inei@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Nick Nei) (04/03/91)
This question has probably been asked before, but I am not a regular
reader of this group.
"Is it possible to count the number of pages BEFORE a postscript file
is printed?"
I know I can count AFTER the file is printed if I am using a LaserWriter.
But I am using the Sparc printer and the command:
statusdict begin pagecount (*) print ==
makes NeWSPrint tell porkie pies. It always says printed 1 page!
(Please reply by e-mail if possible.)
--
Mail: Nick Nei, Computing Science Dept.,
Glasgow Univ., 17 Lilybank Gardens,
Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK. Tel: (041) 339 8855 x 5457
ARPA: inei%uk.ac.glasgow.dcs@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk USENET: inei@cs.glasgow.uucprberlin@birdlandEng.Sun.COM (Rich Berlin) (04/04/91)
In article <1991Apr3.012910.14781@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk>, inei@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Nick Nei) writes: |> This question has probably been asked before, but I am not a regular |> reader of this group. |> |> "Is it possible to count the number of pages BEFORE a postscript file |> is printed?" |> |> I know I can count AFTER the file is printed if I am using a LaserWriter. |> But I am using the Sparc printer and the command: |> |> statusdict begin pagecount (*) print == |> |> makes NeWSPrint tell porkie pies. It always says printed 1 page! |> |> (Please reply by e-mail if possible.) |> -- |> Mail: Nick Nei, Computing Science Dept., |> Glasgow Univ., 17 Lilybank Gardens, |> Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK. Tel: (041) 339 8855 x 5457 |> ARPA: inei%uk.ac.glasgow.dcs@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk USENET: inei@cs.glasgow.uucp Sorry, there is no reliable way to count the pages that a job will print without executing the PostScript. If you have a PostScript interpreter handy, you could try something like %! 3 dict begin /_numpages 0 def /showpage {/_numpages _numpages #copies add store} bind def /copypage /showpage load def nulldevice userdict begin (your-filename-here) run end end _numpages print ---- Many printers don't keep a record of how many pages they've printed. There is no GENERAL way to get page counts, either before OR after the document is printed, because there's no guarantee that statusdict exists, or that it implements pagecount. From the PostScript Language Reference Manual, Second Edition, page 526: statusdict contains product-dependent operators and other data whose names and values vary from product to product, and sometimes from one version of a product to another. ... statusdict is not necessarily defined in all products. Any reference to statusdict in a POSTSCRIPT language program impairs the portability of that program. If the particular engine maintains a pagecount in hardware, and there's a way to query that value across the wire, pagecount could probably be implemented for that printer. I'll check on whether it's possible for the SPARCprinter. -- Rich