[open-beos-printing] Re: Updates?

Karsten, Julun, Michael,

> I would also like to merge the preview and pdf printer as inbuild 
> classes, so that, e.g preview printing works instantly without print to 
> preview or tons of clicks in the printer panels. The same counts for 
> pdf, it should be provided by default and always be available, but not 
> as independent system printer.

Preview currently don't actually push any data to a print transport but
screen, indeed.
While a "Picture Viewer port" could be written to launch an external
BPictures viewer, which will be more modular than the current builtin/thigh
integrated, Preview is not really a "print" operation but a usefull feature
and as such should be always easily accessible, not needing him to setup a
"preview" pseudo printer.
While I'm not that found on too much integrated design, I can see why
Preview should not considered a printer driver at least.

But why inbuild PDF Writer driver ?! It actually push PDF formatted data
thru a transport, a transpart that can be not only "Print To File" but
whatever port to which a PDF-compliant device could be connected to.
Don't assume PDF Writer will be only used to generate PDF files, please. I
used to have access in my previous job (prepress IT) to a PDF-compliant
printer, connected thru HP JetDirect protocol.

PDF is no more special format than HP's PCL4/5/6 or Canon's cryptic BJ
printers protocol. They're all formats to describe pages content, that
different devices - hardware or software - knows to render. 
Preview use Haiku/BeOS native BPictures format, which can't be rendered
outside Haiku/BeOS. 
But PDF is not in such case. Please, keep it as a printer add-on.

AFAIK, Haiku images have a "Save as PDF" printer connected to "Print To
File" pre-installed.
Maybe the single issue users will have is we don't offer a quick way to
swith the printer target *at* print time, contrary to other OSes. What
about adding a "printer: " popup menu on the print/job panel(s), like under
Zeta ?
That way, the pre-installed "Save To PDF" will be at one click too, but no
need to handle PDF differently than others drivers.

My .02 cents.

Bye,
  Philippe.

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