Qt-contributors-summit-2014-QtPrintSupport

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QtPrintSupport

• Planning
  • Qt 5.4 (?): QPrintJob, QPrintSettings, QPrintDocument
  • Qt 5.5 (?): New dialogs supporting pull printing, preview, etc, new api as a separate QtPrint library
  • Not clear if new library will be in qtbase or separate module, depends on implementation
  • Schedule very dependent on available time for jlayt
  • Probably delayed one release cycle, QLocale work may need to take priority for 5.4, may need to wait to drop WinXP
  • Need to document design more at http://wiki.qt.io/Qt-5-QtPrint to allow others to help

• QPrintJob
  • QPrintDocument
  • QPrintSettings
  • Can hold multiple documents / settings
  • Normal api for most common settings
  • IPP key/value pairs for all settings

• QPrintSettings
  • Normal api for most common settings
  • IPP key/value pairs for all settings
  • Serializable!

• QPrintDocument
  • How to do?
  • Probably still derived from QPagedPaintDevice
  • Holds graphics context (DEVMODE / NSView / PDF Stream) as current QPrintEngine? – Messy, requires internal access, prevents separate library?
  • Holds XPS / PDF Stream? Requires all platforms to have file-based workflows, including Mac which will need to redirect to PDF first then pass to print system.
  • File based workflow would allow for cross-platform n-up / booklet printing?
  • Dropping XP support important here?

• QPrintQueue / QPrintDevice
  • Probably not be needed if we define QPrintDevice as a queue and not physical device
  • Could supply query api to list jobs, or to cancel jobs?

• Cloud / IPP
  • Most platforms integrate into local spool system
  • Mobile devices will need separate platform plugin
  • IPP underlies most
  • IPP plugin could replace local CUPS plugin

• PDF support
  • Maintainer not clear
  • CUPS, IPP, Cloud need PDF/A support
  • Other features requested like links, etc

• CUPS
  • New plugin for 1.6, keep old 1.4 plugin, dynamic load
  • Could replace with IPP?
  • Authentication support needed in dialogs

• Windows
  • New print system in Vista, again in Win8
  • XPS / OpenXPS file support needed
  • Roll our own for cross-platform QXpsWriter, or can just internally wrap Windows api?
  • WinRT may be different?

• Android
  • New api in 4.4
  • Perhaps Cloud plugins for earlier versions, or non-google options?
  • May need to wait for new library

• File Printing
  • Have api for supportedMimeTypes()
  • Will work on Mac / Linux / Cloud
  • Current Windows will need installation of Ghostscript, or Poppler with Cairo, to render PDF to GDI
  • With XPS may support directly, or need pdf->xps converter?

• Color Management
  • PDF set ColorIntent
  • Need ICC profiles api

• Dialogs
  • QPrintPreview merged with QPrintDialog for in-dialog preview
  • PDF export dialog
  • Need MFC coder to add stuff to Windows dialog

• Other features
  • Manual duplex mode?
  • Cross-platform booklet and n-up?

• Bugs
  • Need new triage after 5.3,decide what to close, what to fix in 4.8
  • Issues with getting 4.8 patches past support team
  • Major issue with Mac PDF printing (fonts)
  • Win/Mac dialogs when no printers / PdfFormat
  • Others?

• Testing
  • More auto tests!
  • Visual testing?
  • Manual test improvements – split from Dialogs manual test