[cups] PPD API: Status, future and alternatives to handle printer-specific options

[Michael Sweet]

Michael,

> On Feb 9, 2017, at 9:46 AM, Michael Weghorn <m.weghorn at posteo.de> wrote:
> ...
> Would using PJL commands in PPDs using that "JCLToPDFInterpreter"
> keyword not work using the Job Ticket API to query available options (in
> case those are properly mapped from the PPD to IPP)?


Using the Job Ticket API bypasses all of these issues, because it allows the printing system to map options and Do The Right Thing™ for each printer.

In the case of PPD files, most options embed PostScript commands for device control, so they are only useful when sending PostScript to the printer (although CUPS does implement a very small subset of PostScript for interpreting settings for raster printer drivers, too).  Options in the "JCLSetup" section ("JCL" is PPD-speak for PJL) are applied outside the document data (PostScript, PDF, whatever) which allows for some device control over "dumb" communications links (basically everything but IPP).

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Michael Sweet, Senior Printing System Engineer