jdk/src/share/classes/javax/print/package.html

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Provides the principal classes and interfaces for the 
Java<sup><font size="-2">TM</font></sup> Print Service API.
The Java Print Service API enables client and server applications to:
<ul>
<li>Discover and select print services based on their capabilities 
<li>Specify the format of print data
<li>Submit print jobs to services that support the document type to 
be printed.
</ul>


<h3>Print Service Discovery</h3>
<p>
An application invokes the static methods of the abstract class 
{@link javax.print.PrintServiceLookup PrintServiceLookup} to locate print 
services that have the capabilities to satisfy the application's print 
request.  For example, to print a double-sided document, the application 
first needs to find printers that have the double-sided printing capability.
<p>
The JDK includes <code>PrintServiceLookup</code> implementations that
can locate the standard platform printers.  To locate other types of printers,
such as IPP printers or JINI printers, a print-service provider can write 
implementations of <code>PrintServiceLookup</code>.  The print-service provider 
can dynamically install these <code>PrintServiceLookup</code> implementations 
using the 
<a href="../../../technotes/guides/jar/jar.html#Service%20Provider">
SPI JAR file specification</a>.

<h3>Attribute Definitions</h3>

The {@link javax.print.attribute} and {@link javax.print.attribute.standard} 
packages define print attributes, which describe the capabilities of a print 
service, specify the requirements of a print job, and track the progress of 
a print job.
<p>
The <code>javax.print.attribute</code> package describes the types of attributes and
how they can be collected into sets.  The <code>javax.print.attribute.standard</code>
package enumerates all of the standard attributes supported by the API, most
of which are implementations of attributes specified in the IETF Specification, 
<a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2911.txt">
RFC 2911 Internet Printing Protocol, 1.1: Model and Semantics</a>, dated 
September 2000.  The attributes specified in <code>javax.print.attribute.standard</code>
include common capabilities, such as: resolution, copies, media sizes, 
job priority, and page ranges.

<h3>Document Type Specification</h3>

The {@link javax.print.DocFlavor DocFlavor} class represents the print data 
format, such as JPEG or PostScript.  A <code>DocFlavor</code> object 
consists of a MIME type, which describes the format, and a document 
representation class name that indicates how the document is delivered 
to the printer or output stream.  An application uses the 
<code>DocFlavor</code> and an attribute set to find printers that can 
print the document type specified by the <code>DocFlavor</code> and have 
the capabilities specified by the attribute set.  

<h3>Using the API</h3>

A typical application using the Java Print Service API performs these steps
to process a print request:
<ol>
<li>Chooses a <code>DocFlavor</code>.</li>
<li>Creates a set of attributes.</li>
<li>Locates a print service that can handle the print request as specified
by the <code>DocFlavor</code> and the attribute set.</li>
<li>Creates a {@link javax.print.Doc Doc} object encapsulating the 
<code>DocFlavor</code>
and the actual print data, which can take many forms including: a Postscript 
file, a JPEG image, a URL, or plain text.</li>
<li>Gets a print job, represented by {@link javax.print.DocPrintJob DocPrintJob},
 from the print service.</li>
<li>Calls the print method of the print job.</li>
</ol>
The following code sample demonstrates a typical use of the Java Print 
Service API: locating printers that can print five double-sided copies
of a Postscript document on size A4 paper, creating a print job from 
one of the returned print services, and calling print.

<blockquote>
<pre>
FileInputStream psStream;
try {
   psStream = new FileInputStream("file.ps");
} catch (FileNotFoundException ffne) {
}
if (psStream == null) {
    return;
}

DocFlavor psInFormat = DocFlavor.INPUT_STREAM.POSTSCRIPT;
Doc myDoc = new SimpleDoc(psStream, psInFormat, null);  
PrintRequestAttributeSet aset = 
	new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
aset.add(new Copies(5));
aset.add(MediaSize.A4);
aset.add(Sides.DUPLEX);
PrintService[] services = 
  PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(psInFormat, aset);
if (services.length > 0) {
   DocPrintJob job = services[0].createPrintJob();
   try {
	job.print(myDoc, aset);
   } catch (PrintException pe) {}
}
</pre>
</blockquote>
<P>
Please note: In the javax.print APIs, a null reference parameter to methods 
is incorrect unless explicitly documented on the method as having a meaningful
interpretation. Usage to the contrary is incorrect coding and may result
in a run time exception either immediately or at some later time.
IllegalArgumentException and NullPointerException are examples of
typical and acceptable run time exceptions for such cases.
<P>
@since 1.4
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