Comments on: Carbon: How to print to PDF http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/ i saw that Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:23:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Andy http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1105 Andy Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:29:55 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1105 No, the Cocoa route simply wasn't viable then. Now, you can mix and match Cocoa and Carbon windows, but then it wasn't possible. That meant the transition from Carbon to Cocoa would have to be total, and simply wasn't feasible economically or timewise. These days, I would recommend adding Cocoa windows for new features (instead of using Carbon windows), for the apps that could handle that. However, because of internal framework architectures, some applications wouldn't be able to even take advantage of that. Their framework would dictate an entire transition to Cocoa, which is questionable, even with Adobe's resources. Futhermore, some internal frameworks are too low level to sit on top of Cocoa, so from a technical standpoint, aren't feasible. No, the Cocoa route simply wasn’t viable then. Now, you can mix and match Cocoa and Carbon windows, but then it wasn’t possible. That meant the transition from Carbon to Cocoa would have to be total, and simply wasn’t feasible economically or timewise.

These days, I would recommend adding Cocoa windows for new features (instead of using Carbon windows), for the apps that could handle that. However, because of internal framework architectures, some applications wouldn’t be able to even take advantage of that. Their framework would dictate an entire transition to Cocoa, which is questionable, even with Adobe’s resources.

Futhermore, some internal frameworks are too low level to sit on top of Cocoa, so from a technical standpoint, aren’t feasible.

]]> By: Scott Stevenson http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1066 Scott Stevenson Thu, 30 Nov 2006 08:57:20 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1066 <i>The interesting story behind this was, at the start of Mac OS X 10.0, Apple actually trying to get Macromedia to port their applications to Cocoa</i> If you were given the chance to go back in time with everything you know now, would you try to convince the Macromedia folks to just go the Cocoa route? The interesting story behind this was, at the start of Mac OS X 10.0, Apple actually trying to get Macromedia to port their applications to Cocoa

If you were given the chance to go back in time with everything you know now, would you try to convince the Macromedia folks to just go the Cocoa route?

]]> By: Scott Anguish http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1057 Scott Anguish Wed, 29 Nov 2006 20:27:11 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1057 Interesting... that search does now bring up another set of links (the first one is the same, but the second is different) So I tried "Save as PDF Carvon" in Xcode... second link is still the right document, with the example code. Interesting… that search does now bring up another set of links (the first one is the same, but the second is different)

So I tried “Save as PDF Carvon” in Xcode… second link is still the right document, with the example code.

]]> By: Andy http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1054 Andy Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:46:51 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1054 <i>But the first 499k lines just setup the main window</i> The interesting story behind this was, at the start of Mac OS X 10.0, Apple actually trying to get Macromedia to port their applications to Cocoa. At least, that's what some of the Apple reps were telling some of the Macromedia engineers. I'm not sure if that was an official direction Apple was going in, but talking to the engineers about it seems like the last thing you want to do in that situation. They're the ones who know how much work it would be to make it happen. Of course, sometimes Apple seems oblivious to how much work something is going to be when they really want it. There was that one time they were wanting Spotlight plugins... oy. But the first 499k lines just setup the main window

The interesting story behind this was, at the start of Mac OS X 10.0, Apple actually trying to get Macromedia to port their applications to Cocoa. At least, that’s what some of the Apple reps were telling some of the Macromedia engineers.

I’m not sure if that was an official direction Apple was going in, but talking to the engineers about it seems like the last thing you want to do in that situation. They’re the ones who know how much work it would be to make it happen.

Of course, sometimes Apple seems oblivious to how much work something is going to be when they really want it. There was that one time they were wanting Spotlight plugins… oy.

]]> By: Andy http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1053 Andy Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:38:32 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1053 This will teach me to post about not being able to find documentation. Or maybe it will teach me to whine about it <i>before</i> I find it, that way someone does the work for me. I actually did try google several times. I even now just tried "Save as PDF File Carbon Mac OS X", and none of the links on the first page show how to programmatically print to a PDF file. The <a href="http://developer.apple.com/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/OSX_Technology_Overview/SystemTechnology/chapter_4_section_3.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001067-CH207-TPXREF159" rel="nofollow">second link</a> just seems to mention that it's possible (as does the first link), but with no links or discussion on how it's actually done. Maybe I'm missing something obvious here? I will admit that I was able to find the "Saving a Document as a PDF file" page after it was mentioned, and it was quite useful and documented the necessary API. However, I was only able to find it by searching for the API, PMSessionSetDestination. This will teach me to post about not being able to find documentation. Or maybe it will teach me to whine about it before I find it, that way someone does the work for me.

I actually did try google several times. I even now just tried “Save as PDF File Carbon Mac OS X”, and none of the links on the first page show how to programmatically print to a PDF file. The second link just seems to mention that it’s possible (as does the first link), but with no links or discussion on how it’s actually done. Maybe I’m missing something obvious here?

I will admit that I was able to find the “Saving a Document as a PDF file” page after it was mentioned, and it was quite useful and documented the necessary API. However, I was only able to find it by searching for the API, PMSessionSetDestination.

]]> By: Scott Stevenson http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1048 Scott Stevenson Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:11:21 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1048 <i>I can’t figure out how to do something in Carbon, I should just port this 500kloc+ application to Cocoa</i> But the first 499k lines just setup the main window. I can’t figure out how to do something in Carbon, I should just port this 500kloc+ application to Cocoa

But the first 499k lines just setup the main window.

]]> By: Scott Anguish http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1036 Scott Anguish Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:11:58 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1036 I did a quick google search on Save as PDF File Carbon Mac OS X and the chapter with the example code was the second link. The first was the porting guide for Windows (which also covers this, although lacks the source and specific wording, but does point to the Carbon Printing Manager book). I did a quick google search on

Save as PDF File Carbon Mac OS X

and the chapter with the example code was the second link. The first was the porting guide for Windows (which also covers this, although lacks the source and specific wording, but does point to the Carbon Printing Manager book).

]]> By: Scott Anguish http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1035 Scott Anguish Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:03:51 +0000 http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2006/11/27/carbon-how-to-print-to-pdf/#comment-1035 PMSessionSetDestination is documented in the Printing Manager doc - and it appears to have been since 2002. And the same documentation file discusses both PDF and saving to a file. Heck, there is even a chapter in the book "Supporting Printing in Your Carbon Application" called "Saving a Document as a PDF File". I'm not sure how much easier to find that could be. And seems to have been there for quite a while as well according to the Revision History PMSessionSetDestination is documented in the Printing Manager doc - and it appears to have been since 2002. And the same documentation file discusses both PDF and saving to a file.
Heck, there is even a chapter in the book “Supporting Printing in Your Carbon Application” called “Saving a Document as a PDF File”. I’m not sure how much easier to find that could be. And seems to have been there for quite a while as well according to the Revision History

]]>