Using Core Printing Features(IM:XP)

Inside Macintosh: QuickDraw GX Printing /: Chapter 2 - Core Printing Features

Using Core Printing Features
This section shows how to implement the core printing features in your application First, you must determine if QuickDraw GX is installed and, if so, set up its environment. Next, when the user creates a document, your application needs to create a job object for the document and maintain other information about the document. The sample code throughout this book uses a structure, MyDocumentRec, to keep the needed information in one place:
typedef struct MyDocumentRec {
   gxJob       documentJob;      /* the job object bound to the
                                    document */
   long        numPages;         /* the number of pages in the
                                    document */
   long        curPage;          /* the current page */
   FSSpec      documentFSSpec;   /* the file system specification 
                                    for the document */
   Str31       documentTitle     /* the title of the document 
                                    (such as "Untitled") */
   WindowPtr   documentWindow;   /* the window for the document */
   gxViewPort  documentViewPort; /* the view port used for 
                                    drawing within the document
                                    window */
   gxShape     documentPage[kMaxPages];
                                 /* the shape data for each 
                                    page */
   gxFormat    pageFormat[kMaxPages];
                                 /* the format object for each 
                                    page, if nil use the default
                                    format */
} MyDocumentRec, *MyDocumentPtr;
This structure is set up to handle one shape per page. Each page may have its own format, although in this chapter only one format is used. The individual fields in the structure are described as they are used in the following sections.
Your application could define a similar structure, or you could maintain the needed information in variables of your choosing. The variable used in this book is myDocument, which is defined as follows:
MyDocumentRec  myDocument;
The following sections show how to

initialize QuickDraw GX printing
create a job object and initialize the myDocument variable
handle errors
print a document
save a job object by flattening it
retrieve a job object by unflattening it
dispose of a job object and the objects it references
obtain format information
support print dialog boxes
perform printing from the Finder
update job object information after resume events
print existing documents designed for printing with the Macintosh Printing Manager

Subtopics

Initializing QuickDraw GX Printing

Creating a Job Object for a Printable Document

Error Handling

Supporting QuickDraw GX Print Dialog Boxes

Printing Documents Using QuickDraw GX

Saving a Job Object With a Document File

Disposing of a Job Object When Closing a Document

Retrieving a Job Object When Opening a Document

Obtaining Object References

Obtaining Information From a Format Object

Displaying QuickDraw GX Print Dialog Boxes

Supporting Printing From the Finder

Updating Job Object Information

Printing Macintosh Printing Manager Documents