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1<h2 class='title'><a name='BASICS'>The Basics</a></h2>
2
3<P>The PPD compiler, <a href='man-ppdc.html'><code>ppdc(1)</code></a>, is a
4simple command-line tool that takes a single <I>driver information file</I>,
5which by convention uses the extension <VAR>.drv</VAR>, and produces one or more
6PPD files that may be distributed with your printer drivers for use with CUPS.
7For example, you would run the following command to create the English language
8PPD files defined by the driver information file <VAR>mydrivers.drv</VAR>:</P>
9
10<pre class='command'>
11ppdc mydrivers.drv
12</pre>
13
14<P>The PPD files are placed in a subdirectory called
15<VAR>ppd</VAR>. The <TT>-d</TT> option is used to put the PPD
16files in a different location, for example:</p>
17
18<pre class='command'>
19ppdc -d myppds mydrivers.drv
20</pre>
21
22<P>places the PPD files in a subdirectory named
23<VAR>myppds</VAR>. Finally, use the <TT>-l</TT> option to
24specify the language localization for the PPD files that are
25created, for example:</P>
26
27<pre class='command'>
28ppdc -d myppds/de -l de mydrivers.drv
29ppdc -d myppds/en -l en mydrivers.drv
30ppdc -d myppds/es -l es mydrivers.drv
31ppdc -d myppds/fr -l fr mydrivers.drv
32ppdc -d myppds/it -l it mydrivers.drv
33</pre>
34
35<P>creates PPD files in German (de), English (en), Spanish (es),
36French (fr), and Italian (it) in the corresponding
37subdirectories. Specify multiple languages (separated by commas) to produce
38"globalized" PPD files:</p>
39
40<pre class='command'>
41ppdc -d myppds -l de,en,es,fr,it mydrivers.drv
42</pre>
43
44
45<h2 class='title'><a name='DRV'>Driver Information Files</a></h2>
46
47<P>The driver information files accepted by the PPD compiler are
48plain text files that define the various attributes and options
49that are included in the PPD files that are generated. A driver
50information file can define the information for one or more printers and
51their corresponding PPD files.</P>
52
53<p class='example'><a name="LISTING1">Listing 1: "examples/minimum.drv"</a></p>
54
55<pre class='example'>
56<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
57<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
58<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
59
60<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
61<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
62
63<I>// Manufacturer, model name, and version</I>
64<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
65<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
66<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
67
68<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
69<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
70
71<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
72*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
73<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
74
75<I>// Supported resolutions</I>
76*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
77
78<I>// Specify the name of the PPD file we want to generate...</I>
79<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
80</pre>
81
82
83<h3><a name='SIMPLE'>A Simple Example</a></h3>
84
85<P>The example in <A HREF="#LISTING1">Listing 1</A> shows a driver information
86file which defines the minimum required attributes to provide a valid PPD file.
87The first part of the file includes standard definition files for fonts and
88media sizes:</P>
89
90<pre class='example'>
91<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
92<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
93</pre>
94
95<P>The <TT>#include</TT> directive works just like the C/C++ include directive;
96files included using the angle brackets (<TT>&lt;filename&gt;</TT>) are found
97in any of the standard include directories and files included using quotes
98(<TT>"filename"</TT>) are found in the same directory as the source or include
99file. The <TT>&lt;font.defs&gt;</TT> include file defines the standard fonts
100which are included with GPL Ghostscript and the Apple PDF RIP, while the
101<TT>&lt;media.defs&gt;</TT> include file defines the standard media sizes
102listed in Appendix B of the Adobe PostScript Printer Description File Format
103Specification.</P>
104
105<P>CUPS provides several other standard include files:</P>
106
107<UL>
108
109 <LI><TT>&lt;epson.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertoepson driver
110 constants.</LI>
111
112 <LI><TT>&lt;escp.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertoescpx driver
113 constants.</LI>
114
115 <LI><TT>&lt;hp.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertohp driver
116 constants.</LI>
117
118 <LI><TT>&lt;label.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertolabel driver
119 constants.</LI>
120
121 <LI><TT>&lt;pcl.h&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the rastertopclx driver
122 constants.</LI>
123
124 <LI><TT>&lt;raster.defs&gt;</TT> - Defines all of the CUPS raster format
125 constants.</LI>
126
127</UL>
128
129<P>Next we list all of the fonts that are available in the driver; for CUPS
130raster drivers, the following line is all that is usually supplied:</P>
131
132<pre class='example'>
133<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
134</pre>
135
136<P>The <TT>Font</TT> directive specifies the name of a single font or the
137asterisk to specify all fonts. For example, you would use the following line to
138define an additional bar code font that you are supplying with your printer
139driver:</P>
140
141<pre class='example'>
142<I>// name encoding version charset status</I>
143<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> Barcode-Foo Special "(1.0)" Special ROM
144</pre>
145
146<P>The name of the font is <TT>Barcode-Foo</TT>. Since it is not a standard
147text font, the encoding and charset name <TT>Special</TT> is used. The version
148number is <TT>1.0</TT> and the status (where the font is located) is
149<TT>ROM</TT> to indicate that the font does not need to be embedded in
150documents that use the font for this printer.</P>
151
152<P>Third comes the manufacturer, model name, and version number information
153strings:</P>
154
155<pre class='example'>
156<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
157<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
158<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
159</pre>
160
161<P>These strings are used when the user (or auto-configuration program) selects
162the printer driver for a newly connected device.</p>
163
164<P>The list of filters comes after the information strings; for the example in
165<A HREF="#LISTING1">Listing 1</A>, we have a single filter that takes CUPS
166raster data:</P>
167
168<pre class='example'>
169<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
170</pre>
171
172<P>Each filter specified in the driver information file is the equivalent of a
173printer driver for that format; if a user submits a print job in a different
174format, CUPS figures out the sequence of commands that will produce a supported
175format for the least relative cost.</P>
176
177<P>Once we have defined the driver information we specify the supported options.
178For the example driver we support a single resolution of 600 dots per inch and
179two media sizes, A4 and Letter:</P>
180
181<pre class='example'>
182*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
183<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
184
185*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
186</pre>
187
188<P>The asterisk in front of the <TT>MediaSize</TT> and <TT>Resolution</TT>
189directives specify that those option choices are the default. The
190<TT>MediaSize</TT> directive is followed by a media size name which is normally
191defined in the <TT>&lt;media.defs&gt;</TT> file and corresponds to a standard
192Adobe media size name. If the default media size is <TT>Letter</TT>, the PPD
193compiler will override it to be <TT>A4</TT> for non-English localizations for
194you automatically.</P>
195
196<P>The <TT>Resolution</TT> directive accepts several values after it as
197follows:</P>
198
199<OL>
200
201 <LI>Colorspace for this resolution, if any. In the example file, the
202 colorspace <TT>k</TT> is used which corresponds to black. For printer
203 drivers that support color printing, this field is usually specified as
204 "-" for "no change".</LI>
205
206 <LI>Bits per color. In the example file, we define 8 bits per color, for
207 a continuous-tone grayscale output. All versions of CUPS support 1 and
8072030b 208 8 bits per color. CUPS 1.2 and higher (macOS 10.5 and higher) also
8b450588
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209 supports 16 bits per color.</LI>
210
211 <LI>Rows per band. In the example file, we define 0 rows per band to
212 indicate that our printer driver does not process the page in
213 bands.</LI>
214
215 <LI>Row feed. In the example, we define the feed value to be 0 to
216 indicate that our printer driver does not interleave the output.</LI>
217
218 <LI>Row step. In the example, we define the step value to be 0 to
219 indicate that our printer driver does not interleave the output. This
220 value normally indicates the spacing between the nozzles of an inkjet
221 printer - when combined with the previous two values, it informs the
222 driver how to stagger the output on the page to produce interleaved
223 lines on the page for higher-resolution output.</LI>
224
225 <LI>Choice name and text. In the example, we define the choice name and
226 text to be <TT>"600dpi/600 DPI"</TT>. The name and text are separated by
227 slash (<TT>/</TT>) character; if no text is specified, then the name is
228 used as the text. The PPD compiler parses the name to determine the
229 actual resolution; the name can be of the form
230 <TT><I>RESOLUTION</I>dpi</TT> for resolutions that are equal
231 horizontally and vertically or <TT><I>HRES</I>x<I>VRES</I>dpi</TT> for
232 isometric resolutions. Only integer resolution values are supported, so
233 a resolution name of <TT>300dpi</TT> is valid while <TT>300.1dpi</TT> is
234 not.</LI>
235
236</OL>
237
238<P>Finally, the <TT>PCFileName</TT> directive specifies that the named PPD file
239should be written for the current driver definitions:</P>
240
241<pre class='example'>
242<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
243</pre>
244
245<P>The filename follows the directive and <I>must</I> conform to the Adobe
246filename requirements in the Adobe Postscript Printer Description File Format
247Specification. Specifically, the filename may not exceed 8 characters followed
248by the extension <VAR>.ppd</VAR>. The <TT>FileName</TT> directive can be used to
249specify longer filenames:</P>
250
251<pre class='example'>
252<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#FileName'>FileName</a> "FooJet 2000"
253</pre>
254
255
256<h3><a name='GROUPING'>Grouping and Inheritance</a></h3>
257
258<P>The previous example created a single PPD file. Driver information files can
259also define multiple printers by using the PPD compiler grouping functionality.
260Directives are grouped using the curly braces (<TT>{</TT> and <TT>}</TT>) and
261every group that uses the <TT>PCFileName</TT> or <TT>FileName</TT> directives
262produces a PPD file with that name. <A HREF="#LISTING2">Listing 2</A> shows a
263variation of the original example that uses two groups to define two printers
264that share the same printer driver filter but provide two different resolution
265options.</P>
266
267<p class='example'><a name="LISTING2">Listing 2: "examples/grouping.drv"</a></p>
268
269<pre class='example'>
270
271<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
272<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
273<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
274
275<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
276<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
277
278<I>// Manufacturer and version</I>
279<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
280<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
281
282<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
283<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
284
285<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
286*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
287<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
288
289{
290 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
291 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
292
293 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
294 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
295 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
296}
297
298{
299 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
300 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "1200dpi/1200 DPI"
301
302 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
303 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2001"
304 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojt2k1.ppd"
305}
306</pre>
307
308<P>The second example is essentially the same as the first, except that each
309printer model is defined inside of a pair of curly braces. For example, the
310first printer is defined using:</P>
311
312<pre class='example'>
313{
314 // Supported resolutions
315 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
316
317 // Specify the model name and filename...
318 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
319 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
320}
321</pre>
322
323<P>The printer <I>inherits</I> all of the definitions from the parent group (the
324top part of the file) and adds the additional definitions inside the curly
325braces for that printer driver. When we define the second group, it also
326inherits the same definitions from the parent group but <I>none</I> of the
327definitions from the first driver. Groups can be nested to any number of levels
328to support variations of similar models without duplication of information.</P>
329
330
331<h3><a name='COLOR'>Color Support</a></h3>
332
333<P>For printer drivers that support color printing, the
334<TT>ColorDevice</TT> and <TT>ColorModel</TT> directives should be
335used to tell the printing system that color output is desired
336and in what formats. <A HREF="#LISTING3">Listing 3</A> shows a
337variation of the previous example which includes a color printer
338that supports printing at 300 and 600 DPI.</P>
339
340<P>The key changes are the addition of the <TT>ColorDevice</TT>
341directive:</P>
342
343<pre class='example'>
344<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorDevice'>ColorDevice</a> true
345</pre>
346
347<P>which tells the printing system that the printer supports
348color printing, and the <TT>ColorModel</TT> directives:</P>
349
350<pre class='example'>
351<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> Gray/Grayscale w chunky 0
352*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> RGB/Color rgb chunky 0
353</pre>
354
355<P>which tell the printing system which colorspaces are supported by the printer
356driver for color printing. Each of the <TT>ColorModel</TT> directives is
357followed by the option name and text (<TT>Gray/Grayscale</TT> and
358<TT>RGB/Color</TT>), the colorspace name (<TT>w</TT> and <TT>rgb</TT>), the
359color organization (<TT>chunky</TT>), and the compression mode number
360(<TT>0</TT>) to be passed to the driver. The option name can be any of the
361standard Adobe <TT>ColorModel</TT> names:</P>
362
363<UL>
364
365 <LI><TT>Gray</TT> - Grayscale output.
366
367 <LI><TT>RGB</TT> - Color output, typically using the RGB
368 colorspace, but without a separate black channel.
369
370 <LI><TT>CMYK</TT> - Color output with a separate black
371 channel.
372
373</UL>
374
375<P>Custom names can be used, however it is recommended that you use your vendor
376prefix for any custom names, for example "fooName".</P>
377
378<P>The colorspace name can be any of the following universally supported
379colorspaces:</P>
380
381<UL>
382 <LI><TT>w</TT> - Luminance</LI>
383
384 <LI><TT>rgb</TT> - Red, green, blue</LI>
385
386 <LI><TT>k</TT> - Black</LI>
387
388 <LI><TT>cmy</TT> - Cyan, magenta, yellow</LI>
389
390 <LI><TT>cmyk</TT> - Cyan, magenta, yellow, black</LI>
391
392</UL>
393
394<P>The color organization can be any of the following values:</P>
395
396<UL>
397
398 <LI><TT>chunky</TT> - Color values are passed together on a line
399 as RGB RGB RGB RGB</LI>
400
401 <LI><TT>banded</TT> - Color values are passed separately
402 on a line as RRRR GGGG BBBB; not supported by the Apple
403 RIP filters</LI>
404
405 <LI><TT>planar</TT> - Color values are passed separately
406 on a page as RRRR RRRR RRRR ... GGGG GGGG GGGG ... BBBB
407 BBBB BBBB; not supported by the Apple RIP filters</LI>
408
409</UL>
410
411<P>The compression mode value is passed to the driver in the
412<TT>cupsCompression</TT> attribute. It is traditionally used to select an
413appropriate compression mode for the color model but can be used for any
414purpose, such as specifying a photo mode vs. standard mode.</P>
415
416<p class='example'><a name="LISTING3">Listing 3: "examples/color.drv"</a></p>
417
418<pre class='example'>
419
420<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
421<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
422<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
423
424<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
425<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
426
427<I>// Manufacturer and version</I>
428<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
429<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
430
431<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
432<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
433
434<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
435*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
436<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
437
438{
439 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
440 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
441
442 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
443 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
444 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
445}
446
447{
448 <I>// Supports color printing</I>
449 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorDevice'>ColorDevice</a> true
450
451 <I>// Supported colorspaces</I>
452 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> Gray/Grayscale w chunky 0
453 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ColorModel'>ColorModel</a> RGB/Color rgb chunky 0
454
455 <I>// Supported resolutions</I>
456 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> - 8 0 0 0 "300dpi/300 DPI"
457 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> - 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
458
459 <I>// Specify the model name and filename...</I>
460 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet Color"
461 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojetco.ppd"
462}
463</pre>
464
465
466<h3><a name='OPTIONS'>Defining Custom Options and Option Groups</a></h3>
467
468<P>The <TT>Group</TT>, <TT>Option</TT>, and <TT>Choice</TT>
469directives are used to define or select a group, option, or
470choice. <A HREF="#LISTING4">Listing 4</A> shows a variation of
471the first example that provides two custom options in a group
472named "Footasm".</P>
473
474<p class='example'><a name="LISTING4">Listing 4: "examples/custom.drv"</a></p>
475
476<pre class='example'>
477
478<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
479<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
480<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
481
482<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
483<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
484
485<I>// Manufacturer, model name, and version</I>
486<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
487<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
488<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
489
490<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
491<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
492
493<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
494*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
495<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
496
497<I>// Supported resolutions</I>
498*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
499
500<I>// Option Group</I>
501<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "Footasm"
502
503 <I>// Boolean option</I>
504 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooEnhance/Resolution Enhancement" Boolean AnySetup 10
505 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> True/Yes "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 1&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
506 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> False/No "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 0&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
507
508 <I>// Multiple choice option</I>
509 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooOutputType/Output Quality" PickOne AnySetup 10
510 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Auto/Automatic Selection"
511 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Auto)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
512 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Text/Optimize for Text"
513 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Text)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
514 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Graph/Optimize for Graphics"
515 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Graph)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
516 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "Photo/Optimize for Photos"
517 "&lt;&lt;/OutputType(Photo)&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
518
519<I>// Specify the name of the PPD file we want to generate...</I>
520<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
521</pre>
522
523<P>The custom group is introduced by the <TT>Group</TT>
524directive which is followed by the name and optionally text for
525the user:</P>
526
527<pre class='example'>
528<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "Footasm/Footastic Options"
529</pre>
530
531<P>The group name must conform to the PPD specification and
532cannot exceed 40 characters in length. If you specify user text,
533it cannot exceed 80 characters in length. The groups
534<TT>General</TT>, <TT>Extra</TT>, and
535<TT>InstallableOptions</TT> are predefined by CUPS; the general
536and extra groups are filled by the UI options defined by the PPD
537specification. The <TT>InstallableOptions</TT> group is reserved
538for options that define whether accessories for the printer
539(duplexer unit, finisher, stapler, etc.) are installed.</P>
540
541<P>Once the group is specified, the <TT>Option</TT> directive is
542used to introduce a new option:</P>
543
544<pre class='example'>
545<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooEnhance/Resolution Enhancement" Boolean AnySetup 10
546</pre>
547
548<P>The directive is followed by the name of the option and any
549optional user text, the option type, the PostScript document group, and
550the sort order number. The option name must conform to the PPD specification
551and cannot exceed 40 characters in length. If you specify user text, it
552cannot exceed 80 characters in length.</P>
553
554<P>The option type can be <TT>Boolean</TT> for true/false
555selections, <TT>PickOne</TT> for picking one of many choices, or
556<TT>PickMany</TT> for picking zero or more choices. Boolean
557options can have at most two choices with the names
558<TT>False</TT> and <TT>True</TT>. Pick options can have any
559number of choices, although for Windows compatibility reasons
560the number of choices should not exceed 255.</P>
561
562<P>The PostScript document group is typically <TT>AnySetup</TT>,
563meaning that the option can be introduced at any point in the
564PostScript document. Other values include <TT>PageSetup</TT> to
565include the option before each page and <TT>DocumentSetup</TT>
566to include the option once at the beginning of the document.</P>
567
568<P>The sort order number is used to sort the printer commands
569associated with each option choice within the PostScript
570document. This allows you to setup certain options before others
571as required by the printer. For most CUPS raster printer
572drivers, the value <TT>10</TT> can be used for all options.</P>
573
574<P>Once the option is specified, each option choice can be
575listed using the <TT>Choice</TT> directive:</P>
576
577<pre class='example'>
578*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> True/Yes "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 1&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
579<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> False/No "&lt;&lt;/cupsCompression 0&gt;&gt;setpagedevice"
580</pre>
581
582<P>The directive is followed by the choice name and optionally
583user text, and the PostScript commands that should be inserted
584when printing a file to this printer. The option name must
585conform to the PPD specification and cannot exceed 40 characters
586in length. If you specify user text, it cannot exceed 80
587characters in length.</P>
588
589<P>The PostScript commands are also interpreted by any RIP
590filters, so these commands typically must be present for all
591option choices. Most commands take the form:</P>
592
593<pre class='example'>
594&lt;&lt;/name value&gt;&gt;setpagedevice
595</pre>
596
597<P>where <TT>name</TT> is the name of the PostScript page device
598attribute and <TT>value</TT> is the numeric or string value for
599that attribute.</P>
600
601
602<h3><a name='DEFINE'>Defining Constants</a></h3>
603
604<P>Sometimes you will want to define constants for your drivers
605so that you can share values in different groups within the same
606driver information file, or to share values between different
607driver information files using the <TT>#include</TT> directive.
608The <TT>#define</TT> directive is used to define constants for
609use in your printer definitions:</P>
610
611<pre class='example'>
612<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> NAME value
613</pre>
614
615<P>The <TT>NAME</TT> is any sequence of letters, numbers, and
616the underscore. The <TT>value</TT> is a number or string; if the
617value contains spaces you must put double quotes around it, for
618example:</P>
619
620<pre class='example'>
621<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO "My String Value"
622</pre>
623
624<P>Constants can also be defined on the command-line using the <tt>-D</tt>
625option:</P>
626
627<pre class='command'>
628ppdc -DNAME="value" filename.drv
629</pre>
630
631<P>Once defined, you use the notation <TT>$NAME</TT> to substitute the value of
632the constant in the file, for example:</P>
633
634<pre class='example'>
635<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> MANUFACTURER "Foo"
636<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO_600 0
637<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO_1200 1
638
639{
640 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "$MANUFACTURER"
641 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelNumber'>ModelNumber</a> $FOO_600
642 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
643 ...
644}
645
646{
647 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "$MANUFACTURER"
648 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelNumber'>ModelNumber</a> $FOO_1200
649 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2001"
650 ...
651}
652</pre>
653
654<P>Numeric constants can be bitwise OR'd together by placing the constants
655inside parenthesis, for example:</P>
656
657<pre class='example'>
658<I>// ModelNumber capability bits</I>
659<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> DUPLEX 1
660<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> COLOR 2
661
662...
663
664{
665 <I>// Define a model number specifying the capabilities of the printer...</I>
666 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelNumber'>ModelNumber</a> ($DUPLEX $COLOR)
667 ...
668}
669</pre>
670
671
672<h3><a name='CONDITIONAL'>Conditional Statements</a></h3>
673
674<p>The PPD compiler supports conditional compilation using the <tt>#if</tt>,
675<tt>#elif</tt>, <tt>#else</tt>, and <tt>#endif</tt> directives. The <tt>#if</tt>
676and <tt>#elif</tt> directives are followed by a constant name or an expression.
677For example, to include a group of options when "ADVANCED" is defined:</p>
678
679<pre class='example'>
680<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_if'>#if</a> ADVANCED
681<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "Advanced/Advanced Options"
682 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooCyanAdjust/Cyan Adjustment"
683 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
684 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
685 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
686 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
687 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
688 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooMagentaAdjust/Magenta Adjustment"
689 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
690 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
691 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
692 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
693 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
694 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooYellowAdjust/Yellow Adjustment"
695 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
696 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
697 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
698 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
699 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
700 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "fooBlackAdjust/Black Adjustment"
701 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus10/+10%" ""
702 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "plus5/+5%" ""
703 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "none/No Adjustment" ""
704 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus5/-5%" ""
705 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "minus10/-10%" ""
706<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_endif'>#endif</a>
707</pre>
708
709
710<h3><a name='CONSTRAINTS'>Defining Constraints</a></h3>
711
712<P>Constraints are strings that are used to specify that one or more option
713choices are incompatible, for example two-sided printing on transparency media.
714Constraints are also used to prevent the use of uninstalled features such as the
715duplexer unit, additional media trays, and so forth.</P>
716
717<P>The <TT>UIConstraints</TT> directive is used to specify a constraint that is
718placed in the PPD file. The directive is followed by a string using one of the
719following formats:</P>
720
721<pre class='example'>
722<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 *Option2"
723<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 Choice1 *Option2"
724<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 *Option2 Choice2"
725<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Option1 Choice1 *Option2 Choice2"
726</pre>
727
728<P>Each option name is preceded by the asterisk (<TT>*</TT>). If no choice is
729given for an option, then all choices <I>except</I> <TT>False</TT> and
730<TT>None</TT> will conflict with the other option and choice(s). Since the PPD
731compiler automatically adds reciprocal constraints (option A conflicts with
732option B, so therefore option B conflicts with option A), you need only specify
733the constraint once.</P>
734
735<p class='example'><a name="LISTING5">Listing 5: "examples/constraint.drv"</a></p>
736
737<pre class='example'>
738
739<I>// Include standard font and media definitions</I>
740<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;font.defs&gt;
741<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_include'>#include</a> &lt;media.defs&gt;
742
743<I>// List the fonts that are supported, in this case all standard fonts...</I>
744<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Font'>Font</a> *
745
746<I>// Manufacturer, model name, and version</I>
747<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "Foo"
748<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2000"
749<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Version'>Version</a> 1.0
750
751<I>// Each filter provided by the driver...</I>
752<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Filter'>Filter</a> application/vnd.cups-raster 100 rastertofoo
753
754<I>// Supported page sizes</I>
755*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> Letter
756<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#MediaSize'>MediaSize</a> A4
757
758<I>// Supported resolutions</I>
759*<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Resolution'>Resolution</a> k 8 0 0 0 "600dpi/600 DPI"
760
761<I>// Installable Option Group</I>
762<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> "InstallableOptions/Options Installed"
763
764 <I>// Duplexing unit option</I>
765 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "OptionDuplexer/Duplexing Unit" Boolean AnySetup 10
766 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> True/Installed ""
767 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "False/Not Installed" ""
768
769<I>// General Option Group</I>
770<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Group'>Group</a> General
771
772 <I>// Duplexing option</I>
773 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Option'>Option</a> "Duplex/Two-Sided Printing" PickOne AnySetup 10
774 *<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "None/No" "&lt;&lt;/Duplex false&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
775 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "DuplexNoTumble/Long Edge Binding"
776 "&lt;&lt;/Duplex true/Tumble false&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
777 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Choice'>Choice</a> "DuplexTumble/Short Edge Binding"
778 "&lt;&lt;/Duplex true/Tumble true&gt;&gt;setpagedevice""
779
780<I>// Only allow duplexing if the duplexer is installed</I>
781<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Duplex *OptionDuplexer False"
782
783<I>// Specify the name of the PPD file we want to generate...</I>
784<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#PCFileName'>PCFileName</a> "foojet2k.ppd"
785</pre>
786
787<P><A HREF="#LISTING5">Listing 5</A> shows a variation of the first example with
788an added <TT>Duplex</TT> option and installable option for the duplexer,
789<TT>OptionDuplex</TT>. A constraint is added at the end to specify that any
790choice of the <TT>Duplex</TT> option that is not <TT>None</TT> is incompatible
791with the "Duplexer Installed" option set to "Not Installed"
792(<TT>False</TT>):</P>
793
794<pre class='example'>
795<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#UIConstraints'>UIConstraints</a> "*Duplex *OptionDuplexer False"
796</pre>
797
798<h4>Enhanced Constraints</h4>
799
800<p>CUPS 1.4 supports constraints between 2 or more options using the
801<TT>Attribute</TT> directive. <TT>cupsUIConstraints</TT> attributes define
802the constraints, while <TT>cupsUIResolver</TT> attributes define option changes
803to resolve constraints. For example, we can specify the previous duplex
804constraint with a resolver that turns off duplexing with the following two
805lines:</p>
806
807<pre class='example'>
808<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Attribute'>Attribute</a> cupsUIConstraints DuplexOff "*Duplex *OptionDuplexer False"
809<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Attribute'>Attribute</a> cupsUIResolver DuplexOff "*Duplex None"
810</pre>
97c9a8d7
MS
811
812<h2 class='title'><a name='LOCALIZATION'>Localization</a></h2>
813
814<p>The PPD compiler provides localization of PPD files in different languages
815through <i>message catalog</i> files in the GNU gettext or Apple .strings
816formats. Each user text string and several key PPD attribute values such as
817<tt>LanguageVersion</tt> and <tt>LanguageEncoding</tt> are looked up in the
818corresponding message catalog and the translated text is substituted in the
819generated PPD files. One message catalog file can be used by multiple driver
820information files, and each file contains a single language translation.</p>
821
822<h3><a name='PPDPO'>The ppdpo Utility</a></h3>
823
824<p>While CUPS includes localizations of all standard media sizes and options in
825several languages, your driver information files may provide their own media
826sizes and options that need to be localized. CUPS provides a utility program to
827aid in the localization of drivers called <a
828href='man-ppdpo.html'><tt>ppdpo(1)</tt></a>. The <tt>ppdpo</tt> program creates
829or updates a message catalog file based upon one or more driver information
830files. New messages are added with the word "TRANSLATE" added to the front of
831the translation string to make locating new strings for translation easier. The
832program accepts the message catalog filename and one or more driver information
833files.</p>
834
835<p>For example, run the following command to create a new German message catalog
836called <var>de.po</var> for all of the driver information files in the current
837directory:</p>
838
839<pre class='command'>
840ppdpo -o de.po *.drv
841</pre>
842
843<p>If the file <var>de.po</var> already exists, <tt>ppdpo</tt> will update the
844contents of the file with any new messages that need to be translated. To create
845an Apple .strings file instead, specify the output filename with a .strings
846extension, for example:</p>
847
848<pre class='command'>
849ppdpo -o de.strings *.drv
850</pre>
851
852<h3><a name='PPDC_CATALOG'>Using Message Catalogs with the PPD Compiler</a></h3>
853
854<p>Once you have created a message catalog, use the <a
855href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'><tt>#po</tt></a> directive to declare it in each
856driver information file. For example, to declare the German message catalog for
857a driver use:</p>
858
859<pre class='example'>
860<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'>#po</a> de "de.po" // German
861</pre>
862
863<p>In fact, you can use the <tt>#po</tt> directive as many times as needed:</p>
864
865<pre class='example'>
866<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'>#po</a> de "de.po" // German
867<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'>#po</a> es "es.po" // Spanish
868<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'>#po</a> fr "fr.po" // French
869<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'>#po</a> it "it.po" // Italian
870<a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'>#po</a> ja "ja.po" // Japanese
871</pre>
872
873<p>The filename ("de.po", etc.) can be relative to the location of the driver
874information file or an absolute path. Once defined, the PPD compiler will
875automatically generate a globalized PPD for every language declared in your
876driver information file. To generate a single-language PPD file, simply use the
877<tt>-l</tt> option to list the corresponding locale, for example:</p>
878
879<pre class='command'>
880ppdc -l de -d ppd/de mydrivers.drv
881</pre>
882
883<p>to generate German PPD files.</p>