| <HTML> |
| <BODY> |
| <h3>Overview</h3> |
| <p> |
| Provides classes for implementing print support in applications and also contains all |
| base classes and abstractions involved in printing. These base classes are also used |
| by other more specialized printing related packages. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| The entry point for interacting with the print system is the {@link android.print.PrintManager} |
| which is a system service that can be obtained from the current context. The print manager |
| provides APIs for printing, querying the state of print jobs, etc. |
| <p/> |
| <h3>Print contract</h3> |
| <p> |
| An application that wants to implement printing must extend |
| {@link android.print.PrintDocumentAdapter} which defines the contract between the system |
| and the application.The key idea behind this adapter is that the printed content may change |
| based on the selected print options, such as media size, orientation, which |
| requires the content to be re-laid out. The constraints according to which the content has |
| to be laid out are encapsulated in the {@link android.print.PrintAttributes} class. Once |
| layout is completed the application calls back to the system passing a |
| {@link android.print.PrintDocumentInfo} instance which describes the generated content. After |
| the content has been laid out the application may be asked to render some pages of that content |
| for preview or printing. The range of pages that have to be rendered is abstracted by the |
| {@link android.print.PageRange} class. |
| </p> |
| <h3>Print jobs</h3> |
| <p> |
| A print job is represented by the {@link android.print.PrintJob} class which has behavior |
| methods as well as methods for querying its state. Each print job has a unique id represented |
| by the {@link android.print.PrintJobId} class and exposes APIs for obtaining a {@link |
| android.print.PrintJobInfo} which is a snapshot of its state. The print job state may |
| change over time. |
| </p> |
| <h3>Printers</h3> |
| <p> |
| An available printer represented by the {@link android.print.PrinterInfo} class has a |
| unique id which is abstracted by the {@link android.print.PrinterId} class. The {@link |
| android.print.PrinterInfo} contains printer properties such as id, name, description, status, |
| and printer capabilities encapsulated in the {@link android.print.PrinterCapabilitiesInfo} |
| class. Printer capabilities describe how a printer can print content, for example what are |
| the supported media sizes, color modes, resolutions, etc. |
| <p> |
| </BODY> |
| </HTML> |