PPD file omissions and strangeness

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2 total messages Started by Pond Scum Thu, 31 Dec 1992 07:53

#5866

Author: Pond Scum
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 07:53

38 lines
2271 bytes

I'm working on a program which uses PPD files and to test it I grabbed
a bunch of PPDs off the Adobe file server.  I have run into some weird
things in PPD files and was wondering if anyone else had run into similar
problems and what you decided to do about them:

1) Why do the Lino PPDs for PostScript versions < 52.3 have entries
   for *SetResolution, but versions > 52.3 do not have entries for
   *SetResolution?  We have a RIP 30 with 52.3 and I'm pretty sure
   you can change the resolution if you do an exitserver first.

2) The entries under *ScreenProc seem pretty useless, especially if
   the device has a screen filter installed.  There is a special PPD for
   an AGFA SelectSet 5000 with the screen filter active, but RoundAGFASpot
   and EllipticalAGFASpot (or whatever they are called) not listed under
   ScreenProc.  It would be very useful if they were.

3) According to the PPD spec, the value following *MaxMediaWidth is an
   integer inside double quotes.  I got L3330523.PPD and L530_523.PPD
   off the Adobe file server and the numbers after *MaxMediaWidth were 
   not inside double quotes.

4) None of the PPDs for the Varityper imagesetters have a *CustomPageSize
   entry.  From looking at the file it seems you could use the setpage
   operator almost the same way as setpageparams on most other RIPs?
   I could swear that I used a Varityper imagesetter once and it supported
   the setpageparams operator.

5) One of the Varityper PPDs has the wrong invocations to set the
   resolution to 1270.  It actually tries to do "270 setresolution".
   Of course, there could be some really weird bug where you have to
   say "270" instead of "1270", but I doubt it.


Actually, if you've ever done anything at all with PPD files I'm interested
in hearing about it.

Jonathan Hue		hue@island.COM

Re: PPD file omissions and strangeness

#6641

Author: Jim DeLaHunt
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 01:10

51 lines
2797 bytes

In article <1992Dec31.075301.8845@island.COM> hue@coney.island.COM 
(Pond Scum) writes:
>
>... I have run into some weird things in PPD files and was wondering 
>if anyone else had run into similar problems....
>
>3) ...the numbers after *MaxMediaWidth were not inside double quotes.
>5) One of the Varityper PPDs has the wrong invocations to set the
>   resolution to 1270.  It actually tries to do "270 setresolution"....

    These are known bugs with those PPD files, and they have been fixed.

>1) Why do the Lino PPDs for PostScript versions < 52.3 have entries
>   for *SetResolution, but versions > 52.3 do not have entries for
>   *SetResolution?
>
>4) None of the PPDs for the Varityper imagesetters have a *CustomPageSize
>   entry.

    Good question.  Perhaps they are bugs in the files.  I'll check.

>2) The entries under *ScreenProc seem pretty useless, especially if
>   the device has a screen filter installed.  There is a special PPD for
>   an AGFA SelectSet 5000 with the screen filter active, but RoundAGFASpot
>   and EllipticalAGFASpot (or whatever they are called) not listed under
>   ScreenProc.  It would be very useful if they were.

    Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check.

>Actually, if you've ever done anything at all with PPD files I'm interested
>in hearing about it.

    You got those files from Adobe, they are copyright Adobe, did you
    ever think of asking Adobe? :-)

Seriously, we're putting a lot of work into producing bug-free PPD files,
into distributing them via our anonymous FTP server (ftp.mv.us.adobe.com,
or email to ps-file-server@mv.us.adobe.com).  Lots of applications 
(Adobe Illustrator, Aldus PageMaker, Adobe Windows Printer Driver, Adobe 
Macintosh Printer Driver) are supporting them.  If you want to find out 
more you are encouraged to call the Adobe Developers Association at
+1-415-961-4111 and ask.

>Jonathan Hue		hue@island.COM

(Actually, I'm sure someone at Island is already a member of the Adobe 
Developers Association, and Jonathan just hadn't found that out.  Isn't 
the net great?)

	--Jim DeLaHunt, Developer Support, Adobe Systems Incorporated	
delahunt@mv.us.adobe.com  ...!{apple,decwrl}!adobe!delahunt    +1-415-962-3790

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