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RE: [h-e-w] Windows Emacs using Window print routines
From: |
Gallucci, David |
Subject: |
RE: [h-e-w] Windows Emacs using Window print routines |
Date: |
Mon, 23 Feb 2004 11:01:28 -0500 |
I agree completely!
-dg
-----Original Message-----
From: address@hidden
[mailto:address@hidden
Behalf Of Peter Kaiser
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 10:34 AM
To: Emacs for Windows
Subject: Re: [h-e-w] Windows Emacs using Window print routines
> Emacs can print fine through any printing program that you want to
> use. As far as plain functionality goes (as opposed to convenience
> while installing), it doesn't need to incorporate a new incompatible
> and non-portable printing module.
Actually, I think the original poster's point is well taken. Emacs already has
functions on Windows
that are absent on other platforms, and that's a perfectly appropriate approach
to handle things
that people want to do on every platform, but which the platforms handle
differently. Basic
printing is one such thing, and should be included in GNU Emacs. This isn't at
all contradictory,
and it makes just as much sense as having GNU Emacs use Windows displays under
Windows. Or are
there ancient purists who think we should still be using VT100 terminal
emulation within command
windows?
GNU Emacs should be able to print simply, just like, for instance, Windows
Notepad: drop down a menu
and select "Print", and if a default printer is defined, the contents of the
buffer -- or a region
-- are printed. (Or, of course, invoke the equivalent function
programmatically or with M-x.) Why
must I install more software (printfile, lpr, whatever) to do something for
which Windows provides a
direct interface? That's how it works on Unix/Linux; it just happens that
there, the interface is
*normally* a separate spooler program (e.g., lpr). That's the Unix way. The
Windows way is through
the interface that's an integral part of Windows.
Emacs should handle printing the Unix way on Unix, the Windows way on Windows.
Printing is
extremely basic functionality: the user shouldn't have to install additional
software simply to
print things. This has been a stark omission in GNU Emacs for years, and it
should be rectified.
Pete
- RE: [h-e-w] Windows Emacs using Window print routines,
Gallucci, David <=