Re: [Printing-architecture] Another Common Dialog

[Till Kamppeter <till.kamppeter@gmail.com>]

Hal V. Engel wrote:
> On Friday 17 April 2009 11:54:28 am peter sikking wrote:
>> Till wrote:
>>> peter sikking wrote:
>>>> for users printing, faxing, scanning, memory card reading are
>>>> totally unrelated activities.
>>> I would say so, too.
>> it is not just a good idea, it is the truth.
>>
>>> Sending faxes should be done by a print queue where the printing
>>> dialog shows an appropriate widget for the fax number.
>> even that is mind-boggling incomprehensible for users.
>> I will fight tooth and nail to avoid that solution.
>>
> 
> I also agree with Peter here.  A user sending a fax expects to see fax 
> specific dialogs.  Till however is correct that hidden below that fax specific 
> UI could be a print queue but the user should NEVER be aware of how it is 
> actually implemented.


So fax should look like this: On the implementation side we have print 
queues for faxes, the PPD files of fax queues contain the following CUPS 
extension:

*cupsFax: true

(see http://www.cups.org/documentation.php/doc-1.4/spec-ppd.html). This 
allows distinguishing print queues and fax queues. Applications are 
supposed to have a "Print ..." and a "Fax ..." entry. If a queue type 
(printing, faxing) is not present, the corresponding menu entry gets 
grayed out. Clicking "Print ..." gives the printing dialog as Peter has 
designed it, but only print queues (and no fax queues) are listed. 
Clicking "Fax ..." gives a dialog (slightly) different to Peter's 
printing dialog, for example with an additional "zone" with one or more 
  widgets to choose the fax destination (by typing in, calling address 
book, ...) and only the fax queues listed. The exact design for an ideal 
fax dialog can also be left to OpenPrinting. WDYT?

    Till