Printing summit

[George Liu]

One thing I would like to recommend for kprinter is to switch back to
use CUPS 1.2 PPD Parsing API.
http://www.cups.org/documentation.php/api-ppd.html

According to the post
http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-print&m=112616631505116&w=2 by Michael
Goffioul:

"Now, kdeprint uses its own PPD parser (which is required if you want to
support non-PPD-compliant options, like the numerical options used in
Foomatic)"

As there's been quit a lot of advances in CUPS, and CUPS now supports
custom UI types, it would be easier to maintain the code if kprinter
uses CUPS PPD parsing API. 

BTW, the new Gtk+ print dialog also uses CUPS PPD parsing API. If Gtk+
printing dialog and kprinter uses the same PPD parser, consistent
printer features could be provided to end users. 

WDYT?


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cristian Tibirna [mailto:tibirna at kde.org]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 8:21 PM
> To: Josef Spillner (kde-travel)
> Cc: For users and developers of KDEPrint, the KDE printing
architecture
> Subject: Re: Printing summit
> 
> On 24 October 2006 16:38, Josef Spillner (kde-travel) wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I'm currently at the FSG OpenPrinting Summit in Kentucky together
with
> the
> > OpenUsability people, FSG/OSDL and printer vendors.
> >
> > Since there is nobody here who directly work(s|ed) on kdeprint, we
need
> to
> > know:
> > * is anyone actively working on it or intending to start doing it?
> 
> I'm the current maintainer of the kdeprint suite (libs and apps). I'm
> _trying
> to_ work as actively as possible on the code. But not being in any way
> able
> to spend more than meager personal time on KDE (day work completely
> unrelated), I need as much help as I can get.
> 
> > * in case of maintenance problems, should we propose larger changes
for
> a
> > summer of code project or similar? (needs mentor)
> 
> I already did so, no candidate showed up.
> 
> > * is there anything important we should ask the printer people?
> 
> I was at the last summit (in April). I can't be there this time
because I
> give
> a course this autumn. There were crucial discussions last time that
will
> be
> followed up at this summit for sure. The topic that is central from
KDE's
> view point is the description of a common (?) printing dialog design.
> Ellen
> Reitmeyr and Jan Muehlig from OpenUsability together with Celeste Paul
had
> worked on this for the last six months and I guess at this time they
will
> have results.
> 
> I'm highly interested in their findings and conclusions.
> 
> Our central plans for the next period are:
> - porting KDEPrint (from 3.5.5 branch) to CUPS-1.3 completely
(partially
> done
> by Dirk Mueller and others);
> - bringing KDEPrint up to due level in KDE-4.0 and then start
implementing
> what I call "version two" of the KDEPrint platform, with more support
for
> electronic printing (PDF etc.) and improved usability.
> 
> Thus, we are interested in everything related to CUPS advancements and
to
> printing through PDF.
> 
> Apart of this, the biggest question remaining, for which I look for
> answers
> everywhere, is how to coopt more people in the printing development.
> 
> Thanks for your interest.
> 
> --
> Cristian Tibirna
> KDE developer .. tibirna at kde.org .. http://www.kde.org