[sane-devel] new SANE hpoj backend

[David Paschal]

Hi,

I recently added a new "hpoj" SANE backend to the CVS repository of the
HP OfficeJet Linux driver project (http://hpoj.sourceforge.net), with
support for SANE-based scanning on almost all HP OfficeJet, LaserJet, and
PSC (Printer/Scanner/Copier) multi-function peripherals.  My intention
is to distribute it as part of the hpoj software rather than with SANE,
due to the dependency problems and usability issues associated with
having to specially compile SANE with the needed hpoj libraries (libptal
and libhpojip), as is the case today with activating the OfficeJet
support in the hp backend.

Would somebody please check into SANE CVS the attached hpoj.desc file,
which has linkages to my project page?  I ran it through the sane-desc.el
converter to make sure it looks OK in HTML format.  Also, the link to
the hpoj project on the SANE "Related Projects" page can now be moved to
a different category from "not SANE compliant".  :-)

Once I make a new stable release of the hpoj software (with the hpoj
backend) several months from now, I will submit a patch to remove the
OfficeJet support from the hp backend and documentation, because the
new hpoj backend is a replacement that supports more models and better
handles the various OfficeJet-specific peculiarities such as ADF control
and JPEG decompression and is much easier for me to maintain as an
integrated package (just like the devices it supports:-).

On a related topic as a follow-up to the recent discussion on adding new
device types to the SANE standard, the hpoj backend supports a wide
variety of devices with different ADF/flatbed capabilities: flatbed_only,
scrollfed_only, flatbed+ADF, and flatbed+scrollfed_ADF.  Currently the
SANE standard specifies "flatbed scanner" and "sheetfed scanner" (among
others).  Would it be acceptable for me to use a more generic string such
as "multi-function peripheral" or "all-in-one" so I don't have to return
a different string based on the device's ADF/flatbed capabilities?
That would also make sense because I will likely add fax-receive support
to a future version of the hpoj backend.  (I apologize for not bringing
this up earlier when Henning was soliciting input on this matter.)

David
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;
; SANE Backend specification file
;
; It's basically emacs-lisp --- so ";" indicates comment to end of line.
; All syntactic elements are keyword tokens, followed by a string or
;  keyword argument, as specified.
;
; ":backend" *must* be specified.
; All other information is optional (but what good is the file without it?).
;

:backend "hpoj"                   ; name of backend
:status :beta                     ; :alpha, :beta, :stable, :new
:url "http://hpoj.sourceforge.net/" ; backend's web page

:devicetype :scanner              ; start of a list of devices....
                                  ; other types:  :stillcam, :vidcam,
                                  ;               :meta, :api

:mfg "HP"                         ; name a manufacturer
:url "http://www.hp.com/go/all-in-one"

; name models for above-specified mfg.
:model "Most HP multi-function peripherals"
:url "http://hpoj.sourceforge.net/suplist.shtml"
:interface "Parport(ECP) USB JetDirect"
:comment "Distributed with the HP OfficeJet Linux driver (hpoj)"

; :comment and :url specifiers are optional after :mfg, :model, :desc,
;  and at the top-level.