]> git.ipfire.org Git - thirdparty/cups.git/blame - doc/help/ppd-compiler.html
Merge changes from CUPS 1.4svn-r8329.
[thirdparty/cups.git] / doc / help / ppd-compiler.html
CommitLineData
745129be 1<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
8b450588 2<html>
28b9d139 3<!-- SECTION: Programming -->
8b450588
MS
4<head>
5<title>Introduction to the PPD Compiler</title>
6<meta name="keywords" content="Programming">
7<meta name="creator" content="Mini-XML v2.6">
8<style type="text/css"><!--
9BODY {
10 font-family: lucida grande, geneva, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
11}
12
13H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, P, TD, TH {
14 font-family: lucida grande, geneva, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
15}
16
17KBD {
18 font-family: monaco, courier, monospace;
19 font-weight: bold;
20}
21
22PRE {
23 font-family: monaco, courier, monospace;
24}
25
26PRE.command {
27 margin-left: 36pt;
28}
29
30P.example {
31 font-style: italic;
32 margin-left: 36pt;
33}
34
35PRE.example {
36 background: #eeeeee;
37 border: dotted thin #999999;
38 margin-left: 36pt;
39 padding: 10px;
40}
41
42PRE.command EM, PRE.example EM {
43 font-family: lucida grande, geneva, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;
44}
45
46P.command {
47 font-family: monaco, courier, monospace;
48 margin-left: 36pt;
49}
50
51P.formula {
52 font-style: italic;
53 margin-left: 36pt;
54}
55
56BLOCKQUOTE {
57 background: #cccccc;
58 border: solid thin #999999;
59 padding: 10pt;
60}
61
62A IMG {
63 border: none;
64}
65
66A:link:hover IMG {
67 background: #f0f0f0;
68 border-radius: 10px;
69 -moz-border-radius: 10px;
70}
71
72A:link, A:visited {
73 font-weight: normal;
74 text-decoration: none;
75}
76
77A:link:hover, A:visited:hover, A:active {
78 text-decoration: underline;
79}
80
81SUB, SUP {
82 font-size: 50%;
83}
84
85TR.data, TD.data, TR.data TD {
86 margin-top: 10pt;
87 padding: 5pt;
88 border-bottom: solid 1pt #999999;
89}
90
91TR.data TH {
92 border-bottom: solid 1pt #999999;
93 padding-top: 10pt;
94 padding-left: 5pt;
95 text-align: left;
96}
97
98DIV.table TABLE {
99 border: solid thin #999999;
100 border-collapse: collapse;
101 border-spacing: 0;
102 margin-left: auto;
103 margin-right: auto;
104}
105
106DIV.table CAPTION {
107 caption-side: top;
108 font-size: 120%;
109 font-style: italic;
110 font-weight: bold;
111 margin-left: auto;
112 margin-right: auto;
113}
114
115DIV.table TABLE TD {
116 border: solid thin #cccccc;
117 padding-top: 5pt;
118}
119
120DIV.table TABLE TH {
121 background: #cccccc;
122 border: none;
123 border-bottom: solid thin #999999;
124}
125
126DIV.figure TABLE {
127 margin-left: auto;
128 margin-right: auto;
129}
130
131DIV.figure CAPTION {
132 caption-side: bottom;
133 font-size: 120%;
134 font-style: italic;
135 font-weight: bold;
136 margin-left: auto;
137 margin-right: auto;
138}
139
140TH.label {
141 text-align: right;
142 vertical-align: top;
143}
144
145TH.sublabel {
146 text-align: right;
147 font-weight: normal;
148}
149
150HR {
151 border: solid thin;
152}
153
154SPAN.info {
155 background: black;
156 border: thin solid black;
157 color: white;
158 font-size: 80%;
159 font-style: italic;
160 font-weight: bold;
161 white-space: nowrap;
162}
163
164H2 SPAN.info, H3 SPAN.info, H4 SPAN.info {
165 float: right;
166 font-size: 100%;
167}
28b9d139 168
8b450588
MS
169H2.title, H3.title {
170 border-bottom: solid 2pt #000000;
171}
172
173DIV.indent, TABLE.indent {
174 margin-top: 2em;
175 margin-left: auto;
176 margin-right: auto;
177 width: 90%;
178}
179
180TABLE.indent {
181 border-collapse: collapse;
182}
183
184TABLE.indent TD, TABLE.indent TH {
185 padding: 0;
186}
187
188TABLE.list {
189 border-collapse: collapse;
190 margin-left: auto;
191 margin-right: auto;
192 width: 90%;
193}
194
195TABLE.list TH {
196 background: white;
197 border-bottom: solid thin #cccccc;
198 color: #444444;
199 padding-top: 10pt;
200 padding-left: 5pt;
201 text-align: left;
202 vertical-align: bottom;
203 white-space: nowrap;
204}
205
206TABLE.list TH A {
207 color: #4444cc;
208}
209
210TABLE.list TD {
211 border-bottom: solid thin #eeeeee;
212 padding-top: 5pt;
213 padding-left: 5pt;
214}
215
216TABLE.list TR:nth-child(even) {
217 background: #f8f8f8;
218}
219
220TABLE.list TR:nth-child(odd) {
221 background: #f4f4f4;
222}
223
224DT {
225 margin-left: 36pt;
226 margin-top: 12pt;
227}
228
229DD {
230 margin-left: 54pt;
231}
232
233DL.category DT {
234 font-weight: bold;
235}
236
237P.summary {
238 margin-left: 36pt;
239 font-family: monaco, courier, monospace;
240}
241
242DIV.summary TABLE {
243 border: solid thin #999999;
244 border-collapse: collapse;
245 border-spacing: 0;
246 margin: 10px;
247}
248
249DIV.summary TABLE TD, DIV.summary TABLE TH {
250 border: solid thin #999999;
251 padding: 5px;
252 text-align: left;
253 vertical-align: top;
254}
255
256DIV.summary TABLE THEAD TH {
257 background: #eeeeee;
258}
259
260/* API documentation styles... */
261div.body h1 {
262 margin: 0;
263}
264div.body h2 {
265 margin-top: 1.5em;
266}
267div.body h3, div.body h4, div.body h5 {
268 margin-bottom: 0.5em;
269 margin-top: 1.5em;
270}
271.class, .enumeration, .function, .struct, .typedef, .union {
272 border-bottom: solid thin #999999;
273 margin-bottom: 0;
274 margin-top: 2em;
275}
276.description {
277 margin-top: 0.5em;
278}
279code, p.code, pre, ul.code li {
280 font-family: monaco, courier, monospace;
281 font-size: 90%;
282}
283ul.code, ul.contents, ul.subcontents {
284 list-style-type: none;
285 margin: 0;
286 padding-left: 0;
287}
288ul.code li {
289 margin: 0;
290}
291ul.contents > li {
292 margin-top: 1em;
293}
294ul.contents li ul.code, ul.contents li ul.subcontents {
295 padding-left: 2em;
296}
297div.body dl {
298 margin-left: 0;
299 margin-top: 0;
300}
301div.body dt {
302 font-style: italic;
303 margin-left: 0;
304 margin-top: 0;
305}
306div.body dd {
307 margin-bottom: 0.5em;
308}
309
310/* This is just for the HTML files generated with the framedhelp target */
311div.contents {
312 background: #e8e8e8;
313 border: solid thin black;
314 padding: 10px;
315}
316div.contents h1 {
317 font-size: 110%;
318}
319div.contents h2 {
320 font-size: 100%;
321}
322div.contents ul.contents {
323 font-size: 80%;
324}
325div.contents ul.subcontents li {
326 margin-left: 1em;
327 text-indent: -1em;
328}
329--></style>
330</head>
331<body>
332<div class='body'>
28b9d139
MS
333<P>This document describes how to use the CUPS PostScript Printer Description
334(PPD) file compiler. The PPD compiler generates PPD files from simple text files
335that describe the features and capabilities of one or more printers.</P>
336
337<div class='summary'><table summary='General Information'>
338<tbody>
339<tr>
340 <th>See Also</th>
341 <td>Programming: <a href='raster-driver.html'>Developing Raster Printer Drivers</a><br>
342 Programming: <a href='postscript-driver.html'>Developing PostScript Printer Drivers</a><br>
343 Programming: <a href='api-filter.html'>Filter and Backend Programming</a><br>
344 Programming: <a href='api-raster.html'>Raster API</a><br>
345 References: <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html'>PPD Compiler Driver Information File Reference</a><br>
346 Specifications: <a href='spec-ppd.html'>CUPS PPD Extensions</a></td>
347</tr>
348</tbody>
349</table></div>
8b450588
MS
350<h2 class="title">Contents</h2>
351<ul class="contents">
426c6a59 352<ul class="subcontents">
8b450588
MS
353<li><a href="#BASICS">The Basics</a></li>
354<li><a href="#DRV">Driver Information Files</a><ul class="subcontents">
355<li><a href="#SIMPLE">A Simple Example</a></li>
356<li><a href="#GROUPING">Grouping and Inheritance</a></li>
357<li><a href="#COLOR">Color Support</a></li>
358<li><a href="#OPTIONS">Defining Custom Options and Option Groups</a></li>
359<li><a href="#DEFINE">Defining Constants</a></li>
360<li><a href="#CONDITIONAL">Conditional Statements</a></li>
361<li><a href="#CONSTRAINTS">Defining Constraints</a></li>
362</ul></li>
28b9d139
MS
363<h2 class='title'><a name='BASICS'>The Basics</a></h2>
364
365<P>The PPD compiler, <a href='man-ppdc.html'><code>ppdc(1)</code></a>, is a
366simple command-line tool that takes a single <I>driver information file</I>,
367which by convention uses the extension <VAR>.drv</VAR>, and produces one or more
368PPD files that may be distributed with your printer drivers for use with CUPS.
369For example, you would run the following command to create the English language
370PPD files defined by the driver information file <VAR>mydrivers.drv</VAR>:</P>
371
372<pre class='command'>
373ppdc mydrivers.drv
374</pre>
375
376<P>The PPD files are placed in a subdirectory called
377<VAR>ppd</VAR>. The <TT>-d</TT> option is used to put the PPD
378files in a different location, for example:</p>
379
380<pre class='command'>
381ppdc -d myppds mydrivers.drv
382</pre>
383
384<P>places the PPD files in a subdirectory named
385<VAR>myppds</VAR>. Finally, use the <TT>-l</TT> option to
386specify the language localization for the PPD files that are
387created, for example:</P>
388
389<pre class='command'>
390ppdc -d myppds/de -l de mydrivers.drv
391ppdc -d myppds/en -l en mydrivers.drv
392ppdc -d myppds/es -l es mydrivers.drv
393ppdc -d myppds/fr -l fr mydrivers.drv
394ppdc -d myppds/it -l it mydrivers.drv
395</pre>
396
397<P>creates PPD files in German (de), English (en), Spanish (es),
398French (fr), and Italian (it) in the corresponding
399subdirectories. Specify multiple languages (separated by commas) to produce
400"globalized" PPD files:</p>
401
402<pre class='command'>
403ppdc -d myppds -l de,en,es,fr,it mydrivers.drv
404</pre>
405
406
407<h2 class='title'><a name='DRV'>Driver Information Files</a></h2>
408
409<P>The driver information files accepted by the PPD compiler are
410plain text files that define the various attributes and options
411that are included in the PPD files that are generated. A driver
412information file can define the information for one or more printers and
413their corresponding PPD files.</P>
414
415<p class='example'><a name="LISTING1">Listing 1: "examples/minimum.drv"</a></p>
416
417<pre class='example'>
418<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
419<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
420<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
421
422<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
423<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
424
425<I>// Manufacturer, model name, and version</I>
426<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
427<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
428<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
429
430<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
431<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
432
433<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
434*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
435<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
436
437<I>// Supported resolutions</I>
438*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
439
440<I>// Specify the name of the PPD file we want to generate...</I>
441<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
442</pre>
443
444
445<h3><a name='SIMPLE'>A Simple Example</a></h3>
446
447<P>The example in <A HREF="#LISTING1">Listing 1</A> shows a driver information
448file which defines the minimum required attributes to provide a valid PPD file.
449The first part of the file includes standard definition files for fonts and
450media sizes:</P>
451
452<pre class='example'>
453<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
454<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
455</pre>
456
457<P>The <TT>#include</TT> directive works just like the C/C++ include directive;
458files included using the angle brackets (<TT>&lt;filename&gt;</TT>) are found
459in any of the standard include directories and files included using quotes
460(<TT>"filename"</TT>) are found in the same directory as the source or include
461file. The <TT>&lt;font.defs&gt;</TT> include file defines the standard fonts
462which are included with GPL Ghostscript and the Apple PDF RIP, while the
463<TT>&lt;media.defs&gt;</TT> include file defines the standard media sizes
464listed in Appendix B of the Adobe PostScript Printer Description File Format
465Specification.</P>
466
467<P>CUPS provides several other standard include files:</P>
468
469<UL>
470
471 <LI><TT>&lt;epson.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertoepson driver
472 constants.</LI>
473
474 <LI><TT>&lt;escp.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertoescpx driver
475 constants.</LI>
476
477 <LI><TT>&lt;hp.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertohp driver
478 constants.</LI>
479
480 <LI><TT>&lt;label.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertolabel driver
481 constants.</LI>
482
483 <LI><TT>&lt;pcl.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertopclx driver
484 constants.</LI>
485
486 <LI><TT>&lt;raster.defs&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the CUPS raster format
487 constants.</LI>
488
489</UL>
490
491<P>Next we list all of the fonts that are available in the driver; for CUPS
492raster drivers, the following line is all that is usually supplied:</P>
493
494<pre class='example'>
495<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
496</pre>
497
498<P>The <TT>Font</TT> directive specifies the name of a single font or the
499asterisk to specify all fonts. For example, you would use the following line to
500define an additional bar code font that you are supplying with your printer
501driver:</P>
502
503<pre class='example'>
504<I>// name encoding version charset status</I>
505<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> Barcode-Foo Special "(1.0)" Special ROM
506</pre>
507
508<P>The name of the font is <TT>Barcode-Foo</TT>. Since it is not a standard
509text font, the encoding and charset name <TT>Special</TT> is used. The version
510number is <TT>1.0</TT> and the status (where the font is located) is
511<TT>ROM</TT> to indicate that the font does not need to be embedded in
512documents that use the font for this printer.</P>
513
514<P>Third comes the manufacturer, model name, and version number information
515strings:</P>
516
517<pre class='example'>
518<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
519<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
520<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
521</pre>
522
523<P>These strings are used when the user (or auto-configuration program) selects
524the printer driver for a newly connected device.</p>
525
526<P>The list of filters comes after the information strings; for the example in
527<A HREF="#LISTING1">Listing 1</A>, we have a single filter that takes CUPS
528raster data:</P>
529
530<pre class='example'>
531<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
532</pre>
533
534<P>Each filter specified in the driver information file is the equivalent of a
535printer driver for that format; if a user submits a print job in a different
536format, CUPS figures out the sequence of commands that will produce a supported
537format for the least relative cost.</P>
538
539<P>Once we have defined the driver information we specify the supported options.
540For the example driver we support a single resolution of 600 dots per inch and
541two media sizes, A4 and Letter:</P>
542
543<pre class='example'>
544*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
545<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
546
547*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
548</pre>
549
550<P>The asterisk in front of the <TT>MediaSize</TT> and <TT>Resolution</TT>
551directives specify that those option choices are the default. The
552<TT>MediaSize</TT> directive is followed by a media size name which is normally
553defined in the <TT>&lt;media.defs&gt;</TT> file and corresponds to a standard
554Adobe media size name. If the default media size is <TT>Letter</TT>, the PPD
555compiler will override it to be <TT>A4</TT> for non-English localizations for
556you automatically.</P>
557
558<P>The <TT>Resolution</TT> directive accepts several values after it as
559follows:</P>
560
561<OL>
562
563 <LI>Colorspace for this resolution, if any. In the example file, the
564 colorspace <TT>k</TT> is used which corresponds to black. For printer
565 drivers that support color printing, this field is usually specified as
566 "-" for "no change".</LI>
567
568 <LI>Bits per color. In the example file, we define 8 bits per color, for
569 a continuous-tone grayscale output. All versions of CUPS support 1 and
570 8 bits per color. CUPS 1.2 and higher (Mac OS X 10.5 and higher) also
571 supports 16 bits per color.</LI>
572
573 <LI>Rows per band. In the example file, we define 0 rows per band to
574 indicate that our printer driver does not process the page in
575 bands.</LI>
576
577 <LI>Row feed. In the example, we define the feed value to be 0 to
578 indicate that our printer driver does not interleave the output.</LI>
579
580 <LI>Row step. In the example, we define the step value to be 0 to
581 indicate that our printer driver does not interleave the output. This
582 value normally indicates the spacing between the nozzles of an inkjet
583 printer - when combined with the previous two values, it informs the
584 driver how to stagger the output on the page to produce interleaved
585 lines on the page for higher-resolution output.</LI>
586
587 <LI>Choice name and text. In the example, we define the choice name and
588 text to be <TT>"600dpi/600 DPI"</TT>. The name and text are separated by
589 slash (<TT>/</TT>) character; if no text is specified, then the name is
590 used as the text. The PPD compiler parses the name to determine the
591 actual resolution; the name can be of the form
592 <TT><I>RESOLUTION</I>dpi</TT> for resolutions that are equal
593 horizontally and vertically or <TT><I>HRES</I>x<I>VRES</I>dpi</TT> for
594 isometric resolutions. Only integer resolution values are supported, so
595 a resolution name of <TT>300dpi</TT> is valid while <TT>300.1dpi</TT> is
596 not.</LI>
597
598</OL>
599
600<P>Finally, the <TT>PCFileName</TT> directive specifies that the named PPD file
601should be written for the current driver definitions:</P>
602
603<pre class='example'>
604<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
605</pre>
606
607<P>The filename follows the directive and <I>must</I> conform to the Adobe
608filename requirements in the Adobe Postscript Printer Description File Format
609Specification. Specifically, the filename may not exceed 8 characters followed
610by the extension <VAR>.ppd</VAR>. The <TT>FileName</TT> directive can be used to
611specify longer filenames:</P>
612
613<pre class='example'>
614<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#FileName'>FileName</a> "FooJet 2000"
615</pre>
616
617
618<h3><a name='GROUPING'>Grouping and Inheritance</a></h3>
619
620<P>The previous example created a single PPD file. Driver information files can
621also define multiple printers by using the PPD compiler grouping functionality.
622Directives are grouped using the curly braces (<TT>{</TT> and <TT>}</TT>) and
623every group that uses the <TT>PCFileName</TT> or <TT>FileName</TT> directives
624produces a PPD file with that name. <A HREF="#LISTING2">Listing 2</A> shows a
625variation of the original example that uses two groups to define two printers
626that share the same printer driver filter but provide two different resolution
627options.</P>
628
629<p class='example'><a name="LISTING2">Listing 2: "examples/grouping.drv"</a></p>
630
631<pre class='example'>
632
633<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
634<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
635<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
636
637<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
638<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
639
640<I>// Manufacturer and version</I>
641<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
642<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
643
644<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
645<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
646
647<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
648*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
649<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
650
651{
652 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
653 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
654
655 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
656 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
657 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
658}
659
660{
661 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
662 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "1200dpi/1200 DPI"
663
664 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
665 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2001"
666 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojt2k1.ppd"
667}
668</pre>
669
670<P>The second example is essentially the same as the first, except that each
671printer model is defined inside of a pair of curly braces. For example, the
672first printer is defined using:</P>
673
674<pre class='example'>
675{
676 // Supported resolutions
677 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
678
679 // Specify the model name and filename...
680 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
681 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
682}
683</pre>
684
685<P>The printer <I>inherits</I> all of the definitions from the parent group (the
686top part of the file) and adds the additional definitions inside the curly
687braces for that printer driver. When we define the second group, it also
688inherits the same definitions from the parent group but <I>none</I> of the
689definitions from the first driver. Groups can be nested to any number of levels
690to support variations of similar models without duplication of information.</P>
691
692
693<h3><a name='COLOR'>Color Support</a></h3>
694
695<P>For printer drivers that support color printing, the
696<TT>ColorDevice</TT> and <TT>ColorModel</TT> directives should be
697used to tell the printing system that color output is desired
698and in what formats. <A HREF="#LISTING3">Listing 3</A> shows a
699variation of the previous example which includes a color printer
700that supports printing at 300 and 600 DPI.</P>
701
702<P>The key changes are the addition of the <TT>ColorDevice</TT>
703directive:</P>
704
705<pre class='example'>
706<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorDevice'>ColorDevice</a> true
707</pre>
708
709<P>which tells the printing system that the printer supports
710color printing, and the <TT>ColorModel</TT> directives:</P>
711
712<pre class='example'>
713<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> Gray/Grayscale w chunky 0
714*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> RGB/Color rgb chunky 0
715</pre>
716
717<P>which tell the printing system which colorspaces are supported by the printer
718driver for color printing. Each of the <TT>ColorModel</TT> directives is
719followed by the option name and text (<TT>Gray/Grayscale</TT> and
720<TT>RGB/Color</TT>), the colorspace name (<TT>w</TT> and <TT>rgb</TT>), the
721color organization (<TT>chunky</TT>), and the compression mode number
722(<TT>0</TT>) to be passed to the driver. The option name can be any of the
723standard Adobe <TT>ColorModel</TT> names:</P>
724
725<UL>
726
727 <LI><TT>Gray</TT> - Grayscale output.
728
729 <LI><TT>RGB</TT> - Color output, typically using the RGB
730 colorspace, but without a separate black channel.
731
732 <LI><TT>CMYK</TT> - Color output with a separate black
733 channel.
734
735</UL>
736
737<P>Custom names can be used, however it is recommended that you use your vendor
738prefix for any custom names, for example "fooName".</P>
739
740<P>The colorspace name can be any of the following universally supported
741colorspaces:</P>
742
743<UL>
744 <LI><TT>w</TT> - Luminance</LI>
745
746 <LI><TT>rgb</TT> - Red, green, blue</LI>
747
748 <LI><TT>k</TT> - Black</LI>
749
750 <LI><TT>cmy</TT> - Cyan, magenta, yellow</LI>
751
752 <LI><TT>cmyk</TT> - Cyan, magenta, yellow, black</LI>
753
754</UL>
755
756<P>The color organization can be any of the following values:</P>
757
758<UL>
759
760 <LI><TT>chunky</TT> - Color values are passed together on a line
761 as RGB RGB RGB RGB</LI>
762
763 <LI><TT>banded</TT> - Color values are passed separately
764 on a line as RRRR GGGG BBBB; not supported by the Apple
765 RIP filters</LI>
766
767 <LI><TT>planar</TT> - Color values are passed separately
768 on a page as RRRR RRRR RRRR ... GGGG GGGG GGGG ... BBBB
769 BBBB BBBB; not supported by the Apple RIP filters</LI>
770
771</UL>
772
773<P>The compression mode value is passed to the driver in the
774<TT>cupsCompression</TT> attribute. It is traditionally used to select an
775appropriate compression mode for the color model but can be used for any
776purpose, such as specifying a photo mode vs. standard mode.</P>
777
778<p class='example'><a name="LISTING3">Listing 3: "examples/color.drv"</a></p>
779
780<pre class='example'>
781
782<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
783<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
784<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
785
786<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
787<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
788
789<I>// Manufacturer and version</I>
790<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
791<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
792
793<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
794<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
795
796<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
797*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
798<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
799
800{
801 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
802 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
803
804 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
805 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
806 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
807}
808
809{
810 <I>// Supports color printing</I>
811 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorDevice'>ColorDevice</a> true
812
813 <I>// Supported colorspaces</I>
814 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> Gray/Grayscale w chunky 0
815 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> RGB/Color rgb chunky 0
816
817 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
818 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> - 8 0 0 0 "300dpi/300 DPI"
819 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> - 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
820
821 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
822 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet Color"
823 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojetco.ppd"
824}
825</pre>
826
827
828<h3><a name='OPTIONS'>Defining Custom Options and Option Groups</a></h3>
829
830<P>The <TT>Group</TT>, <TT>Option</TT>, and <TT>Choice</TT>
831directives are used to define or select a group, option, or
832choice. <A HREF="#LISTING4">Listing 4</A> shows a variation of
833the first example that provides two custom options in a group
834named "Footasm".</P>
835
836<p class='example'><a name="LISTING4">Listing 4: "examples/custom.drv"</a></p>
837
838<pre class='example'>
839
840<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
841<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
842<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
843
844<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
845<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
846
847<I>// Manufacturer, model name, and version</I>
848<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
849<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
850<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
851
852<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
853<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
854
855<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
856*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
857<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
858
859<I>// Supported resolutions</I>
860*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
861
862<I>// Option Group</I>
863<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "Footasm"
864
865 <I>// Boolean option</I>
866 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooEnhance/Resolution Enhancement" Boolean AnySetup 10
867 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> True/Yes "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 1&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
868 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> False/No "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 0&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
869
870 <I>// Multiple choice option</I>
871 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooOutputType/Output Quality" PickOne AnySetup 10
872 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Auto/Automatic Selection"
873 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Auto)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
874 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Text/Optimize for Text"
875 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Text)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
876 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Graph/Optimize for Graphics"
877 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Graph)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
878 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Photo/Optimize for Photos"
879 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Photo)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
880
881<I>// Specify the name of the PPD file we want to generate...</I>
882<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
883</pre>
884
885<P>The custom group is introduced by the <TT>Group</TT>
886directive which is followed by the name and optionally text for
887the user:</P>
888
889<pre class='example'>
890<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "Footasm/Footastic Options"
891</pre>
892
893<P>The group name must conform to the PPD specification and
894cannot exceed 40 characters in length. If you specify user text,
895it cannot exceed 80 characters in length. The groups
896<TT>General</TT>, <TT>Extra</TT>, and
897<TT>InstallableOptions</TT> are predefined by CUPS; the general
898and extra groups are filled by the UI options defined by the PPD
899specification. The <TT>InstallableOptions</TT> group is reserved
900for options that define whether accessories for the printer
901(duplexer unit, finisher, stapler, etc.) are installed.</P>
902
903<P>Once the group is specified, the <TT>Option</TT> directive is
904used to introduce a new option:</P>
905
906<pre class='example'>
907<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooEnhance/Resolution Enhancement" Boolean AnySetup 10
908</pre>
909
910<P>The directive is followed by the name of the option and any
911optional user text, the option type, the PostScript document group, and
912the sort order number. The option name must conform to the PPD specification
913and cannot exceed 40 characters in length. If you specify user text, it
914cannot exceed 80 characters in length.</P>
915
916<P>The option type can be <TT>Boolean</TT> for true/false
917selections, <TT>PickOne</TT> for picking one of many choices, or
918<TT>PickMany</TT> for picking zero or more choices. Boolean
919options can have at most two choices with the names
920<TT>False</TT> and <TT>True</TT>. Pick options can have any
921number of choices, although for Windows compatibility reasons
922the number of choices should not exceed 255.</P>
923
924<P>The PostScript document group is typically <TT>AnySetup</TT>,
925meaning that the option can be introduced at any point in the
926PostScript document. Other values include <TT>PageSetup</TT> to
927include the option before each page and <TT>DocumentSetup</TT>
928to include the option once at the beginning of the document.</P>
929
930<P>The sort order number is used to sort the printer commands
931associated with each option choice within the PostScript
932document. This allows you to setup certain options before others
933as required by the printer. For most CUPS raster printer
934drivers, the value <TT>10</TT> can be used for all options.</P>
935
936<P>Once the option is specified, each option choice can be
937listed using the <TT>Choice</TT> directive:</P>
938
939<pre class='example'>
940*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> True/Yes "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 1&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
941<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> False/No "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 0&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
942</pre>
943
944<P>The directive is followed by the choice name and optionally
945user text, and the PostScript commands that should be inserted
946when printing a file to this printer. The option name must
947conform to the PPD specification and cannot exceed 40 characters
948in length. If you specify user text, it cannot exceed 80
949characters in length.</P>
950
951<P>The PostScript commands are also interpreted by any RIP
952filters, so these commands typically must be present for all
953option choices. Most commands take the form:</P>
954
955<pre class='example'>
956&lt;&lt;/name value&gt;&gt;setpagedevice
957</pre>
958
959<P>where <TT>name</TT> is the name of the PostScript page device
960attribute and <TT>value</TT> is the numeric or string value for
961that attribute.</P>
962
963
964<h3><a name='DEFINE'>Defining Constants</a></h3>
965
966<P>Sometimes you will want to define constants for your drivers
967so that you can share values in different groups within the same
968driver information file, or to share values between different
969driver information files using the <TT>#include</TT> directive.
970The <TT>#define</TT> directive is used to define constants for
971use in your printer definitions:</P>
972
973<pre class='example'>
974<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> NAME value
975</pre>
976
977<P>The <TT>NAME</TT> is any sequence of letters, numbers, and
978the underscore. The <TT>value</TT> is a number or string; if the
979value contains spaces you must put double quotes around it, for
980example:</P>
981
982<pre class='example'>
983<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO "My String Value"
984</pre>
985
986<P>Constants can also be defined on the command-line using the <tt>-D</tt>
987option:</P>
988
989<pre class='command'>
990ppdc -DNAME="value" filename.drv
991</pre>
992
993<P>Once defined, you use the notation <TT>$NAME</TT> to substitute the value of
994the constant in the file, for example:</P>
995
996<pre class='example'>
997<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> MANUFACTURER "Foo"
998<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO_600 0
999<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO_1200 1
1000
1001{
1002 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "$MANUFACTURER"
1003 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelNumber'>ModelNumber</a> $FOO_600
1004 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
1005 ...
1006}
1007
1008{
1009 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "$MANUFACTURER"
1010 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelNumber'>ModelNumber</a> $FOO_1200
1011 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2001"
1012 ...
1013}
1014</pre>
1015
1016<P>Numeric constants can be bitwise OR'd together by placing the constants
1017inside parenthesis, for example:</P>
1018
1019<pre class='example'>
1020<I>// ModelNumber capability bits</I>
1021<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> DUPLEX 1
1022<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> COLOR 2
1023
1024...
1025
1026{
1027 <I>// Define a model number specifying the capabilities of the printer...</I>
1028 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelNumber'>ModelNumber</a> ($DUPLEX $COLOR)
1029 ...
1030}
1031</pre>
1032
1033
1034<h3><a name='CONDITIONAL'>Conditional Statements</a></h3>
1035
1036<p>The PPD compiler supports conditional compilation using the <tt>#if</tt>,
1037<tt>#elif</tt>, <tt>#else</tt>, and <tt>#endif</tt> directives. The <tt>#if</tt>
1038and <tt>#elif</tt> directives are followed by a constant name or an expression.
1039For example, to include a group of options when "ADVANCED" is defined:</p>
1040
1041<pre class='example'>
1042<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_if'>#if</a> ADVANCED
1043<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "Advanced/Advanced Options"
1044 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooCyanAdjust/Cyan Adjustment"
1045 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
1046 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
1047 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
1048 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
1049 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
1050 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooMagentaAdjust/Magenta Adjustment"
1051 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
1052 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
1053 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
1054 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
1055 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
1056 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooYellowAdjust/Yellow Adjustment"
1057 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
1058 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
1059 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
1060 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
1061 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
1062 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooBlackAdjust/Black Adjustment"
1063 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
1064 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
1065 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
1066 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
1067 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
1068<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_endif'>#endif</a>
1069</pre>
1070
1071
1072<h3><a name='CONSTRAINTS'>Defining Constraints</a></h3>
1073
1074<P>Constraints are strings that are used to specify that one or more option
1075choices are incompatible, for example two-sided printing on transparency media.
1076Constraints are also used to prevent the use of uninstalled features such as the
1077duplexer unit, additional media trays, and so forth.</P>
1078
1079<P>The <TT>UIConstraints</TT> directive is used to specify a constraint that is
1080placed in the PPD file. The directive is followed by a string using one of the
1081following formats:</P>
1082
1083<pre class='example'>
1084<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 *Option2"
1085<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 Choice1 *Option2"
1086<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 *Option2 Choice2"
1087<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 Choice1 *Option2 Choice2"
1088</pre>
1089
1090<P>Each option name is preceded by the asterisk (<TT>*</TT>). If no choice is
1091given for an option, then all choices <I>except</I> <TT>False</TT> and
1092<TT>None</TT> will conflict with the other option and choice(s). Since the PPD
1093compiler automatically adds reciprocal constraints (option A conflicts with
1094option B, so therefore option B conflicts with option A), you need only specify
1095the constraint once.</P>
1096
1097<p class='example'><a name="LISTING5">Listing 5: "examples/constraint.drv"</a></p>
1098
1099<pre class='example'>
1100
1101<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
1102<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
1103<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
1104
1105<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
1106<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
1107
1108<I>// Manufacturer, model name, and version</I>
1109<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
1110<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
1111<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
1112
1113<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
1114<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
1115
1116<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
1117*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
1118<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
1119
1120<I>// Supported resolutions</I>
1121*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
1122
1123<I>// Installable Option Group</I>
1124<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "InstallableOptions/Options Installed"
1125
1126 <I>// Duplexing unit option</I>
1127 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "OptionDuplexer/Duplexing Unit" Boolean AnySetup 10
1128 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> True/Installed ""
1129 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "False/Not Installed" ""
1130
1131<I>// General Option Group</I>
1132<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> General
1133
1134 <I>// Duplexing option</I>
1135 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "Duplex/Two-Sided Printing" PickOne AnySetup 10
1136 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "None/No" "&lt;&lt;/Duplex false&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
1137 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "DuplexNoTumble/Long Edge Binding"
1138 "&lt;&lt;/Duplex true/Tumble false&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
1139 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "DuplexTumble/Short Edge Binding"
1140 "&lt;&lt;/Duplex true/Tumble true&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
1141
1142<I>// Only allow duplexing if the duplexer is installed</I>
1143<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Duplex *OptionDuplexer False"
1144
1145<I>// Specify the name of the PPD file we want to generate...</I>
1146<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
1147</pre>
1148
1149<P><A HREF="#LISTING5">Listing 5</A> shows a variation of the first example with
1150an added <TT>Duplex</TT> option and installable option for the duplexer,
1151<TT>OptionDuplex</TT>. A constraint is added at the end to specify that any
1152choice of the <TT>Duplex</TT> option that is not <TT>None</TT> is incompatible
1153with the "Duplexer Installed" option set to "Not Installed"
1154(<TT>False</TT>):</P>
1155
1156<pre class='example'>
1157<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Duplex *OptionDuplexer False"
1158</pre>
1159
1160<h4>Enhanced Constraints</h4>
1161
1162<p>CUPS 1.4 supports constraints between 2 or more options using the
1163<TT>Attribute</TT> directive. <TT>cupsUIConstraints</TT> attributes define
1164the constraints, while <TT>cupsUIResolver</TT> attributes define option changes
1165to resolve constraints. For example, we can specify the previous duplex
1166constraint with a resolver that turns off duplexing with the following two
1167lines:</p>
1168
1169<pre class='example'>
1170<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Attribute'>Attribute</a> cupsUIConstraints DuplexOff "*Duplex *OptionDuplexer False"
1171<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Attribute'>Attribute</a> cupsUIResolver DuplexOff "*Duplex None"
1172</pre>
8b450588
MS
1173</div>
1174</body>
1175</html>