Re: Printing

[tomas@tuxteam.de]

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On Thu, Apr 02, 2009 at 12:52:25PM +0200, Lennart Borgman wrote:

[...]

> Is not this reality versus ideality? I think most users on different
> systems will appreciate that we use the API:s for that system. They
> will know what to do at once then without having to relearn.

In a way, yes, but I think my rant still holds. Even while there is some
truth to what you say above, you are conflating API with "user
interface" ("most users ...will appreciate that we use the APIs... they
will know..."). See? That is the think coming from Microsoft and Apple:
One Big System, from device driver up to desktop environment. And we are
copying that (but I'm getting seriously off-topic with that by now, I
fear).

> And a simple way to do this is to use an intermediate layer like wxwidgets.

For printing? Well, that's what my rant was about :-)

Look at the Gnome guys. There is mount, there is FUSE (I'm sure BSDs
have something similar). Why VFS? Why invent a new way of "mounting"
"file systems" which is dependent on some random desktop environment?
(KDE ain't better in this!).

In our printer case I'd propose to start recognizing that we have
several layers:

  (1) how to render
  (2) how to choose a printer
  (3) how to configure the capabilities of a printer

For (1), I think we'd be fine if we managed to render utf-8 via
one of ps or pdf properly. (2) and (3) might be in the realm of CUPS,
perhaps?

Showing the "standard" "system" "printer dialog box" would fulfill your
proposal above, but that is now an entirely separate point.

Regards, and thanks for beearing with my rant :)

- -- tomás
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