On 25 Nov 2004 at 20:44, Rich Mellor wrote:
The trouble is locating them - if these printers are so readily available
at low prices, then what exactly are we developing this for as the QL can
already output PCL 3 (just not the later versions).
Well all I (innocently) did to get this started was to write an ASCII to
PROfoma transformer...
I stil think that the mian printing should be done from PROforma, after all
Joachim did a great job there!
Yes agreed :-)
<<cut>>
Those are probably the main ones from memory - the translates are the problem areas.
(...)
Best option is to throw some files at the filter once it is running on a wide number of setups.
Everyone uses different translates where one character in Quill is translated to various printer control codes, eg. to use italics, get both the # and £ symbol etc...
May just need to build up the various character set tables in the filter program to support this...
<<cut>>
Yes lol !! Chances are however, they will forget to launch the second print spooler program.
OK. I've been thinking about that a few days now, and the only thing I can
come up with to avoid that is that you have some kind of background job that
is suspended until....(either a byte is set in a thing or a byte is present
in a pipe etc...) Of course, the job only needs to come up every x seconds.
This is feasable.
I find this scheme intellectually unsatisfying, though, since it seems
wasteful to me as you will have a job querying th byte/channel/whatever
periodically, thus eating up resources (memory -the job is loaded, time - the
job runs)
But I have been unable to think of something better.
Anbody ?
Maybe the better option would be for all filter programs to be installed into a common directory. Some form of header could be added (in REM statements, C, or Machine code block) which could be interrogated by the FILTER THING to find out what filters are available for each intermediate protocol - it could then either launch the default filter as required.. (maybe offer the user a list of filters to choose from).
The only problem here is if the user only has floppy disk drives and no permanent storage..... Maybe they should get a ROMDisq.... !!
Yes but why should the QL be limited like this - it is much easier if you
can add a job to a print queue and close the current program you are using.
Ok, so now we aren't talking about a printer conversion, but about print spooling/queuing etc A whole new ballgame
Yes it is - however, the FILTER THING could be adapted to handle this at some time in the future...
> What if this punter wants to print 1000 files at the same time to 1000
> different printers hanging off a super USB interface, some of which use Epson emulation, some others Postscript, yet others GDI and whatnot? Do we
> care if he can't do that?
Not that hypothetical - if the user is using a complicated filter (eg. convert to postscript), then they could be waiting a while, without actually knowing what is going on in the background as there is no reassuring noise of the printer running.
You're pleading my case here - if they then initiated the printing via a separate print job, that could keep them informed...
Yes I agree - but the filters are intended to be bolt on programs - they can give whatever feedback to the user they like.
Where is this point heading??
I have no idea how easy it is to pass a PIC file to Proforma - Joachim??No it isn't olny that. Until now, we've been talking text conversion programs. No you're mixing (?) text & graphices. This is a different league.
Yes it is - scheme as it stands allows this to be developed for the future.
If we are capturing standard ESC/P2 graphics data sent to the PFF device (by SDUMP for example), then a filter could spot the header for this and convert it to Proforma (or PIC file) as necessary. The ESC/P2 raster graphics format is failry easy to decode :-)
Still not exactly required at the outset is it!!
Yes this would be easier IF the user has enough memory to hold the
document in a pipe.... Remember we want to aim this at the lowest common
denominator.
No we don't. We need somebody with a machine big enough to run Proforma, PTR_GEN (for things) etc. At least a Gold Card, I'd say.
Looks like they will also need some form of permanent storage.....
At least if we persuade users to move onto a Gold Card, they can then look at updating to a modern operating system as well (SMSQ/e) plus bring their QLs into the modern world. We need some idea from the questionnaire as to how many people are still sub Gold Card standard don't we.... (thank heavens Tony and Quanta did this form in the end)
I have at least 3 Gold Cards here for sale...
-- Rich Mellor RWAP Services 26 Oak Road, Shelfield, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 1RQ
http://www.rwapservices.co.uk/
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