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31 Provides the principal classes and interfaces for the
32 Java<sup><font size="-2">TM</font></sup> Print Service API.
33 The Java Print Service API enables client and server applications to:
34 <ul>
35 <li>Discover and select print services based on their capabilities
36 <li>Specify the format of print data
37 <li>Submit print jobs to services that support the document type to
38 be printed.
39 </ul>
40
41
42 <h3>Print Service Discovery</h3>
43 <p>
44 An application invokes the static methods of the abstract class
45 {@link javax.print.PrintServiceLookup PrintServiceLookup} to locate print
46 services that have the capabilities to satisfy the application's print
47 request. For example, to print a double-sided document, the application
48 first needs to find printers that have the double-sided printing capability.
49 <p>
50 The JDK includes <code>PrintServiceLookup</code> implementations that
51 can locate the standard platform printers. To locate other types of printers,
52 such as IPP printers or JINI printers, a print-service provider can write
53 implementations of <code>PrintServiceLookup</code>. The print-service provider
54 can dynamically install these <code>PrintServiceLookup</code> implementations
55 using the
56 <a href="../../../technotes/guides/jar/jar.html#Service%20Provider">
57 SPI JAR file specification</a>.
58
59 <h3>Attribute Definitions</h3>
60
61 The {@link javax.print.attribute} and {@link javax.print.attribute.standard}
62 packages define print attributes, which describe the capabilities of a print
63 service, specify the requirements of a print job, and track the progress of
64 a print job.
65 <p>
66 The <code>javax.print.attribute</code> package describes the types of attributes and
67 how they can be collected into sets. The <code>javax.print.attribute.standard</code>
68 package enumerates all of the standard attributes supported by the API, most
69 of which are implementations of attributes specified in the IETF Specification,
70 <a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2911.txt">
71 RFC 2911 Internet Printing Protocol, 1.1: Model and Semantics</a>, dated
72 September 2000. The attributes specified in <code>javax.print.attribute.standard</code>
73 include common capabilities, such as: resolution, copies, media sizes,
74 job priority, and page ranges.
75
76 <h3>Document Type Specification</h3>
77
78 The {@link javax.print.DocFlavor DocFlavor} class represents the print data
79 format, such as JPEG or PostScript. A <code>DocFlavor</code> object
80 consists of a MIME type, which describes the format, and a document
81 representation class name that indicates how the document is delivered
82 to the printer or output stream. An application uses the
83 <code>DocFlavor</code> and an attribute set to find printers that can
84 print the document type specified by the <code>DocFlavor</code> and have
85 the capabilities specified by the attribute set.
86
87 <h3>Using the API</h3>
88
89 A typical application using the Java Print Service API performs these steps
90 to process a print request:
91 <ol>
92 <li>Chooses a <code>DocFlavor</code>.</li>
93 <li>Creates a set of attributes.</li>
94 <li>Locates a print service that can handle the print request as specified
95 by the <code>DocFlavor</code> and the attribute set.</li>
96 <li>Creates a {@link javax.print.Doc Doc} object encapsulating the
97 <code>DocFlavor</code>
98 and the actual print data, which can take many forms including: a Postscript
99 file, a JPEG image, a URL, or plain text.</li>
100 <li>Gets a print job, represented by {@link javax.print.DocPrintJob DocPrintJob},
101 from the print service.</li>
102 <li>Calls the print method of the print job.</li>
103 </ol>
104 The following code sample demonstrates a typical use of the Java Print
105 Service API: locating printers that can print five double-sided copies
106 of a Postscript document on size A4 paper, creating a print job from
107 one of the returned print services, and calling print.
108
109 <blockquote>
110 <pre>
111 FileInputStream psStream;
112 try {
113 psStream = new FileInputStream("file.ps");
114 } catch (FileNotFoundException ffne) {
115 }
116 if (psStream == null) {
117 return;
118 }
119
120 DocFlavor psInFormat = DocFlavor.INPUT_STREAM.POSTSCRIPT;
121 Doc myDoc = new SimpleDoc(psStream, psInFormat, null);
122 PrintRequestAttributeSet aset =
123 new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
124 aset.add(new Copies(5));
125 aset.add(MediaSize.A4);
126 aset.add(Sides.DUPLEX);
127 PrintService[] services =
128 PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(psInFormat, aset);
129 if (services.length > 0) {
130 DocPrintJob job = services[0].createPrintJob();
131 try {
132 job.print(myDoc, aset);
133 } catch (PrintException pe) {}
134 }
135 </pre>
136 </blockquote>
137 <P>
138 Please note: In the javax.print APIs, a null reference parameter to methods
139 is incorrect unless explicitly documented on the method as having a meaningful
140 interpretation. Usage to the contrary is incorrect coding and may result
141 in a run time exception either immediately or at some later time.
142 IllegalArgumentException and NullPointerException are examples of
143 typical and acceptable run time exceptions for such cases.
144 <P>
145 @since 1.4
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