info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (08/22/84)
From: Mike Schuster <MIKES@CIT-20.ARPA>
Included below is the source for an experimental Print desk accessory that
prints TEXT files. You can queue up several print requests and continue
running another application while print proceeds. Print prints only plain
ascii text files, and not, for example, MacWrite files.
Make note of the following problems:
1) Print resides in the applications heap, and hence when you quit the
application, printing stops and all queued requests are lost.
2) I tried forcing print to reside in the system heap, but I couldn't
get it to work. Maybe there is not enough room after an application
is launched. Any ideas?
3) Since print has no window, there is no way to close print and reclaim
memory. Maybe Print can call CloseDeskAcc() itself when the print
queue is empty, but this sounds dangerous. Any ideas?
4) Print will sometimes crash. I haven't yet isolated the circumstances,
so BEWARE.
5) There is no way to cancel the current print and purge the print queue.
Maybe the Cancel button in the Open dialog should do this. A better
way would be to add another button to the Open dialog. Unfortunately,
this is messy, since a new dialog resource would have to be added
to the System file, and hence, Print would not be self-contained.
Any suggestions?
Print is compiled and installed just like Calendar. Use the latest
"cmd/rmaker.c" and "h/device.h" files released by Bill Croft.
Good Luck!
Mike (mikes@cit-20, mikes@cit-vax)
[Files are on {SUMEX-AIM}<INFO-MAC>PRINT.C. Ed.]