🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1990Mar14.041825.18302@Neon.Stanford.EDU> kaufman@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Marc T. Kaufman) writes:
> [stuff about MPII & Low Level Printing deleted]
>
>Unfortunately, no one has told me that -- so none of my drivers support low
>level printing calls.  In fact, TN#192 (Suprises in LaserWriter 5.0 and Newer)
>says: "No Mo' Low:  Because of the problems supporting both the high-level
>interfaces in the background, the low-level interface is all but removed..."
>In several Tech Notes (124, 192) Apple specifically recommends AGAINST using
>the low level calls. The preview of System 7.x at last year's developer's
>conference says "No pass-through (Draft) printing".
>
	Oh believe me, I am well aware of what TN192 says... I have been over
that one and others with Apple for a while now - and was not very happy to 
hear about the 'New Printing Archetecure' where a 'Text Streaming Mode' was
not longer going to be possible.

>DTS provides a document called "The PrintShop Mystique" to print driver
>writers that says: "Low-Level Calls.  Low level calls are a different breed
>of call, currently being supported only for historical reasons. ...It is
>recomended that all new development, both application and driver, avoid
>low-level implementations if at all possible."
>
>Given this, I really can't blame HP for not supporting low-level calls.  And
>I would have to argue your statement that "most third party drivers support
>this interface".
>
>If low level calls are important, then Apple should have told us so.  Maybe
>it is MicroPhone that is out of step.
>
	I agree that for 99% of the applications out there, there is no good 
reason to use 'text streaming' and that the new 'architeture' where everything
is page based graphic modal is a good one given that.....
	HOWEVER - for those of us who write software which must emulate some-
thing which is _NOT_ a Macintosh, then there is most certainly a need for this
feature.  What do I tell my users who ask why they can buy a VT100 dumb terminal
which will do the right thing when talking to their host, as will the PC next
to them - but you can not do that with a Macintosh....'Sorry Apple fealt that
you didn't need to do that....'
	When a host asks me to print (by sending me a command sequence), it 
does not know that I am a Macintosh - it only knows that I am a VT100 (for 
example) and as such it expects me to work exactly like every other VT100
out there.  This means that I must STREAM my text to the directly connected
printer.  Now it is true that doing this to a page based printer makes not 
sense (like to a LW) but for those people who have IW, and specifially for
this function, it MUST do that and do it IN REAL TIME just like the VT100.
	We also have clients like a Fire House where the data is xmitted over
modem to their 'hosted' Mac and the data must arrive IMMEDIATELY on the printer
from which it is turn off and taken with on the truck...How do you page print
this???
	If Apple is so concerned about 'Communications' and 'Connectivity' then
here is one area which they missed and needs some serious consideration!!

Leonard Rosenthol
Software Ventures

P.S. I have had this conversation with many different people inside of Apple
incl. in DTS, System Software, CTB Development, and, of course, the Print Shop!


>Marc Kaufman (kaufman@Neon.stanford.edu)


-- 
+--------------------------------------------------+
Leonard Rosenthol        |  GEnie : MACgician
Lazerware, inc.          |  MacNet: MACgician
UUCP: svc@well.UUCP      |  ALink : D0025