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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
4 simple command-line tool that takes a single <I>driver information file</I>,
5 which by convention uses the extension <VAR>.drv</VAR>, and produces one or more
6 PPD files that may be distributed with your printer drivers for use with CUPS.
7 For example, you would run the following command to create the English language
8 PPD files defined by the driver information file <VAR>mydrivers.drv</VAR>:</P>
9
10 <pre class='command'>
11 ppdc 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
16 files in a different location, for example:</p>
17
18 <pre class='command'>
19 ppdc -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
24 specify the language localization for the PPD files that are
25 created, for example:</P>
26
27 <pre class='command'>
28 ppdc -d myppds/de -l de mydrivers.drv
29 ppdc -d myppds/en -l en mydrivers.drv
30 ppdc -d myppds/es -l es mydrivers.drv
31 ppdc -d myppds/fr -l fr mydrivers.drv
32 ppdc -d myppds/it -l it mydrivers.drv
33 </pre>
34
35 <P>creates PPD files in German (de), English (en), Spanish (es),
36 French (fr), and Italian (it) in the corresponding
37 subdirectories. Specify multiple languages (separated by commas) to produce
38 "globalized" PPD files:</p>
39
40 <pre class='command'>
41 ppdc -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
48 plain text files that define the various attributes and options
49 that are included in the PPD files that are generated. A driver
50 information file can define the information for one or more printers and
51 their 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
86 file which defines the minimum required attributes to provide a valid PPD file.
87 The first part of the file includes standard definition files for fonts and
88 media 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;
96 files included using the angle brackets (<TT>&lt;filename&gt;</TT>) are found
97 in 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
99 file. The <TT>&lt;font.defs&gt;</TT> include file defines the standard fonts
100 which 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
102 listed in Appendix B of the Adobe PostScript Printer Description File Format
103 Specification.</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
130 raster 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
137 asterisk to specify all fonts. For example, you would use the following line to
138 define an additional bar code font that you are supplying with your printer
139 driver:</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
147 text font, the encoding and charset name <TT>Special</TT> is used. The version
148 number 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
150 documents that use the font for this printer.</P>
151
152 <P>Third comes the manufacturer, model name, and version number information
153 strings:</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
162 the 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
166 raster 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
173 printer driver for that format; if a user submits a print job in a different
174 format, CUPS figures out the sequence of commands that will produce a supported
175 format for the least relative cost.</P>
176
177 <P>Once we have defined the driver information we specify the supported options.
178 For the example driver we support a single resolution of 600 dots per inch and
179 two 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>
189 directives specify that those option choices are the default. The
190 <TT>MediaSize</TT> directive is followed by a media size name which is normally
191 defined in the <TT>&lt;media.defs&gt;</TT> file and corresponds to a standard
192 Adobe media size name. If the default media size is <TT>Letter</TT>, the PPD
193 compiler will override it to be <TT>A4</TT> for non-English localizations for
194 you automatically.</P>
195
196 <P>The <TT>Resolution</TT> directive accepts several values after it as
197 follows:</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
208 8 bits per color. CUPS 1.2 and higher (macOS 10.5 and higher) also
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
239 should 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
246 filename requirements in the Adobe Postscript Printer Description File Format
247 Specification. Specifically, the filename may not exceed 8 characters followed
248 by the extension <VAR>.ppd</VAR>. The <TT>FileName</TT> directive can be used to
249 specify 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
259 also define multiple printers by using the PPD compiler grouping functionality.
260 Directives are grouped using the curly braces (<TT>{</TT> and <TT>}</TT>) and
261 every group that uses the <TT>PCFileName</TT> or <TT>FileName</TT> directives
262 produces a PPD file with that name. <A HREF="#LISTING2">Listing 2</A> shows a
263 variation of the original example that uses two groups to define two printers
264 that share the same printer driver filter but provide two different resolution
265 options.</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
309 printer model is defined inside of a pair of curly braces. For example, the
310 first 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
324 top part of the file) and adds the additional definitions inside the curly
325 braces for that printer driver. When we define the second group, it also
326 inherits the same definitions from the parent group but <I>none</I> of the
327 definitions from the first driver. Groups can be nested to any number of levels
328 to 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
335 used to tell the printing system that color output is desired
336 and in what formats. <A HREF="#LISTING3">Listing 3</A> shows a
337 variation of the previous example which includes a color printer
338 that supports printing at 300 and 600 DPI.</P>
339
340 <P>The key changes are the addition of the <TT>ColorDevice</TT>
341 directive:</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
348 color 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
356 driver for color printing. Each of the <TT>ColorModel</TT> directives is
357 followed 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
359 color 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
361 standard 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
376 prefix for any custom names, for example "fooName".</P>
377
378 <P>The colorspace name can be any of the following universally supported
379 colorspaces:</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
413 appropriate compression mode for the color model but can be used for any
414 purpose, 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>
469 directives are used to define or select a group, option, or
470 choice. <A HREF="#LISTING4">Listing 4</A> shows a variation of
471 the first example that provides two custom options in a group
472 named "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>
524 directive which is followed by the name and optionally text for
525 the 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
532 cannot exceed 40 characters in length. If you specify user text,
533 it 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
536 and extra groups are filled by the UI options defined by the PPD
537 specification. The <TT>InstallableOptions</TT> group is reserved
538 for 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
542 used 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
549 optional user text, the option type, the PostScript document group, and
550 the sort order number. The option name must conform to the PPD specification
551 and cannot exceed 40 characters in length. If you specify user text, it
552 cannot exceed 80 characters in length.</P>
553
554 <P>The option type can be <TT>Boolean</TT> for true/false
555 selections, <TT>PickOne</TT> for picking one of many choices, or
556 <TT>PickMany</TT> for picking zero or more choices. Boolean
557 options can have at most two choices with the names
558 <TT>False</TT> and <TT>True</TT>. Pick options can have any
559 number of choices, although for Windows compatibility reasons
560 the number of choices should not exceed 255.</P>
561
562 <P>The PostScript document group is typically <TT>AnySetup</TT>,
563 meaning that the option can be introduced at any point in the
564 PostScript document. Other values include <TT>PageSetup</TT> to
565 include the option before each page and <TT>DocumentSetup</TT>
566 to 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
569 associated with each option choice within the PostScript
570 document. This allows you to setup certain options before others
571 as required by the printer. For most CUPS raster printer
572 drivers, 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
575 listed 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
583 user text, and the PostScript commands that should be inserted
584 when printing a file to this printer. The option name must
585 conform to the PPD specification and cannot exceed 40 characters
586 in length. If you specify user text, it cannot exceed 80
587 characters in length.</P>
588
589 <P>The PostScript commands are also interpreted by any RIP
590 filters, so these commands typically must be present for all
591 option 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
598 attribute and <TT>value</TT> is the numeric or string value for
599 that 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
605 so that you can share values in different groups within the same
606 driver information file, or to share values between different
607 driver information files using the <TT>#include</TT> directive.
608 The <TT>#define</TT> directive is used to define constants for
609 use 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
616 the underscore. The <TT>value</TT> is a number or string; if the
617 value contains spaces you must put double quotes around it, for
618 example:</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>
625 option:</P>
626
627 <pre class='command'>
628 ppdc -DNAME="value" filename.drv
629 </pre>
630
631 <P>Once defined, you use the notation <TT>$NAME</TT> to substitute the value of
632 the constant in the file, for example:</P>
633
634 <pre class='example'>
635 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> MANUFACTURER "Foo"
636 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO_600 0
637 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> FOO_1200 1
638
639 {
640 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#Manufacturer'>Manufacturer</a> "$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> $FOO_1200
649 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelName'>ModelName</a> "FooJet 2001"
650 ...
651 }
652 </pre>
653
654 <P>Numeric constants can be bitwise OR'd together by placing the constants
655 inside parenthesis, for example:</P>
656
657 <pre class='example'>
658 <I>// ModelNumber capability bits</I>
659 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> DUPLEX 1
660 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_define'>#define</a> COLOR 2
661
662 ...
663
664 {
665 <I>// Define a model number specifying the capabilities of the printer...</I>
666 <a href='ref-ppdcfile.html#ModelNumber'>ModelNumber</a> ($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>
676 and <tt>#elif</tt> directives are followed by a constant name or an expression.
677 For 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
713 choices are incompatible, for example two-sided printing on transparency media.
714 Constraints are also used to prevent the use of uninstalled features such as the
715 duplexer unit, additional media trays, and so forth.</P>
716
717 <P>The <TT>UIConstraints</TT> directive is used to specify a constraint that is
718 placed in the PPD file. The directive is followed by a string using one of the
719 following 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
729 given 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
731 compiler automatically adds reciprocal constraints (option A conflicts with
732 option B, so therefore option B conflicts with option A), you need only specify
733 the 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
788 an 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
790 choice of the <TT>Duplex</TT> option that is not <TT>None</TT> is incompatible
791 with 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
802 the constraints, while <TT>cupsUIResolver</TT> attributes define option changes
803 to resolve constraints. For example, we can specify the previous duplex
804 constraint with a resolver that turns off duplexing with the following two
805 lines:</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>
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
815 through <i>message catalog</i> files in the GNU gettext or Apple .strings
816 formats. 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
818 corresponding message catalog and the translated text is substituted in the
819 generated PPD files. One message catalog file can be used by multiple driver
820 information 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
825 several languages, your driver information files may provide their own media
826 sizes and options that need to be localized. CUPS provides a utility program to
827 aid in the localization of drivers called <a
828 href='man-ppdpo.html'><tt>ppdpo(1)</tt></a>. The <tt>ppdpo</tt> program creates
829 or updates a message catalog file based upon one or more driver information
830 files. New messages are added with the word "TRANSLATE" added to the front of
831 the translation string to make locating new strings for translation easier. The
832 program accepts the message catalog filename and one or more driver information
833 files.</p>
834
835 <p>For example, run the following command to create a new German message catalog
836 called <var>de.po</var> for all of the driver information files in the current
837 directory:</p>
838
839 <pre class='command'>
840 ppdpo -o de.po *.drv
841 </pre>
842
843 <p>If the file <var>de.po</var> already exists, <tt>ppdpo</tt> will update the
844 contents of the file with any new messages that need to be translated. To create
845 an Apple .strings file instead, specify the output filename with a .strings
846 extension, for example:</p>
847
848 <pre class='command'>
849 ppdpo -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
855 href='ref-ppdcfile.html#_po'><tt>#po</tt></a> directive to declare it in each
856 driver information file. For example, to declare the German message catalog for
857 a 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
874 information file or an absolute path. Once defined, the PPD compiler will
875 automatically generate a globalized PPD for every language declared in your
876 driver 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'>
880 ppdc -l de -d ppd/de mydrivers.drv
881 </pre>
882
883 <p>to generate German PPD files.</p>