KDE4 printing: results of IRC meeting

[Thomas Zander]

On Thursday 13 September 2007 20:56:56 John Layt wrote:
> Generally speaking, I'm in favour of the option of a short-lived minimal
> KPrinter/KPrintDialog/KPrintPreview API inherited from Q, move kcm to
> kdebase for development in 4.1, and working with the trolls to ensure 4.4
> has what we need in 4.1.

Great :)

> Server-side Print Preview:
> ==========================
> The printer sub-system (e.g. CUPS) generates the Print Preview for you,
> so it is exactly how the printer will render it and fully reflects all
> settings selected.  Not currently supported in KDE or Qt, but the ultimate
> aim.
>
> (I'm not sure what Win/Mac does, nor which of these Qt 4.4. will support.)

Qt is aiming to have this functionality (cross platform) in 4.4

> Special Printers
> ================
> Ability to choose to 'print' to a destination other than a physical
> printer, e.g. PDF, PS File, Send Fax, E-Mail, etc.  These would not be
> available under a pure Qt solution (other than PDF).  Highly desirable to
> keep this ability in some form, if not from a print dialog.

Since you can set a program (QPrinter::setPrintProgram()) it is my 
understanding that you can actually do this already.

> Custom Margins:
> ===============
> Unique KDE feature to set custom margins for the print job.  This is not
> the document margins you find in KWord, but defining the print area on the
> page that the document will be painted into and scaled to fit.

I have this on my TODO for Qt4.4

> Comments on Issues:
>
> KDE 4.1 / Qt4.4:
> ================
> We are making assumptions here that 4.1 will be out in say 6 months
> (about the max tolerance of users for missing/broken features), and
> QT4.4 before then, and that 4.1 will require 4.4.  Is this realistic?

Slight correction; applications can start using the Qt stuff as soon as Qt4.4. 
is out, they don't have to wait for KDELibs4.1.   Qt4.4 will be out soon 
enough to meet your deadline :)

> CUPS Support:
> =============
> I haven't seen any info on exactly what CUPS version and features QPrinter
> supports, all I know is it supports CUPS and LPD.  I'm not even sure how
> much of CUPS that QPrinter needs to support, and how much is more kcm
> stuff.
>
> If Qt already fully/mostly supports 1..1 & 1.2 and has committed to full
> 1.3/1.4 support in due course, then that makes things a no-brainer.
> KDEPrint has mostly complete 1.1 support, partial 1.2 support, and 1.3 is a
> pipe-dream.
>
> Thomas, can you ask for us?

I'll have to get back on that one :)

> Phew!  That's enough for now :-)

Thanks, great read!
-- 
Thomas Zander
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