[Printing-architecture] RE: [Printing-summit] RE: where is th e info on driver directories

[Petrie, Glen]

Thanks for your suggestions.

<...snip...>

> Normally you would have you PATH
> set to something reasonable you you would just run it as:
> 
>   pdpca --dev <dev> --qual <qual> [other options]
> 

[gwp] I considered this (and still like it) but I thought it would be
more/too complicated for user (of any kind) to figure out or know the <dev>
and the possible list of <qual's> since <qual's> could change with <dev>.
For code that will be used very seldom (once the printer is working, there
is little reason to test again), I thought having <dev> and <qual> right in
the file name would/could help the user (of any kind) select which pdpca to
try.  Example (which may not be correct but are shown for illustration)

Directory					command line
pdpca_guten_hp_laser_bw    or pdpca --dev guten --qual hp_laser_bw
				   or pdpca --dev guten --qual hp --qual
laser_bw
				   or pdpca --dev guten --qual hp,laser_bw
pdpca_guten_hp_laser_color
pdpca_guten_hp_laser_mfd
pdpca_guten_hp_inkjet_4color
pdpca_guten_hp_inkjet_6color
pdpca_guten_hp_inkjet_mfd
<... repeated for Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Xerox, and so forth under guten...>

pdpca_hp_laser_bw		   or     pdpca --dev hp --qual laser_bw
pdpca_hp_laser_color
pdpca_hp_laser_mfd
pdpca_hp_inkjet_4color
pdpca_hp_inkjet_6color
pdpca_hp_inkjet_mfd
<... repeated for Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Xerox, and so forth...>

Since I can not, at this time, begin to determine the number of
instantiations of pdpca there will be for every <dev> and every <qual>, I
thought the file name approach would be the best.  Maybe a pattern will
emerge; we will have to wait and see.

Scenario:  Help Desk (HD) help user (U) on the phone.

U:  My printer will not print my picture.
HD: What printer do you have?
U: A SuperX model 300 which is an inkjet printer.
HD: What application are you trying to print with.
U:  Guten
HD: Go to the /usr/bin/print/pdpca directory.
U: OK, got there
HD: Locate the file pdpca_guten_superx_inkjet
U: Ok located
HD: execute the file........

Or does the HD tell the user 

HD: type in pdpca --dev guten -qual superx,inkjet 300

Once someone knows the list of possible and then the specific <dev's> and
<qual's> it is pretty easy either way but if the HD did not know that info
he could have

HD: Go to the /usr/bin/print/pdpca directory.
HD: look for a file called pdpca_guten
U: found a bunch of them
HD: Is there file or files with superx in the name
U: yes
HD: Is there a file with inkjet in the name
U: No
HD: is there a file with generic in the name
U: yes
HD: execute the following pdpca_guten_superx_generic -s 300
U: It says the superX Model 300 is supported
HD: now execute pdpca_guten_superx_generic 300

So, my reasoning was .....

Is it easier for an end user (which is one of the target users) to navigate
a directory list with files containing the <dev> and <qual's> or read
instructions on what possible <dev> and <qual> to use.  Overall, would
suspect that the navigating will be easier.

Anyway, that was my reasoning I used to create the specification.   My next
goal was to find a directory that would be easy to locate by the HD and/or
user.

p.s.  dev looks like developer and device (we could pick a better word if
the decision is to go with a scheme as you suggest).  Which did you mean?