PPreferences

Sets a variety of preferences for customizing the publication window.

Command constructors

The PPreferences class has two constructors.

PPreferences(PGetPreferences &preferences);

Use the fields in the PGetPreferences query object to set the current preferences. This is especially useful if you only wish to change one preference while leaving all the others the same.


PPreferences(short nGreekBelow, short cGuides, short cGraphics, PMBool bLoose, PMBool bKeeps, short cSaveOption, PMBool bQuotes, PMBool bNumSnapTo, PMBool bSlowAutoflow, PMBool bDisplayName, short nKBitmap, long nKLimit, long xHorizNudge, long yVerticalNudge, short cPSMemory);

short nGreekBelow;
Pixel number below which text displays as gray bars in layout view
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
short cGuides;
kGuidesFront to display all margin, column, and ruler guides in front of text and graphics
kGuidesBack to display all margin, column, and ruler guides behind text and graphics
kParmDontCare to leave preferences unchanged
short cGraphics;
kGraphicsDisplayGray for fastest screen display of non-PageMaker graphics
kGraphicsDisplayNormal to display non-PageMaker graphics as low-resolution screen images
kGraphicsDisplayHighres to display images at full resolution
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
PMBool bLoose;
false
true to highlight lines of text that have too much or too little letter or word spacing, based upon the spacing limits set with the PLetterSpace and PWordSpace commands or in the Spacing Attributes dialog box
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
PMBool bKeeps;
false
true to highlight lines of text that violate the widow, orphan, or other controls specified with the PParaOptions command or in the Paragraph Specifications dialog box
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
short cSaveOption;
kSaveFaster to append changes to the end of the publication file when you choose Save or when you use the PSave command
kSaveSmaller to fully incorporate all changes into the publication file, essentially creating a new version when you save the publication
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
PMBool bQuotes;
false to specify straight quotation marks
true to substitute curved typographer's quotation marks whenever the standard quotation mark is typed
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
PMBool bNumSnapTo;
false
true to constrain values in the Control palette to ruler increments or guide positions if the Rulers and Guides options are currently on
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
PMBool bAutoflow;
false to display only the first and last pages of a multipage autoflow operation, which makes autoflowing faster
true to display each page of a multipage autoflow operation
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
PMBool bDisplayName;
false to display the printer nickname in the Print dialog box (e.g., Apple LaserWriter II NTX)
true to display the PPD name. (PageMaker for the Macintosh always displays the PPD filename.)
short nKBitMap;
Amount of RAM (in kilobytes) to reserve for drawing graphic elements (from 8 to 64 kilobytes)
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged
long nKLimit;
Maximum size (in kilobytes) of images to include in PageMaker publication file. Images larger than this value are linked to publication.
long xHorizNudge;
Distance each press of the horizontal nudge button or of the key combination moves selected objects in twips
long yVertNudge;
Distance each press of the vertical nudge button or of the key combination moves selected objects in twips
short cPSMemory;
kPSMemoryNormal to free up 250K virtual memory (VM) of a PostScript printer prior to downloading a graphic
kPSMemoryMaximum to perform a total restore of VM on a PostScript printer prior to downloading a graphic
kParmDontCare to leave preference unchanged

Setting the default. If a publication is open, the new preference specifications apply only to that publication. If no publication is open, the specifications apply to any new publication that is created.

Nudge shortcut. The key combination for nudge is the Command key plus a directional (arrow) key.

Display PPD names. On the Macintosh, the Preferences dialog box does not include the Display PPD Names option. Instead, PageMaker for the Macintosh always displays the PPD filename, regardless of the value you send for bDisplayName in the PPreferences command. Although the bDisplayName parameter does nothing, the PGetPreferences query still returns the setting sent in the PPreferences command.

Example. The following example specifies:

Text under nine pixels displays as grayed boxes (greeked text).
All guides appear behind text and graphics.
Non-PageMaker graphics display as low-resolution screen images (to speed redrawing of the screen).
Lines of text that have too much or too little letter or word spacing are high lighted.
Orphans and widows are highlighted.
Saving results in smaller files, rather than files with appended mini-versions of changes.
Straight quotation marks, rather than typographer's quotation marks, are used.
Control palette displays ruler increments and guide positions.
Fast autoflow is turned on.
Printer nickname is displayed in the Print dialog box.
The amount of RAM reserved for drawing graphic elements remains unchanged.
Images larger than 1000K are linked to the publication rather than included in the publication.
A 1-pica horizontal nudge and 1-pica vertical nudge.
Free up 250K of printer virtual memory prior to downloading a graphic.


PPreferences(9, kGuidesBack, kGraphicsDisplayNormal, true, true, kSaveSmaller, false, true, false, false, kParmDontCare, 1000, twips("1p"), twips("1p"), kPSMemoryNormal);

The second example changes only the autoflow preference to true.

PGetPreferences currPrefs; currPrefs.bAutoflow = true; PPreferences(currPrefs);

PPreferences

Command constructors

See also