@database "psprt-handler" @master "psprt.guide" @Remark Copyright © 1994,1995 by Daniel Weber @Remark All Rights Reserved @Remark $VER: psprt.guide 1.32 (06.07.95) @Remark AmigaGuide database for the psprt-handler @Remark ************************************************************************ @node Main "psprt.guide" ================================================================================ @{b}P S P R T - H A N D L E R @{ub} v1.32 ================================================================================ Copyright © 1994,1995 by Daniel Weber @{b}TABLE OF CONTENTS @{ub} --------------------------------- @{" Copyright, Distribution and Disclaimer " link "Copyright"} @{" Introduction " link "Introduction"} @{" Requirements " link "Requirements"} @{" Limitations " link "Limitations"} @{" Installation " link "Installation"} @{" Printing a PostScript File " link "Printing"} @{" Configuration " link "Configuration"} @{" post.library " link "post.library"} @{" PostScript Fonts " link "psfonts"} @{" Troubleshooting " link "Troubleshooting"} @{" psprttest.ps " link "psprttest"} @{" History " link "History"} @{" Credits and Thanks " link "Credits"} @{" Contacting the Author " link "Author"} @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Copyright" PSPRT-Handler and associated utility software is Copyright © 1994,1995 by Daniel Weber. All rights reserved. PSPRT-Handler is freely redistributable. THIS PROGRAM AND ITS DOCUMENTATION MAY BE DISTRIBUTED FOR NON-PROFIT PURPOSE ONLY. IT MAY NOT BE MODIFIED IN ANY WAY WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. NO WARRANTY. NO REFUNDS. NO CARRIER. IT IS ILLEGAL TO DISTRIBUTE THIS PROGRAM ON DISKS WHICH COST MORE THAN US $5 PER FLOPPY DISK, OR MORE THAN US $50 PER CD. @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Introduction" Introduction -------------------------------- PSPRT-Handler allows you to print PostScript files on a no-postscript-capable printer using the @{"post.library" link "post.library"}. My motivation behind this project was the need to print PostScript files on my printer. However I do not have a postscript printer and therefore I searched for another solution - without success. The PSPRT-Handler was born... Please note that the printing of a PostScript file using a software based PostScript interpreter takes more time than a real PostScript printer does. To speed up the printing, for example, you can decrease the density and set the dithering type to 'ordered' (using the Prefs/PrinterGfx program). To have a feeling how long a print job can last, you have the possibility to open a progress indicator. The progress indicator is a small window in the top left corner of the default public screen with a bar which shows you how much of a file has been processed so far. See @{"Configuration" link "Configuration"} for more details about how to enable and disable the progress indicator. @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Requirements" Requirements -------------------------------- - PSPRT-Handler requires an Amiga with at least 2 MBytes of memory. - Kickstart and Workbench 2.04 or higher are also required. - As PostScript interpreter the @{"post.library" link "post.library"} is used. - A printer. @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Limitations" Limitations -------------------------------- The current version of the PSPRT-Handler does only support black and white printers. Colour printers will be supported in a later version. At the moment any colour PostScript files will be printed in black and white. The PSPRT-Handler needs a temporary file to print a PostScript file. Once a day this will be handled more dynamically. @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Installation" Installation -------------------------------- The Installation of the PSPRT-Handler is quite easy... 1) Put the PSPRT-Handler into L: 2a) If you are using Workbench 2.1 or later, copy the PSPRT and PSPRT.info files to the DEVS:DOSDrivers/ directory. 2b) If you do not use Workbench 2.1 or higher you will have to append the entry in mountlist.psprt to your DEVS:mountlist. Then edit the file S:User-Startup by adding the line mount PSPRT: to mount the PSPRT: at boot time. 3) Put the psprt.prefs file into the ENV: assign, and edit it to suit your needs. For a permanent setup, copy it into ENVARC: assign too. This file contains the @{"configuration" link "Configuration"} for the PSPRT-Handler. For the default settings see @{"Configuration" link "Configuration"}. Note that if you do not have the @{"post.library" link "post.library"} installed correctly, the PSPRT-Handler won't work. The PSPRT-Handler searches the init.ps file (that comes along with the @{"post.library" link "post.library"} in the POST: or the L: assign. The PSPRT-Handler interprets and prints a postscript file with a task priority of 0. This can slow down your whole system. However, to change the priority you simply have to set the priority argument in the dosdriver file respectively the mountlist to your desired value (e.g. Priority = -1). @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Printing" Printing a PostScript File -------------------------------- To print a PostScript file you just have to send it to PSPRT: instead to PRT:. This can be done by either COPY your_postscript_file TO PSPRT: or TYPE >PSPRT: your_postscript_file or by selecting the PSPRT: instead of PRT: as output device in your printer utility, texteditor or whatever. The PSPRT-Handler writes to a temporary file while printing a postscript file. By default the 'T:' assign is used as directory for that file. Using the optional preference file 'psprt.prefs' this directory can be changed to suit your needs (see @{"configuration" link "Configuration"}). If the PostScript interpreter reports an error while printing, a requester will be opened to inform you. Please refer to the documentation of the interpreter for more detailed information about the error. While printing a file a progress indicator can be optionally enabled or disabled (see @{"configuration" link "Configuration"} for more details). Usage -------------------------------- PSPRT:, where can be: fit scale interpreted postscript data in a way that a page fits the printable area on the physical page. This options works together with the following paper sizes: US Letter, US Legal, European A4, Narrow Tractor, and Wide Tractor. force adjust DPI values according to the current width and height of the printable area. See also @{"Configuration" link "Configuration"}. If no are given, the PSPRT-Handler prints the graphics using the settings for density and page size of the Workbench preferences. @{b}NOTE@{ub} that you cannot use the 'force' and 'fit' options together. Examples: a2ps test.c >PSPRT:fit copy demo.ps to PSPRT: @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Configuration" Configuration -------------------------------- The PSPRT-Handler supports now a configuration file, that let you customize the handler to suit your particular wishes. This configuration is automatically loaded by each print job. This allows you to change settings between the print jobs. The PSPRT-Handler does not complain if the file could not be found or an error occurred while reading and processing the configuration file. You do not need a configuration file if you are satisfied with the default settings. The default settings are: temporary files are written to T:, and the progress indicator is disabled. The handler looks for configuration file PSPRT.PREFS in the ENV: assign. For a permanent setup, you should copy the file into the ENVARC: assign too. The current version of the PSPRT-Handler still supports the PSPRT_TMPDIR environment variable. But the path for the temporary files defined in this variable is overridden by the 'TempDir' keyword from the psprt.prefs config file. The configuration file itself is a standard ascii text file that can be edited using a texteditor. In the following you find a keyword overview and a small sample config file. Keyword Syntax Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- tempdir tempdir "directory" Sets directory for temporary files (Default directory: "t:"). Directory names containing whitespaces must be enclosed in double or single quotes. progressbar progressbar Opens a progress indicator when pb pb printing a file, a bar which shows you how much of a file has been processed so far (turned off by default). noprogressbar noprogressbar Disables the progress indicator nopb nopb (default). fit fit Scales interpreted postscript data in a way that a page fits the printable area on the physical page. This option works together with one of the following paper sizes: US Letter, US Legal, European A4, Narrow Tractor, and Wide Tractor. nofit nofit Disables data scaling (default), see 'fit' description above. windowx windowx Sets X position for progress indicator window (default: 16). Example: windowx 0 windowy windowy Sets Y position for progress indicator window (default: 16). Example: windowy 10 priority priority Sets the task priority of the handler to . The range of is between -128 and 127. It's suggested that you do not set the priority higher than 10. Example: priority -1 initpsfile initpsfile This option can be used to specify the path and filename of the init.ps file. It can be useful if you do not have the init.ps file in either the post: or the l: assign. Example: initpsfile s:myinit.ps usepreferences usepreferences This option forces the psprt-handler to useprefs useprefs use the preferences to determine the printable area. Using this option you have also the possibility to set specify the area by setting the margings, paper length, and print pitch using the printer preferences program. See @{"Troubleshooting" link "Troubleshooting"}. memvlen memvlen Sets virtual memory size for post.library to (default: 50000). (*) Example: memvlen 75000 memflen memflen Sets font cache size for post.library to (default: 60000). (*) Example: memflen 100000 memllen memllen Sets path line size for post.library to (default: 10000). (*) Example: memllen 15000 memhlen memhlen Sets memory for halftones for the post.library to (default: 20000). (*) Example: memhlen 25000 density density Sets the printer density to . is an integer value from 1 to 7. A value of zero (0) can be used to drop back to the default preferences density. If this option is not given, or an illegal value is specified, the default preferences density is used. A density of one (1) is the lowest density. Example: density 7 pagedots pagedots Sets the dimension of the page in dots. is the width and the height of the page. Use the options marked with '(*2)' to manipulate the page. Note that if the dimension, specified with this option, is too small, the resulting output may be cropped. Example: pagedots 2324 3198 aspect aspect This option causes that one of the dimensions may be reduced/expanded to preserve the aspect ratio of the print. (*2) center center This option tells the printer driver to put the image between the left and right edge of the paper. (*2) force force This option forces the handler to adjust the DPI values according to the current width and height. This is useful when the postscript page is larger than the printable area of your printer. Give it a try when the printable area is too small for the postscript page. See @{"Troubleshooting" link "Troubleshooting"}. (*): Please refer to the @{"post.library" link "post.library"} documentation for more details about these memory sizes. (*2): These options may only be useful if the page size is set using the 'pagedots' option. All keywords are case-insensitive (for example: TEMPDIR, tempdir, TeMpDiR). For any not given keyword, the PSPRT-Handler uses the default setting for that option. Any comments in the configuration file must start with a semicolon (';'). Example: ; ; PSPRT-Handler configuration file ; tempdir "t:" progressbar priority -1 usepreferences @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "post.library" post.library -------------------------------- The post.library is a software based PostScript interpreter, that is used by the PSPRT-Handler. The post.library must be installed correctly to ensure a smooth printing. Version 1.7 of the post.library can be found on Fish #828 or Aminet. A newer version, well actually a complete new version, that is a major step towards PostScript Level 2 and that solves some problems with the older post.library v1.7, is Heinz Wrobel's implementation. It can be found on Aminet as HWGPOSTbeta6 (text/print/HWGPOSTbeta6.lha). @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "psfonts" PostScript Fonts -------------------------------- I get often asked where one can find PostScript fonts. To answer all these questions, a made a small summary of archives and locations that contain PostScript fonts (as far as I know): - The Post186bin.lha archive (1.8MB) contains usable PostScript fonts. You will find there the most often used fonts such as Times-Roman, Courier, Helvetica, a.m.m.. This archive can be found on Aminet as text/print/Post186bin.lha - The archive gs2_3_fonts.lha that can also be found on Aminet as text/print/gs2_3_fonts.lha contains a set of GhostScript fonts (f.e.: bchb.gsf). To use these fonts as PostScript fonts you just must rename them to their 'original' names (f.e.: phvr.gsf -> Helvetica, these 'original' names can be found in the header of each GhostScript font). - Various free PostScript fonts can be found in the text/font/ directory on the Aminet (f.e.: text/font/PSFonts.lha). - Well there exist also various PostScript font collections on cdrom... @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Troubleshooting" Troubleshooting -------------------------------- The main things to expect when dealing with printers are troubles and frustrations. If all else fails, just be glad it's not MS-DOS. from @{i}UNIX System Administration Handbook@{ui}, 2nd edition. @{i}The printable area is too big or too small.@{ui} To determine the correct and best possible print area the psprt-handler uses the MaxXDots and MaxYDots from the PrinterExtendedData structure. However, some printer drivers do not fill in the correct values or set these fields at all. To solve this problem the handler determines the page dimension (in pixels) using the Dots/Inch values and the paper sizes in centimeters. This works in the most cases. But unfortunately the area can still have not the correct dimension. To solve this the psprt-handler offers various solutions: 1) You may use the 'usepreferences' keyword in the configuration file. Using this keyword allows you to set the print area with the preferences printer program. There you can change the left and right margins, the paper length, and print pitch to specify the print area. The handler uses the following calculations to get the width and height (as suggested by the printer autodocs): WIDTH = (RIGHT_MARGIN - LEFT_MARGIN + 1) / CHARACTERS_PER_INCH HEIGHT = LENGTH / LINES_PER_INCH 2) Use the 'force' option to tell the handler to adjust the DPI values according to the current width and height. 3) Another way defining the printable area is by using the 'pixdots' keyword in the configuration file with the number of dots in x and y direction as arguments. To evaluate the correct number of dots you have to know the page size (inch) and multiply it with the DPI values. WIDTH = (PAGE_WIDTH_INCH - MARGINS) * X_DPI HEIGHT = (PAGE_HEIGHT_INCH - MARGINS) * Y_DPI The MARGINS have to be guessed. Good starting values are 1/2 inch for the width and on inch for the height. @{i}PostScript Errors.@{ui} I received various mails about PostScript errors. PostScript errors are reported by the interpreter, the post.library in this case. Refer to the post.library documentation or a PostScript book for further details. However here come the descriptions of some errors you might encounter: - configurationerror setpagedevice request cannot be satisfied. - dictfull Dictionary is full. - dictstackoverflow Too many begins. - dictstackundeflow Too many ends. - invalidaccess Access attribute violated (e.g. attempted to write a read-only object). - invalidfont Bad font name or dictionary. - ioerror Some kind of error during input or output. - limitcheck Some implementation-dependent size restriction has been exceeded. - nocurrentpoint The current point is not defined, yet. - rangecheck Operand is too big or too small. - stackoverflow The stack was full before the last push. - stackundeflow You tried to pop from an empty stack. - syntaxerror PostScript's syntax has been violated. - typecheck Operand is of the wrong type. - undefined Name is not defined in any dictionary on the stack. - VMerror Virtual memory full. @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "psprttest" psprttest.ps -------------------------------- Included to the psprt-handler archive you find the psprttest.ps PostScript file. This file may help you test the handler or to configurate it correctly. The PostScript file draws two triangles, one in the top left edge and the other in the bottom right edge of the page: ............. . __ . .| / . .|/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /|. . /_|. ............. I made the image that simple so that you do not have to waste ink, toner, or whatever your printer uses. @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "History" History -------------------------------- This history table may be rather incomplete. It contains only bigger changes made to the software. No history entry prior to 37.294. 37.530 (04.June.95) - Bug fixed, the handler used always 'letter' as paper size. 37.460 (28.June.95) - Added the 'usepreferences' and 'useprefs' keywords to the configuration file. - Added the 'pagedots' keyword to the configuration file. - Added the 'priority' keyword to the configuration file to set the task priority of the psprt-handler while interpreting and printing a page. - Added the 'memvlen', 'memflen', 'memllen', and 'memhlen' keyword to the configuration file to select post.library memory sizes. Refer to the @{"post.library" link "post.library"} documentation for more details. - The 'fit' option works now also with the Narrow and Wide Tractor paper sizes. - The handler searches the Init.ps file "quietly" without bringing up a requester. - Fixed problem with some printer drivers (again). 37.422 (31.Mar.95) - Progress indicator added, a bar which shows you how much of a file has been processed so far (refer to @{"Configuration" link "Configuration"} for more details about enabling/disabling the progress indicator). 37.320 (23.Mar.95) - Added config file support (see @{"Configuration" link "Configuration"} for more details). 37.312 (23.Feb.95) - Matrix dot printers better supported. 37.310 (11.Jan.95) - Environment variable 'PSPRT_TMPDIR' added. 37.304 (08.Jan.95) - 'fit' option added (see @{"Configuration" link "Configuration"}). 37.302 (17.Nov.94) - first release. 37.294 (01.Oct.94) - (...) @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Credits" Thanks go to... -------------------------------- Adrian Aylward - without his post.library this wouldn't be possible. Stefan Walter - for the SIM debugger environment. Heinz Wrobel - for HWGPOST that solves some problems with post.library v1.7. Joseph M. Hinkle - for all the discussions about handlers. Bryan Ford, Rene Eberhard, Christian Schneider, Tony Leneis, Gary Raposo, Swen Stullich, Macro Krause, Dirk Böhmer, Kai Bolay, and many more for their support and suggestions. @EndNode @Remark ************************************************************************ @Node "Author" Author -------------------------------- If you have bugreports, questions, ideas, flames or complaints (constructive criticism is always welcome), or if you just want to contact me, write or send a letter to: Daniel Weber Internet: dweber@amiga.icu.net.ch Mail: Daniel Weber Hoeflistrasse 32 CH-8135 Langnau Switzerland. @EndNode