
> download formats.
> ...
First, please *do not* rely solely on a keyword-based media size
attribute. Such things are nice for the standard sizes but
completely ignore variable sizes. You should allow keywords *and*
measurements, which allows the driver/printing system to do any
necessary mapping to the "native" value(s).
Along with variable size support you'll need to communicate the
minimum and maximum media sizes supported.
FWIW, if you haven't done so already, please look at Adobe's
PostScript Printer Description specification. It has its
limitations (no "range of values" type of options, only supports
PostScript directly, can only provide a single UI language in each
file, etc.), but it *does* address most of the issues that you are
looking at now for describing printer options.
For example, PPD files provide named sizes plus the page dimensions
and imageable area for the printer. Variable size support includes
orientation, min/max width/height, etc. This all allows you to map
Windows/MacOS/UNIX/IPP media sizes to PPD sizes and visa-versa, and
to support variable sizes as needed.
FWIW, CUPS (http://www.cups.org) uses PPD files and maps the IPP
attributes to PPDs and visa-versa. We've added additional CUPS-
specific attributes to PPDs for non-PS printers to support extra
printer drivers, etc. It works quite well.
-- ______________________________________________________________________ Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products mike@easysw.com Printing Software for UNIX http://www.easysw.com
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