NAME

Printer.pm - a low-level, platform independent printing interface (curently Linux and MS Win32. other UNIXES should also work.)

This version includes working support for Windows 95.

SYNOPSIS

    use Printer;
    
    $prn = new Printer('linux' => 'lp', 
	               'MSWin32' => 'LPT1', 
		       $OSNAME => 'Printer');

    @available_printers = $prn->list_printers;

    $prn->use_default;

    $prn->print($data);

DESCRIPTION

A low-level cross-platform interface to system printers.

This module is intended to allow perl programs to use and query printers on any computer system capable of running perl. The intention of this module is for a program to be able to use the printer without having to know which operating system is being used.

PLATFORMS

This code has been tested on Linux, windows 95 and windows NT4.

I've added possible UNIX support, using the Linux routines. This assumes that your print command is lpr, your queue list command is lpq and that your printer names can be found by grepping /etc/printcap. If it's anything different, email me with the value of $OSNAME or $^O and the corrections.

USAGE

Open a printer handle

       $printer = new Printer('osname' => 'printer port');
       $printer = new Printer('MSWin32' => 'LPT1', 
			      'Linux' => 'lp');

This method takes a hash to set the printer name to be used for each operating system that this module is to be used on (the hash keys are the values of $^O or $OSNAME for each platform) and returns a printer handle which is used by the other methods.

This method dies with an error message on unsupported platforms.

Select the default printer

$printer->use_default;

Linux

The default printer is read from the environment variables $PRINTER, $LPDEST, $NPRINTER, $NGPRINTER in that order, or is set to "lp" if these variables are not defined. You will be warned if this happens.

Win32

THe default printer is read from the registry (trust me, this works).

List available printers

 %hash = $printer->list_printers.

This returns a hash of arrays listing all available printers. The hash keys are:

• %hash{names} - printer names

• %hash{ports} - printer ports

Print

$printer->print($data);

Print a scalar value onto the print server through a pipe (like Linux)

List queued jobs

@jobs = $printer->list_jobs;

Linux

Each cell of the array returned is an entire line from the system's lpq command.

Windows

The array returned is empty (for compatibility).

Warning

This method will probably return a hash in future when I've figured out how to access the print queue on windows.

BUGS

list_queue needs writing for win32

AUTHOR

Stephen Patterson <s.patterson@freeuk.com>

TODO

Make list_queue work on windows.

Test and fully port to UNIX.

Port to MacOS.

Changelog

0.93

• Printing on windows 95 now uses a unique spoolfile which will not overwrite an existing file.

• Documentation spruced up to look like a normal linux manpage.

0.92

• Carp based error tracking introduced.

0.91

• Use the linux routines for all UNIXES.

0.9

Initial release version

cpanm Printer

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Printer