[BrandonCorbin]

Anyone good at developing Print Drivers? Basically if someone could develop a print driver that could then take the resulting PS convert it to a PDF and send it to a webservice, then I have a deal for you.

For every pdf sent to the web service and ordered, you would get a dollar. Pretty simple.

[PBG4 User]

If the programs work in OS X, couldn't people just print to .pdf?

If you mean convert PS to .pdf, then why not try http://www.stone.com/PStill/ <-- this program will do PS to .pdf conversion. If this isn't what you're looking for (and there are plenty of other program options to convert PS to .pdf) then please elaborate on your original post.

[BrandonCorbin]

The program isnt in OS X.. Its a web based printing solution. I can not get in to the details because of an NDA...

So the concept would be. Take a large document, print it to a "fake printer" the fake printer would create the PDF, then submit a base64 binary version of the PDF to a webservice... If someone is interested in the details, we can go through the Non Disclosure Agreement dance.. (Which personally I hate).

[Angus_D]

Originally posted by BrandonCorbin:
The program isnt in OS X.. Its a web based printing solution. I can not get in to the details because of an NDA...

So the concept would be. Take a large document, print it to a "fake printer" the fake printer would create the PDF, then submit a base64 binary version of the PDF to a webservice... If someone is interested in the details, we can go through the Non Disclosure Agreement dance.. (Which personally I hate).

Your questions make no sense.

If it's web based, why are you asking in an OS X development forum for someone to write a "print driver"? What use would a printer driver be if this is a web application? How do you "print" from a web application using PS and stuff?

[BrandonCorbin]

Read the steps again...

1. You have a document in lets say word. You print it using the newly created Print Driver.
2. The print driver creates a PDF
3. The print driver ( or some other process ) takes the newly created PDF sends it to a web service.
4. The web service (AKA Web Application) takes the binary and puts it in to the process...

Thats all that needs to happen.

Does that help?

[PBG4 User]

Originally posted by BrandonCorbin:
Read the steps again...

1. You have a document in lets say word. You print it using the newly created Print Driver.
2. The print driver creates a PDF
3. The print driver ( or some other process ) takes the newly created PDF sends it to a web service.
4. The web service (AKA Web Application) takes the binary and puts it in to the process...

Thats all that needs to happen.

Does that help?

OK, so you need to print to .pdf in Windows then? If so, then this program --> http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp is free and installs as if it were a printer. By the way, this was result #1 in a google search on "windows pdf printer".

Step #3 can be taken care of either by uploading instructions & a 3rd party program, or a VBA macro setup with a button on the toolbar that prints, then sends DDE messages to an ftp/sftp/whatever upload protocol you like program which then uploads the specified pdf file. VBA in MS Office programs is very robust and this sounds like a good fit to accomplish Steps #1-3.

[edit]
I'm not clear on what OS actually creates the .pdf file. I originally assumed you wanted an OS X pdf file generator, but this is built into OS X. If what you need is an automated way to generate the pdf then upload to your service, this can be automated either through Word's VBA functionality (on both OS X & Windows).

If the OS creating the pdf is Windows, then again, you can grab the free pdf writer in this post, then do the same type of VBA macro to automate the generation/upload process.

I don't think you want a printer driver that also doubles as an upload client, just because it is such a different function when compared to generating a pdf file. Besides, if free solutions already exist, why not leverage those?

With a competent programmer, the VBA macro could be built & debugged in a day at the most. This macro could be coded to detect whether it's running on Windows or OS X and call the appropriate procedure, making the macro cross platform. This gives you a single file solution for both Windows & OS X.

[BrandonCorbin]

Personally I want to have a Mac version before a Windows version.

Of course there could be instructions that could show a user to print as pdf, save the file, go to this url, upload the file, etc. But that goes against the very essence of simplicity in this web app / system. I have spent 5 months working non stop to make this the most simple to use "service", and there is something sexy about having a print driver that connects to a web application / service like this.

UPDATE:
Remember the entire point of this post was to find out if there is someone that would be interested in building a solution like this, which in return will pay a transactional fee for each use.

Thanks guys.

[PBG4 User]

Brandon,

I wanted to get a clear understanding of the task at hand before saying, "I'll give it a shot!". I KNOW I could automate the pdf generation/upload process, but I KNOW I couldn't write a pdf generator. If I were to do this, I'd go with a button in the Word toolbar linked to a VBA macro that would automate this process. If this wasn't feasible, (if VBA's DDE didn't extend to OS X for instance), my next stop would be an Applescript program. If it couldn't be done in Applescript, then a full Cocoa application would be my final solution.

So, consider me interested. PM me if you want to continue this discussion in private.

[BrandonCorbin]

From what I understand of Print Drivers, when you print from almost all programs the content is converted in PostScript. Now converting from PostScript to PDF is fairly painless, using ps2pdf or other utilities out there, but I would be shocked if apple didnt have an API for doing such a thing... The key would be to make it available to all applications. I only used Word as an example...

Still interested?

[PBG4 User]

Originally posted by BrandonCorbin:
From what I understand of Print Drivers, when you print from almost all programs the content is converted in PostScript. Now converting from PostScript to PDF is fairly painless, using ps2pdf or other utilities out there, but I would be shocked if apple didnt have an API for doing such a thing... The key would be to make it available to all applications. I only used Word as an example...

Still interested?

I see now why you want a printer driver. A driver would indeed give this functionality to any program that can print. Unfortunately (for me), I know nothing about designing drivers or I'd take you up on this.

Hey! Maybe Folder Actions (introduced in Panther) could do it! Whenever a file gets dropped into the folder, it automagically uploads that file to your server, then copies the sent file to a "transmitted" folder.

I know my current coding limits. Without some real research into IOKit, CUPS or what-have-you, I can't build a print-driver to fill your request. But if you were willing to go the Folder Actions route (would be limited to Panther), I would still be interested. Believe me, I'm interested anyway (any reason to keep my coding skills sharp!) but I don't see a printer driver emanating from my fingers anytime soon.

[BrandonCorbin]

The plan with this will be to have someone develop a print driver, and once its all be tested and working smoothly, I will release the APIs for connecting to the service and the ability for any developer to become a partner and make the transaction coin...

So this will allow developers to build really any kind of transportation method that they think users in a specific market will like.. So who ever builds the best solution for the market makes the most money.

[PBG4 User]

Even Apple suggests contacting them directly when writing printer driver modules, so I'm going to have to pass. I wish I could help you out. Hopefully you'll find someone who can write a driver for you.

[BrandonCorbin]

PBG4, thanks for your support! Its nice to see that its still possible to have that in forums!

[PBG4 User]

I just wish I knew more about driver development so I could take on this task. It sounds like a fun project to tackle.

[BrandonCorbin]

Originally posted by PBG4 User:
I just wish I knew more about driver development so I could take on this task. It sounds like a fun project to tackle.

So far its been a killer project, and its in a market that is so counter intuitive that its bound to make money... ... Now if I can only get the mac print driver distribution channel going. Luckily the business model is not dependent on a print driver for the mac, but damn it would be nice!

[Angus_D]

Well, the OS X printer architecture is more involved than just getting PostScript and sending that to your printer - obviously that's not very helpful if you don't have PostScript, and not to mention OS X's raw display architecture is all PDF-based so converting to PostScript and back again would be rather redundant.

[BrandonCorbin]

Angus, thats why I come here! My actual knowledge of the inner workings is fairly limited, I know high concept what would need to work. But then I need the people that know much more than me to say what is and what is not possible... So if the raw display architecture is all PDF, (which I should have remembered) the what in your opinion would be involved in something like this?

Thanks
B

[PBG4 User]

I found an article at --> http://developer.apple.com/documenta...low/index.html

which may help you with your printing task.

Actually I think this may be what you're looking for! Basically you want to activate PDF Workflow options (by placing a link in either /Library/PDF Services or ~/Library/PDF Services). This will activate the PDF Workflow options button on the print panel.



You could add a link to your upload program so the pdf file would be sent to the upload program, then the upload program would run and ask for login/password (you need to know who sent you the file so you can bill them, right?) and transmit the file for you.

This works in OS X 10.2.4 and later so customers could be running either Jaguar or Panther and your solution would still work.

From the link above:

Users can place the following items in any of the three directories mentioned previously:

* a folder or an alias to a folder
* an application or an alias to an application
* a UNIX tool or an alias to a UNIX tool
* an AppleScript file or an alias to an AppleScript file

There you go! No driver building required, and Mac simplicity since you'd access the PDF Workflow from the print dialog.

[BrandonCorbin]

Damn thats exactly what I was looking for... Guess I wont need someone to partner for this.. Unless someone really wants to do it... Thanks!!!!!! You rock

[Angus_D]

I was just about to post about that, actually. The only caveat is that it won't work for apps which haven't moved away from the LaserWriter 8 API to the PDF print flow API, but that's probably minor.

It would actually probably be pretty trivial to implement a small application which does the submission, it should just get an 'odoc' AppleEvent with a spooled PDF in /tmp.

[BrandonCorbin]

Thats a great little feature in OS X... Who knew! This just opened up so many possibilities, even if they are not for the core application I am building! Again thank you PBG4, you too Angus.

This feature could be even better than a print driver. From a standpoint that it can be customized easier. I personally dont like having to write directions, but you have to do what you have to do.

[PBG4 User]

Originally posted by BrandonCorbin:
Damn thats exactly what I was looking for... Guess I wont need someone to partner for this.. Unless someone really wants to do it... Thanks!!!!!! You rock

You could always hook me up with a finder's fee. After all, I just saved you paying out $1 per print to someone who would've spent much time developing a driver. Now you don't have to pay anyone the $1 fee AND you don't have to spend much time (compared to a driver) coding a solution using the PDF Workflow option. Not to mention that since this can be placed in the user's home directory you don't need your installer to ask for an Administrator's password (eases the worry factor).

Think of it this way; it's a good thing that someone able to write a printer driver didn't answer your request yesterday.

Obviously I'm not serious about remuneration (hence the winky smilie). Besides, it was fun searching out all of the possible ways to solve your problem. Good luck in your endevours and don't stop with your intriguing questions!

[BrandonCorbin]

Im still more than willing to let "someone" actually make the scripts and still get the 1 dollar for each order. The system is completely automated, in that once a "partner" is created they supply a pay pal account name, and when they send over the print request they also send their partner id. Once the order is complete the system automatically transfers 1 dollar (.97 cents to be exact) to your paypal account...

wink wink

Email me, if you would like to try out the difference webservices / form posts etc.

[PBG4 User]

Brandon,

I sent you an email through the forums here.

[BrandonCorbin]

For any one interested here is the code you put in to an AppleScript for the PDF workflow to post a PDF to a Web Form

Code:
on open these_items
	repeat with aFile in these_items
		set pdfLocation to POSIX path of aFile
		set thisurl to do shell script "curl -F \"fileUpload=@" & pdfLocation & "\" -F \"mcAction=processRemoteFileUpload\" http://www.printfu.org/index.cfm"
		open location thisurl
	end repeat
end open