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NSPrinter Class Reference

Overview

An NSPrinter object describes a printer’s capabilities as defined in its PPD file. An NSPrinter object can be constructed by specifying either the printer name or the make and model of an available printer. You use a printer object to get information about printers, not to modify printer attributes or control a printing job.

Adopted Protocols

• – encodeWithCoder:

• – initWithCoder:

• – copyWithZone:

Tasks

Creating an NSPrinter

• + printerWithName:
• + printerWithType:

Getting General Printer Information

• + printerNames
• + printerTypes

Getting Attributes

• – name
• – type

Getting Specific Information

• – pageSizeForPaper:
• – languageLevel

Querying the Tables

• – isKey:inTable:
• – stringForKey:inTable:
• – stringListForKey:inTable:
• – booleanForKey:inTable:
• – floatForKey:inTable:
• – intForKey:inTable:
• – rectForKey:inTable:
• – sizeForKey:inTable:
• – statusForTable:
• – deviceDescription

Deprecated Methods

• + printerWithName:domain:includeUnavailable: Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – acceptsBinary Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – domain Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – host Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – imageRectForPaper: Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – isColor Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – isFontAvailable: Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – isOutputStackInReverseOrder Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2
• – note Deprecated in Mac OS X v10.2

Class Methods

printerNames

Returns the names of all available printers.

+ (NSArray *)printerNames

Return Value

An array of NSString objects, each of which contains the name of an available printer.

Discussion

The user constructs the list of available printers using the Print Center application.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• + printerTypes
• – name

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

printerTypes

Returns descriptions of the makes and models of all available printers.

+ (NSArray *)printerTypes

Return Value

An array of NSString objects, each of which contains the make and model information for a supported printer.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – type

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

printerWithName:

Creates and returns an NSPrinter object initialized with the specified printer name.

+ (NSPrinter *)printerWithName:(NSString *)name

Parameters

name

The name of the printer.

Return Value

An initialized NSPrinter object, or nil if the specified printer was not available.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• + printerWithType:
• + printerNames
• – name

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

printerWithType:

Creates and returns an NSPrinter object initialized to the first available printer with the specified make and model information.

+ (NSPrinter *)printerWithType:(NSString *)type

Parameters

type

A string describing the make and model information. You can get this string using the printerTypes method.

Return Value

An initialized NSPrinter object, or nil if the specified printer was not available.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• + printerWithName:
• – type

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

Instance Methods

booleanForKey:inTable:

Returns the Boolean value associated with the specified key.

- (BOOL)booleanForKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

The Boolean value associated with the key. Returns NO if the key is not in the table or the receiver lacks a PPD file.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – isKey:inTable:
• – stringForKey:inTable:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

deviceDescription

Returns a dictionary of keys and values describing the device.

- (NSDictionary *)deviceDescription

Return Value

A dictionary of the device properties. See NSGraphics.h for possible keys. The only key guaranteed to exist is NSDeviceIsPrinter.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

floatForKey:inTable:

Returns the floating-point value associated with the specified key.

- (float)floatForKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

The floating-point value. Returns 0.0 if the key is not in the table or the receiver lacks a PPD file.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – isKey:inTable:
• – stringForKey:inTable:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

intForKey:inTable:

Returns the integer value associated with the specified key.

- (int)intForKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

The integer value. Returns 0 if the key is not in the table or the receiver lacks a PPD file.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – isKey:inTable:
• – stringForKey:inTable:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

isKey:inTable:

Returns a Boolean value indicating whether the specified key is in the specified table.

- (BOOL)isKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

YES if the key is in the table; otherwise, NO.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

languageLevel

Returns the PostScript language level recognized by the printer.

- (NSInteger)languageLevel

Return Value

The PostScript language level. The value is 0 if the receiver is not a PostScript printer.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

name

Returns the printer’s name.

- (NSString *)name

Return Value

The printer name.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• + printerNames
• + printerWithName:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

pageSizeForPaper:

Returns the size of the page for the specified paper type.

- (NSSize)pageSizeForPaper:(NSString *)paperName

Parameters

paperName

Possible values are printer-dependent and are contained in the printer's PPD file. Typical values are "Letter" and "Legal".

Return Value

The size of the page, measured in points in the user coordinate space. The returned size is zero if the specified paper name is not recognized or its entry in the PPD file cannot be parsed.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – imageRectForPaper:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

rectForKey:inTable:

Returns the rectangle associated with the specified key.

- (NSRect)rectForKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

The rectangle value. Returns NSZeroRect if the key is not in the table or the receiver lacks a PPD file.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – isKey:inTable:
• – stringForKey:inTable:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

sizeForKey:inTable:

Returns the size data type associated with the specified key.

- (NSSize)sizeForKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

The size value. Returns NSZeroSize if the key is not in the table or the receiver lacks a PPD file.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – isKey:inTable:
• – stringForKey:inTable:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

statusForTable:

Returns the status of the specified table.

- (NSPrinterTableStatus)statusForTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

One of the return values described in “Constants.”

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

stringForKey:inTable:

Returns the first occurrence of a value associated with specified key.

- (NSString *)stringForKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

The value for the specified key, or nil if the key is not in the table. The returned string may also be empty.

Discussion

If key is a main keyword only, and if that keyword has options in the PPD file, this method returns an empty string. Use stringListForKey:inTable: to retrieve the values for all occurrences of a main keyword.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – isKey:inTable:
• – booleanForKey:inTable:
• – floatForKey:inTable:
• – intForKey:inTable:
• – rectForKey:inTable:
• – sizeForKey:inTable:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

stringListForKey:inTable:

Returns an array of strings, one for each occurrence, associated with specified key.

- (NSArray *)stringListForKey:(NSString *)key inTable:(NSString *)table

Parameters

key

The key whose value you want.

table

The name of a table from the printer's PPD file.

Return Value

An array of NSString objects, each containing a value associated with the specified key. Returns nil if the key is not in the table.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• – isKey:inTable:
• – stringForKey:inTable:

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

type

Returns a description of the printer’s make and model.

- (NSString *)type

Return Value

A description of the printer's make and model.

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

See Also

• + printerTypes

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

Constants

NSPrinterTableStatus

These constants describe the state of a printer information table stored by an NSPrinter object.

typedef enum _NSPrinterTableStatus {
   NSPrinterTableOK = 0,
   NSPrinterTableNotFound = 1,
   NSPrinterTableError = 2
} NSPrinterTableStatus;

Constants

NSPrinterTableOK

Printer table was found and is valid.

Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared in NSPrinter.h.

NSPrinterTableNotFound

Printer table was not found.

Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared in NSPrinter.h.

NSPrinterTableError

Printer table is not valid.

Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared in NSPrinter.h.

Discussion

These constants are used by statusForTable:..

Availability

• Available in Mac OS X v10.0 and later.

Declared In

NSPrinter.h

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