[cups-devel] Removing deprecated PPD API with new CUPS API in Cups Filter Programming

[Michael Sweet]

Sahil,

Printer drivers must still use PPD files.  CUPS internally converts IPP attributes to PPD options and values, so from your driver's standpoint the world still revolves around PPDs.

The future of printing is based on standard PDLs and IPP attributes, with things like AirPrint, IPP Everywhere, IPP USB, and Wi-Fi Direct Print Services.  Those do not require printer-specific driver software and instead use common (generic) software with the information reported by the printer when converting to a raster format.

(most printers sold since 2010 support the necessary protocols and PDLs to work with CUPS directly...)


> On Jun 15, 2017, at 5:02 PM, Sahil Arora <sahilarora.535 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi there,
> In cups filter programming, the currently implemented filters use the
> "Deprecated" CUPS PPD API to get the PPD file of the current printer using
> the environment variable "PPD" which is set by the printing system.
> However, in the new CUPS API, the PPD API has been dropped, and so are
> functions such as `cupsMarkOptions` which mark options parsed from the
> command line. Also, there are some special keywords in the printer PPD
> which hold printer capabilities (like max size of a band). What do you
> recommend in that case? Should the old PPD API in the filter be removed? If
> yes, then how, keeping in mind all these keywords, and functions such as
> `cupsMarkOptions`? Or is it safe to go on with the old PPD API?
> 
> Thanks.
> -- 
> Sahil Arora
> 3rd year B.Tech Undergrad | Indian Institute of Technology Mandi
> Web: http://sahilarora535.me
> LinkedIn: sahilarora535 <https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilarora535/>
> Ph: +91-8130506047 <+91%2081305%2006047>
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_________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer