Re: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font)
Bob, In our situation UniData runs on IBM Power5 / AIX server. All my third party software (VsiFax, Optio eComIntegrate and MITS) run on this same server. I purposefully avoid distributing any mission critical function, such as form printing, to another server regardless of the platform. I believe that the more complex a setup is the more opportunity there is for failure. With this in mind I would not have even considered your product in my environment since it cannot run on AIX. Your product would also not be recommended by our ERP vendor (Activant) either for the same reasons. Perhaps I'm not alone in this system management philosophy. That's my 2c. Jeff On 05/20/2010 03:35 PM, Bob Rasmussen wrote: However, I still don't see the business case for doing this development. ___ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users
Re: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font)
I'll embed comments since it'll be easier to direct my responses. Glen Batchelor IT Director All-Spec Industries phone: (910) 332-0424 fax: (910) 763-5664 E-mail: webmas...@all-spec.com Web: http://www.all-spec.com Blog: http://blog.all-spec.com -Original Message- From: u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org [mailto:u2-users- boun...@listserver.u2ug.org] On Behalf Of Bob Rasmussen Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 1:10 AM To: U2 Users List Subject: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font) On Wed, 19 May 2010, Glen B wrote: Bob, Let me also extend an offer to help with general development off- hours, if you're willing to work with GPL libs for open development. ... Thanks for the offer. But you haven't said what Print Wizard features you want, exactly. I need a markup-based PS/PDF generating solution that accepts embedded PS/EPS as well as JPEG/GIF images. Barcode markup will be a nice addition, but not required since I can generate PS and PCL content myself. Let me give you the scope of things. I just did a full build of printwiz.exe; that is, just the main program that does all the dirty work. It's 550,432 lines of code! It has a PCL reader, a PDF writer, a PDF reader (coming soon), graphics file input routines (some purchased), an interface to Windows faxing, Windows sockets, and Windows scanning, SSL, CDO, MAPI, SMTP, the Windows spooler, FTP, HTTP, and Windows printer drivers (yes, we do use those for most printing output). It has some user interface, notably the print previewer, but not a lot. It can read files in formats PCL-5, PCL-6 (some), JPG, TIFF, BMP, WMF, EMF, SPL, TXT, PWML, HTML, PDF, Unicode, and more. It deals with input and output of TrueType fonts and does fine-grained manipulation on them. It prints in most world languages. Let's break a few things down and compare: PCL input and output is covered under Ghostscript, though some complex PCL6 stuff may be buggy. Find a bug and report it at this point. It will get fixed. Generic PCL3/4 stuff should be solid at this point, but I would verify with the devs. The XPS/GPDL code has been out for a while now. PDF/PS/EPS input and output are covered under Ghostscript. ImageMagick can handle image generation, manipulation, and conversion to a ton of formats. Ghostscript can output a variety of raster and vector image formats, but the input formats are limited since the application is vector based. I've not found a situation where I couldn't convert between multiple standard formats with ImageMagick and Ghostscript at my grasp. Faxing is a no-brainer with Hylafax or Hylafax++ using TIF or PS files. Most faxing applications will accept either format so Hylafax was just an example of a typical app that is installed. Most *nix servers that communicate with the world, or the employees in the office, run a local MTA so an embedded SMTP client will not be needed. Send it with the mail or sendmail command so that the admin has more control over how the mail is processed. FTP? If you absolutely have to, but most *nix admins I know of mock the user when that acronym is suggested. SCP is far superior in a ton of ways including speed and security. HTTP? Erm, how exactly are you suggesting that? You serve stuff through IIS? If so, lighttpd or Apache can be there depending on requirements. If you've embedded an HTTP server, don't bother on *nix. There are plenty of http servers you can hook directly or indirectly into. Windows printing drivers? While some obscure printers are problematic in CUPS configuration, I've never had an issue making programmatic paper/drawer/slot/etc selections when a PPD was available and installed properly. I'm willing to bet the *nix admin(s) running the equipment selected printers better suited to CUPS than Windows, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. The other formats you mention like WMF and SPL are pretty pointless here. Text is a given, along with TIFF, JPEG, and BMP. HTML and PWML are where your expertise and experience with rendering content from mark-up could really help make a great Linux product. Not having table support, though, is a huge missing feature. If I misread the tech guide, please correct me. Having CSS control in HTML would be just awesome. Instead of changing the HTML attributes to make layout and small design changes, I would just need to update the styles. I've not seen an HTML-PS tool that properly and consistently renders the HTML and one of the reasons I've wanted PrintWizard on Linux. And it's not in C, it's in Delphi. Now if you're interested in a very small subset of its capabilities, there might be hope. Several years ago I ported it to Kylix, which is the Linux equivalent of Delphi. I restricted it WAY down to just outputting PDF files. It was moderately painful. More to the point, it was dependent on Kylix
Re: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font)
First, you mention table support. Print Wizard does currently have some HTML table support, with control over borders, margins, widths, etc. We haven't written it up yet. And there are some things lacking. What you have described is focused on markup-to-PCL or markup-to-PS, plus command and control of existing Linux utilities. This would greatly reduce the the complexity of the project. However, I still don't see the business case for doing this development. On Thu, 20 May 2010, Glen Batchelor wrote: I'll embed comments since it'll be easier to direct my responses. Glen Batchelor IT Director All-Spec Industries phone: (910) 332-0424 fax: (910) 763-5664 E-mail: webmas...@all-spec.com Web: http://www.all-spec.com Blog: http://blog.all-spec.com -Original Message- From: u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org [mailto:u2-users- boun...@listserver.u2ug.org] On Behalf Of Bob Rasmussen Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 1:10 AM To: U2 Users List Subject: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font) On Wed, 19 May 2010, Glen B wrote: Bob, Let me also extend an offer to help with general development off- hours, if you're willing to work with GPL libs for open development. ... Thanks for the offer. But you haven't said what Print Wizard features you want, exactly. I need a markup-based PS/PDF generating solution that accepts embedded PS/EPS as well as JPEG/GIF images. Barcode markup will be a nice addition, but not required since I can generate PS and PCL content myself. Let me give you the scope of things. I just did a full build of printwiz.exe; that is, just the main program that does all the dirty work. It's 550,432 lines of code! It has a PCL reader, a PDF writer, a PDF reader (coming soon), graphics file input routines (some purchased), an interface to Windows faxing, Windows sockets, and Windows scanning, SSL, CDO, MAPI, SMTP, the Windows spooler, FTP, HTTP, and Windows printer drivers (yes, we do use those for most printing output). It has some user interface, notably the print previewer, but not a lot. It can read files in formats PCL-5, PCL-6 (some), JPG, TIFF, BMP, WMF, EMF, SPL, TXT, PWML, HTML, PDF, Unicode, and more. It deals with input and output of TrueType fonts and does fine-grained manipulation on them. It prints in most world languages. Let's break a few things down and compare: PCL input and output is covered under Ghostscript, though some complex PCL6 stuff may be buggy. Find a bug and report it at this point. It will get fixed. Generic PCL3/4 stuff should be solid at this point, but I would verify with the devs. The XPS/GPDL code has been out for a while now. PDF/PS/EPS input and output are covered under Ghostscript. ImageMagick can handle image generation, manipulation, and conversion to a ton of formats. Ghostscript can output a variety of raster and vector image formats, but the input formats are limited since the application is vector based. I've not found a situation where I couldn't convert between multiple standard formats with ImageMagick and Ghostscript at my grasp. Faxing is a no-brainer with Hylafax or Hylafax++ using TIF or PS files. Most faxing applications will accept either format so Hylafax was just an example of a typical app that is installed. Most *nix servers that communicate with the world, or the employees in the office, run a local MTA so an embedded SMTP client will not be needed. Send it with the mail or sendmail command so that the admin has more control over how the mail is processed. FTP? If you absolutely have to, but most *nix admins I know of mock the user when that acronym is suggested. SCP is far superior in a ton of ways including speed and security. HTTP? Erm, how exactly are you suggesting that? You serve stuff through IIS? If so, lighttpd or Apache can be there depending on requirements. If you've embedded an HTTP server, don't bother on *nix. There are plenty of http servers you can hook directly or indirectly into. Windows printing drivers? While some obscure printers are problematic in CUPS configuration, I've never had an issue making programmatic paper/drawer/slot/etc selections when a PPD was available and installed properly. I'm willing to bet the *nix admin(s) running the equipment selected printers better suited to CUPS than Windows, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. The other formats you mention like WMF and SPL are pretty pointless here. Text is a given, along with TIFF, JPEG, and BMP. HTML and PWML are where your expertise and experience with rendering content from mark-up could really help make a great Linux product. Not having table support, though, is a huge missing feature. If I misread the tech guide, please correct me. Having CSS control in HTML would be just
Re: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font)
Guess I'll have to roll my own then. Reinventing the wheel... Glen Batchelor IT Director All-Spec Industries phone: (910) 332-0424 fax: (910) 763-5664 E-mail: webmas...@all-spec.com Web: http://www.all-spec.com Blog: http://blog.all-spec.com -Original Message- From: u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org [mailto:u2-users- boun...@listserver.u2ug.org] On Behalf Of Bob Rasmussen Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 4:35 PM To: U2 Users List Subject: Re: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font) First, you mention table support. Print Wizard does currently have some HTML table support, with control over borders, margins, widths, etc. We haven't written it up yet. And there are some things lacking. What you have described is focused on markup-to-PCL or markup-to-PS, plus command and control of existing Linux utilities. This would greatly reduce the the complexity of the project. However, I still don't see the business case for doing this development. On Thu, 20 May 2010, Glen Batchelor wrote: I'll embed comments since it'll be easier to direct my responses. Glen Batchelor IT Director All-Spec Industries phone: (910) 332-0424 fax: (910) 763-5664 E-mail: webmas...@all-spec.com Web: http://www.all-spec.com Blog: http://blog.all-spec.com -Original Message- From: u2-users-boun...@listserver.u2ug.org [mailto:u2-users- boun...@listserver.u2ug.org] On Behalf Of Bob Rasmussen Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2010 1:10 AM To: U2 Users List Subject: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font) On Wed, 19 May 2010, Glen B wrote: Bob, Let me also extend an offer to help with general development off- hours, if you're willing to work with GPL libs for open development. ... Thanks for the offer. But you haven't said what Print Wizard features you want, exactly. I need a markup-based PS/PDF generating solution that accepts embedded PS/EPS as well as JPEG/GIF images. Barcode markup will be a nice addition, but not required since I can generate PS and PCL content myself. Let me give you the scope of things. I just did a full build of printwiz.exe; that is, just the main program that does all the dirty work. It's 550,432 lines of code! It has a PCL reader, a PDF writer, a PDF reader (coming soon), graphics file input routines (some purchased), an interface to Windows faxing, Windows sockets, and Windows scanning, SSL, CDO, MAPI, SMTP, the Windows spooler, FTP, HTTP, and Windows printer drivers (yes, we do use those for most printing output). It has some user interface, notably the print previewer, but not a lot. It can read files in formats PCL-5, PCL-6 (some), JPG, TIFF, BMP, WMF, EMF, SPL, TXT, PWML, HTML, PDF, Unicode, and more. It deals with input and output of TrueType fonts and does fine-grained manipulation on them. It prints in most world languages. Let's break a few things down and compare: PCL input and output is covered under Ghostscript, though some complex PCL6 stuff may be buggy. Find a bug and report it at this point. It will get fixed. Generic PCL3/4 stuff should be solid at this point, but I would verify with the devs. The XPS/GPDL code has been out for a while now. PDF/PS/EPS input and output are covered under Ghostscript. ImageMagick can handle image generation, manipulation, and conversion to a ton of formats. Ghostscript can output a variety of raster and vector image formats, but the input formats are limited since the application is vector based. I've not found a situation where I couldn't convert between multiple standard formats with ImageMagick and Ghostscript at my grasp. Faxing is a no-brainer with Hylafax or Hylafax++ using TIF or PS files. Most faxing applications will accept either format so Hylafax was just an example of a typical app that is installed. Most *nix servers that communicate with the world, or the employees in the office, run a local MTA so an embedded SMTP client will not be needed. Send it with the mail or sendmail command so that the admin has more control over how the mail is processed. FTP? If you absolutely have to, but most *nix admins I know of mock the user when that acronym is suggested. SCP is far superior in a ton of ways including speed and security. HTTP? Erm, how exactly are you suggesting that? You serve stuff through IIS? If so, lighttpd or Apache can be there depending on requirements. If you've embedded an HTTP server, don't bother on *nix. There are plenty of http servers you can hook directly or indirectly into. Windows printing drivers? While some obscure printers are problematic in CUPS
Re: [U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font)
In message 0baf3814a3ac4766bc06290e17ab8...@glen, Glen Batchelor webmas...@all-spec.com writes Let's break a few things down and compare: PCL input and output is covered under Ghostscript, though some complex PCL6 stuff may be buggy. Find a bug and report it at this point. It will get fixed. Generic PCL3/4 stuff should be solid at this point, but I would verify with the devs. The XPS/GPDL code has been out for a while now. Note that PCL5 is a superset of HPGL2, so you've got vector graphics available there ... BT,DT,GTS - written a DataBasic program to dump HPGL to a laserjet ... Windows printing drivers? While some obscure printers are problematic in CUPS configuration, I've never had an issue making programmatic paper/drawer/slot/etc selections when a PPD was available and installed properly. I'm willing to bet the *nix admin(s) running the equipment selected printers better suited to CUPS than Windows, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Standard advice, if there are problems locating a printer driver, is to look for the Windows PPD, as they are supposed to be identical. It's just that the Windows setup programs hide as much as they can (including the PPD) from the user. Cheers, Wol -- Anthony W. Youngman pi...@thewolery.demon.co.uk 'Yings, yow graley yin! Suz ae rikt dheu,' said the blue man, taking the thimble. 'What *is* he?' said Magrat. 'They're gnomes,' said Nanny. The man lowered the thimble. 'Pictsies!' Carpe Jugulum, Terry Pratchett 1998 Visit the MaVerick web-site - http://www.maverick-dbms.org Open Source Pick ___ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users
[U2] Print Wizard on Linux (was Re: Code 128 Soft Font)
On Wed, 19 May 2010, Glen B wrote: Bob, Let me also extend an offer to help with general development off-hours, if you're willing to work with GPL libs for open development. ... Thanks for the offer. But you haven't said what Print Wizard features you want, exactly. Let me give you the scope of things. I just did a full build of printwiz.exe; that is, just the main program that does all the dirty work. It's 550,432 lines of code! It has a PCL reader, a PDF writer, a PDF reader (coming soon), graphics file input routines (some purchased), an interface to Windows faxing, Windows sockets, and Windows scanning, SSL, CDO, MAPI, SMTP, the Windows spooler, FTP, HTTP, and Windows printer drivers (yes, we do use those for most printing output). It has some user interface, notably the print previewer, but not a lot. It can read files in formats PCL-5, PCL-6 (some), JPG, TIFF, BMP, WMF, EMF, SPL, TXT, PWML, HTML, PDF, Unicode, and more. It deals with input and output of TrueType fonts and does fine-grained manipulation on them. It prints in most world languages. And it's not in C, it's in Delphi. Now if you're interested in a very small subset of its capabilities, there might be hope. Several years ago I ported it to Kylix, which is the Linux equivalent of Delphi. I restricted it WAY down to just outputting PDF files. It was moderately painful. More to the point, it was dependent on Kylix and several libraries it used, which I think even today would be less stable and future-proof than Windows. I don't know if Kylix is currently supported. Then there's the question of the business case. It would have to generate some serious revenue. I won't go into numbers at this point, but I have a long to-do list. So what do you need, and what's it worth to you? Regards, Bob Rasmussen, President, Rasmussen Software, Inc. personal e-mail: r...@anzio.com company e-mail: r...@anzio.com voice: (US) 503-624-0360 (9:00-6:00 Pacific Time) fax: (US) 503-624-0760 web: http://www.anzio.com street address: Rasmussen Software, Inc. 10240 SW Nimbus, Suite L9 Portland, OR 97223 USA ___ U2-Users mailing list U2-Users@listserver.u2ug.org http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users
