bryan@mothra.cs.utexas.edu (Bryan Bayerdorffer) (10/19/87)
See, I have this IDS 460G (vintage 1980, back when 2K was LOTS of printer buffer), and I'm trying to write a driver for it. I'm also working with the OLD RKM--the one published by Commodore, not Addison Wesley. My gratitude would be boundless if someone could answer the following questions about the example drivers, since the explanation in the RKM is a bit sparse: 1. Why do the various init.asm files open all those libraries? As far as I can see, none of the driver code references any library functions. Specifically, why do the inits for the diablo, hp plus, and okimate20 all open graphics.library, dos.library, and intuition. library, while the epson init only opens graphics.library? 2. Why does printertag.asm XREF _PrinterSegmentData, when this isn't referenced anywhere in the file? I'm just wondering if I'm missing something deep here. And no, I can't use PrtDrvGen (author's name escapes me) to build the driver, because this printer wants any 0x03s that it gets during a graphics dump duplicated, because this is the command escape character. PrtDrvGen doesn't support this, and it also means I have to make the buffer twice as long as usually necessary, to support a potential stream of all 03s. Sigh. ______________________________________________________________________________ /_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/_____/ |_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____| _No dark sarcasm in the classroom|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|___ |____Teachers leave the kids alone__|_____|_____|bryan@ratliff.cs.utexas.edu__| ___|_____|_____|_____|___{ihnp4,seismo,...}!ut-sally!mothra.cs.utexas.edu!bryan |_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel) (10/20/87)
In article <9312@ut-sally.UUCP> bryan@mothra.cs.utexas.edu (Bryan Bayerdorffer) writes: > 1. Why do the various init.asm files open all those libraries? As far > as I can see, none of the driver code references any library > functions. Leftovers from when each driver needed to read preferences (before we had the driver pull in a copy of Preferences, as I recall. I don't think anything other than graphics.library is needed at the moment. > 2. Why does printertag.asm XREF _PrinterSegmentData, when this isn't > referenced anywhere in the file? I'm just wondering if I'm missing > something deep here. Nope...you don't need it. Pull it out. -- andy finkel {ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy Commodore-Amiga, Inc. "Interfere? Of course we'll interfere. Always do what you're best at, I always say." Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share. I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.
rico@oscvax.UUCP (10/21/87)
In article <9312@ut-sally.UUCP> bryan@mothra.cs.utexas.edu (Bryan Bayerdorffer) writes: > > See, I have this IDS 460G (vintage 1980, back when 2K was LOTS of >printer buffer), and I'm trying to write a driver for it. I'm also working >with the OLD RKM--the one published by Commodore, not Addison Wesley. My >gratitude would be boundless if someone could answer the following questions >about the example drivers, since the explanation in the RKM is a bit sparse: > ... etc ... I've also got a printer which is sufficiently 'different' that PrtDrvGen can't handle it. And I'm now finding myself trying to figure out just what makes a printer driver tick. #1 on my 'boy is this annoying' list is the case 5 stuff for the Render() function. There's loads of SPECIAL_* stuff "devices/printer.h" but what does it all mean and what am I supposed to do with it? Even the simple dump raster program from the RKM (the one in the printer.device chapter) preceeds its dump with a call to case 5 (SPECIAL_ASPECT|SPECIAL_FULLCOLS). Then it doesn't send any other info to the Render() function (presumably because I failed to do something that I should have done). What should I have done?? Similar behaviour in DPaint (which I know is doing in 'right' since it works with other printer drivers). On the other hand, ProWrite does things differently again. It seems to charge on ahead even though there is no case 5 stuff implemented can you say ' case 5: return(0) '? Matt? Carolyn? Anyone? Thank God for kprintf... -Rico -- [NSA food: terrorist, cryptography, DES, drugs, CIA, secret, decode] [CSIS food: supermailbox, tuna, fiberglass coffins, Mirabel, microfiche] [Cat food: Nine Lives, Cat Chow, Meow Mix, Crave]
daveb@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Berezowski) (10/24/87)
In article <518@oscvax.UUCP> rico@oscvax.UUCP (Rico Mariani) writes: >In article <9312@ut-sally.UUCP> bryan@mothra.cs.utexas.edu (Bryan Bayerdorffer) writes: >> >> See, I have this IDS 460G (vintage 1980, back when 2K was LOTS of >>printer buffer), and I'm trying to write a driver for it. I'm also working >>with the OLD RKM--the one published by Commodore, not Addison Wesley. My >>gratitude would be boundless if someone could answer the following questions >>about the example drivers, since the explanation in the RKM is a bit sparse: >> ... etc ... > >I've also got a printer which is sufficiently 'different' that PrtDrvGen >can't handle it. And I'm now finding myself trying to figure out just >what makes a printer driver tick. #1 on my 'boy is this annoying' list >is the case 5 stuff for the Render() function. There's loads of SPECIAL_* >stuff "devices/printer.h" but what does it all mean and what am I supposed >to do with it? Even the simple dump raster program from the RKM (the >one in the printer.device chapter) preceeds its dump with a call >to case 5 (SPECIAL_ASPECT|SPECIAL_FULLCOLS). Then it doesn't send any other >info to the Render() function (presumably because I failed to do something >that I should have done). What should I have done?? Similar behaviour in >DPaint (which I know is doing in 'right' since it works with other printer >drivers). > >On the other hand, ProWrite does things differently again. It seems >to charge on ahead even though there is no case 5 stuff implemented >can you say ' case 5: return(0) '? > > Matt? Carolyn? Anyone? > > Thank God for kprintf... > -Rico >-- >[NSA food: terrorist, cryptography, DES, drugs, CIA, secret, decode] >[CSIS food: supermailbox, tuna, fiberglass coffins, Mirabel, microfiche] >[Cat food: Nine Lives, Cat Chow, Meow Mix, Crave] Under V1.2 the only SPECIAL stuff that you need worry about is SPECIAL_DENSITY1 thru SPECIAL_DENSITY4; SPECIAL_TRUSTME; and SPECIAL_CENTER. All the other SPECIAL flags are for the printer device and not you printer driver writters. The flag meanings are: SPECIAL_DENSITY1 to SPECIAL_DENSITY4 - allows for a maximum of 4 different print densities. DENSITY1 is the lowest density and the default. Excerpt from HP render.c case 5 source code: SetDensity(x & SPECIAL_DENSITYMASK); /* select density */ HP density.c file source code: /* Density module for HP_LaserJet David Berezowski - May/87 */ #include <exec/types.h> #include <devices/printer/printer.h> #include <devices/printer/prtbase.h> SetDensity(density_code) ULONG density_code; { extern struct PrinterExtendedData *PED; extern char StartCmd[]; /* SPECIAL_DENSITY 0 1 2 3 4 */ static int XDPI[4] = {75, 75, 100, 150, 300}; static char codes[4][3] = { "075", "075", "100", "150", "300" }; density_code /= SPECIAL_DENSITY1; PED->ped_MaxXDots = XDPI[density_code] * 8; /* 8 inches */ PED->ped_MaxYDots = XDPI[density_code] * 10; /* 10 inches */ PED->ped_XDotsInch = PED->ped_YDotsInch = XDPI[density_code]; StartCmd[8] = codes[density_code][0]; StartCmd[9] = codes[density_code][1]; StartCmd[10] = codes[density_code][2]; } SPECIAL_TRUSTME - do not do any printer resets. - WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU NO LONGER RESET THE PRINTER EVER DURING A GRAPHIC DUMP! SPECIAL_CENTER - center the image horizontally on the page. - under V1.3 this flag will no longer EVER be set as the V1.3 printer device takes care of centering the image. ie. it is no longer the responsibility of the printer driver.
rico@oscvax.UUCP (10/28/87)
Ooops... I forgot the macros.i file. Well here it is
****
*
* printer device macro definitions
*
****
XREF_EXE MACRO
XREF _LVO\1
ENDM
XREF_DOS MACRO
XREF _LVO\1
ENDM
XREF_GFX MACRO
XREF _LVO\1
ENDM
XREF_ITU MACRO
XREF _LVO\1
ENDM
CALLEXE MACRO
CALLLIB _LVO\1
ENDM
LINKEXE MACRO
LINKLIB _LVO\1,_SysBase
ENDM
LINKDOS MACRO
LINKLIB _LVO\1,_DOSBase
ENDM
LINKGFX MACRO
LINKLIB _LVO\1,_GfxBase
ENDM
LINKITU MACRO
LINKLIB _LVO\1,_IntuitionBase
ENDM
******** End of macros.i
--
{watmath|allegra|decvax|ihnp4|linus}!utzoo!oscvax!rico
or just rico@oscvax.UUCP if you're lucky
[NSA food: terrorist, cryptography, DES, drugs, CIA, secret, decode]
[CSIS food: supermailbox, tuna, fiberglass coffins, Mirabel, microfiche]
[Cat food: Nine Lives, Cat Chow, Meow Mix, Crave]