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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: finding the unloved
From:       KSU <ksu257 () earthlink ! net>
Date:       2009-06-07 18:39:01
Message-ID: 4A2C0945.2020708 () earthlink ! net
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John Layt wrote:
> On Saturday 06 June 2009 21:51:24 KSU wrote:
>> The part of KDE-4 that is most unloved in KPrinter.  In fact, there was
>> so little support for it that it was canceled. :-(  I have ideas about
>> how this should work, if anyone is interested.
> 
> I wouldn't say entirely unloved, just an extremely demanding mistress... :-)
> 
> The big thing with printing right now is trying to get all the features we 
> need (like odd/even pages and persistent settings) built into the Qt print 
> system and dialog, which is now more likely with their moving to a more open 
> development model.  Trying to sort that will be my summer project, and anyone 
> able to help will be welcome, especially anyone with Mac or Windows printing 
> expertise as I have to solve cross-platform issues before I can push my 
> patches upstream.
> 
While I agree with you that some of this could be accomplished in Qt.  I 
think that we will still have a need for KPrinter to accomplish some 
needed features.

For example, per application defaults would be very useful and they do 
need to be different depending on what you are printing (e.g. printing a 
PDF usually requires margins of 0.00).

How does a user access different printer features (e.g photo mode | 
different resolutions)?

The problem is that we are at KDE-4.3.0 to be released soon and users 
need to print.  So, I suggest that a more realistic approach is to make 
KPrinter with the features that are needed and then try to move some of 
them to Qt if that is what is best.

> The printer admin stuff is in good hands now with the underlying engine a 
> cross-distro project between Red Hat, Mandriva, Ubuntu and others, with 
> Kubuntu maintaining the KDE front-ends.
> 
So far, my impression of it is not that good -- it lacks the ability to 
fully control the printer and I have to use the CUPS webpage to select 
them.  Actually, some of these features should be in KPrinter.  Take a 
look at the print dialog in OpenOffice.

> Which leaves the KDE3 print utilities like kprinter and kdeprintfax.  These 
> are things I just don't have time to work on at all and really are up for 
> grabs.
> 
Which is why I suggested that the project needed help.  You could use 
some help with it, couldn't you?

-- 
KSU


 
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