RISC OS Software - PrintPDF

PrintPDF is a small application to provide a front-end to the *ps2pdf command in GhostScript, allowing PDF documents to be produced more easily under RISC OS. Normally, the process requires a document to be 'printed' to a postscript file, before that file is passed through GhostScript and converted into a PDF. This two stage process is complicated by the fact that the RISC OS printer drivers can only 'print' to a file in a single location, so care has to be taken not to overwrite an existing postscript file before it has been converted.

By setting up a dedicated postscript driver in Printers, which prints to a specific location, PrintPDF can watch out for new documents being printed and add them to a queue. These are processed in turn, with the resulting PDF files being saved using drag-and-drop from a dialogue box. To the user, printing from an application while this printer driver is selected will result in a "Create PDF" dialogue box opening; the PDF is saved directly, and no postscript files need be seen.

[PrintPDF screenshot]
The options being set for a PDF file

As the process behind the scenes still involves creating a postscript file and then converting that to a PDF, PrintPDF also provides a quick way to convert any of these files which already exist by dragging them to its icon.

[Locate window screen shot]
A new "PDF" printer on the iconbar

Compatibility

PrintPDF has been tested with RISC OS 4, Select and RISC OS 5; limited testing has also been done on RISC OS 3. The software is currently released in beta form, so if you find any problems on your system, let me know. The Castle 32-bit Shared C Library is required, which can be found at http://www.iyonix.com/32bit/system.shtml.

Download: PrintPDF 0.52
81 Kbytes | 6th April, 2008 | 26/32-bit neutral

Version History

0.10 (10 July 2005)

First beta release.

0.20 (16 July 2005)

Second beta release.

Checks TaskManager on initialisation to prevent multiple copies running.
Seeing another copy of PrintPDF starting will open the Choices window.
Added "Show iconbar icon" option.
Compiled against OSLib 6.70, using GCC 3.4.4r3.
Corrected URL for website link.
Changed name of child tasks.

0.30 (4 September 2005)

Third beta release.

Writes GhostScript parameters to a file in PipeFS and calls *gs @ to get around command line length restrictions on RISC OS 3.
Opens a "conversion finished" pop-up when child task terminates.

0.31 (4 September 2005)

Update to third beta release.

The "conversion finished" pop-up can be selected from the Choices window.
While GhostScript is converting a file, the destination is given load and exec addresses of &DEADDEAD.

0.32 (10 September 2005)

Update to third beta release.

Added FileName option token, and use it to override FileName token in Messages file when set.
Full path and filename is remembered between conversions if "Reset for every conversion" option is off.

0.40 (19 May 2006)

Fourth beta release.

Default leafname changed to PDFFile/pdf.
Added preprocess option to allow files to be passed through *ps2ps before going on to *ps2pdf. This can help some files to work with GhostScript 8.5.
Added support for encrypted PDFs and security features in GhostScript 8.5.

0.41 (23 May 2006)

Update to fourth beta release.

Encryption windows grey out when no creation password is entered.
Changes to the manual and interactive help text.

0.45 (13 August 2006)

Update to fourth beta release.

Save filename preserved again unless "Reset every..." option is on (was lost in 0.40).
Included Richard Hallas' RISC OS 5 iconsprites designs.
Restructured options handling, making it the job of both conversion and choices code to maintain their own state rather than having conversion assume that choices will maintain state across calls.
Added support for retaining encryption and protection options between sessions.
All changes to convert dialogue are remembered for next conversion, even if Cancel is clicked (was inconsistent).

0.50 (9 November 2007)

Fifth beta release.

Support for EBook optimization added.
Printer optimization now sets -dUseCIEColor=true to prevent warnings from GhostScript.
Added 'custom' optimization option, to allow individual parameters to be set.
Some corrections to interactive help texts.
Some corrections to GhostScript command-line parameters.
Added Default file option to choices window.

0.51 (17 November 2007)

Update to fifth beta release.

Corrections to window templates for choices window.
Dragging a file to the 'Default file' field in the choices window sets the pathname.
Dragging a file to the file name field in the save PDF window sets the filename.
Included PDF600 printer definition, supplied by Bernard Veasey.

0.52 (6 April 2008)