[Kde-print-devel] [kdelibs] [Bug 352438] New: Hide "Installable Options" of PPD in print-dialog

[Michael Weghorn]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=352438

            Bug ID: 352438
           Summary: Hide "Installable Options" of PPD in print-dialog
           Product: kdelibs
           Version: 4.14.0
          Platform: Debian stable
                OS: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: wishlist
          Priority: NOR
         Component: print-dialog
          Assignee: kde-print-devel at kde.org
          Reporter: m.weghorn at posteo.de

PPD files are a common way to to describe different options supported by a
printer.
Some printer models have optional hardware features and accessories that can be
present or not (e.g. finishers, additional paper trays, etc.). The PPD
specification defines the keyword "InstallableOptions" for a PPD option group
that contains such options (s. section 5.4 in version 4.3 of the PPD
specification) [1].

KDE's print dialog on Linux currently shows the "Installable Options". Thus a
user can override the system-wide settings for those options using the print
dialog (e.g. specify that the printer has a duplexer installed while it
actually has not). While allowing the user to set individual values for most
print options (like resolution, colour mode, ...), I think it would be better
not to display the "Installable options".

As the values set for the installable options describe the actual hardware
setup, they need to be changed only if the actual printer hardware
configuration changes (e.g. an additional paper tray, finisher or duplexer is
installed). They are not specific to individual print jobs.

Because of this, they are most probably best handled in the system-wide
configuration to avoid that users accidently set wrong values for those options
which may lead to unpredictable behaviour on the target device.


The PPD specification says about "Installable Options" (in section 5.4):
"[...] The PPD specification provides a way to describe these 
accessories, to label
them as optional and initially not installed, and a way to install them 
later.
Thus an application can list the installable options in its user 
interface, but
can display them in some special way (for instance, grayed out) to 
indicate
that the basic configuration does not support them. [...]"


I asked on the CUPS mailing list how installable options should be handled in
an application's print dialog [2].
Michael Sweet (primary CUPS developer) replied there [3]:

"Generally speaking, we recommend that applications/toolkits *not* show
installable options in the print dialog, and we provide API to determine
whether a given option or choice is available (ppdInstallableConflict)."

The Gtk+ print dialog, for instance, also does not show these options.

[1] http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/en/ps/5003.PPD_Spec_v4.3.pdf
[2] http://www.cups.org/pipermail/cups/2015-September/027112.html
[3] http://www.cups.org/pipermail/cups/2015-September/027124.html

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. set up a (pseudo) printer "test-printer" with a PPD that contains
"Installabe Options", e.g. using the following command (no real printer is
needed):
sudo lpadmin -p test-printer -v ipp://printer1.example.org/ipp -E -P
Ricoh-MP_C3503-pxlcolor-Ricoh.ppd
2. start a KDE application (e.g. Okular)
3. open print dialog using "File" -> "Print" or Ctrl+P
4. select the printer "test-printer"
5. go to "Properties" -> "Advanced"

Actual Results:  
The "Installable Options" (for the attached PPD: "Large Capacity Tray", "Option
Tray", "Internal ShiftTray", "Internal Tray 2", "External Tray", "Finisher")
are shown and their values can be changed.

Expected Results:  
The "Installable Options" are either not shown at all or cannot be changed
(e.g. they are greyed out).

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