Specifications

4-21
Printer, Plotter, and Spooler Subsystem Programming
Printer Colon File Conventions
Printer and printer data stream attributes reside in colon files. Colon files reside in the
/usr/lib/lpd/pio/predef and /var/spool/lpd/pio/@local/custom/* directories. The
/usr/lib/lpd/pio/predef directory contains the predefined database and the
/var/spool/lpd/pio/@local/custom/* directory contains the customized database.
The following sections describe the conventions for printer and attribute names and values
in colon files.
• Colon File Format on page 4-21
• Attribute Names on page 4-22
• Attribute Values on page 4-24
Colon File Format
Colon files in both the predefined and customized databases have five fields (separated by
colons) for each attribute. They are:
Message catalog ID Identifies the message catalog where the attribute description
is stored. The message catalog ID can take any of three
forms:
• Null string: The string value for the mD attribute is assumed
to be the file name of the message catalog (for example,
mydescriptors.cat ).
• One character: An abbreviation for pioattr x.cat, where x is
the one–character catalog ID. This form of the catalog ID is
normally used only by the operating system.
• Catalog file name: The file name of the message catalog
(for example, mydescriptors.cat ).
Either the one–character form or the catalog file name form
of the catalog overrides the catalog file name specified with
the mD attribute.
Message number
Identifies the message index in the catalog that contains
the description of this attribute. Leading zeros are ignored.
Attribute name
Specifies two characters, except for group header
attributes, which are five characters.
Limits field
Specifies limits for the attributes.
Attribute value string
Specifies zero to 1000 characters.
Following is an example of one line in a colon file:
:023:_w::80
The attribute name is _w, the attribute value string is 80, and the attribute description is
stored in message number 23 in the message catalog specified by the mD attribute.
Note: All attribute descriptions are stored in message catalogs. If an attribute has the
same description for multiple printers, the attribute in each printer’s database can
reference the same catalog and message number. If the same attribute name has a
different description for different printers, separate message numbers are used.