AFP to postscript conversion

Details AFP to postscript conversion AFP to postscript conversion

2000-01-31

2001-12-18

Grant, II, Jerome (Department: 2624)

Facsimile and static presentation processing

Static presentation processing

Emulation or plural modes

C358S001100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06331895

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to converting data to PostScript format.
BACKGROUND ART
Application programs often produce output for printing on paper. This output often includes text in a variety of fonts, images, graphics, bar codes, and the like. The application output may be expressed as a data stream comprising a well defined set of commands. These commands allow a computer to tell a printer what and where to print. The output data stream is often held in a file prior to printing. Many formats for data streams have been developed. Two of the most common data stream formats are PostScript and Advanced Function Presentation (AFP).
PostScript was developed by Adobe, Inc. PostScript was the first data stream having its own stack and programming language capabilities. PostScript includes scalable fonts, smooth greyscaling, and multiple orientations on the physical page. Enhancements to PostScript permit a set of operations to be grouped in a form, multiple methods for specifying color, and composite fonts for unlimited character sets. PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe, Inc.
AFP presentation data streams include text and in-line resources, such as form definitions and page definitions, to construct a data stream that then points to overlays, page segments, fonts, and the like. AFP is all points addressable, meaning that any location on the printed page can be addressed by a command in the data stream.
A file holding a data stream in one format may have to be converted to another format. This may occur, for example, when transferring output data from an installation using the first data format to an installation using the second data format.
What is needed is an efficient method to convert a file written in the AFP format to a file written in the PostScript format.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for converting an AFP file to a PostScript file.
It is another object of the present invention to convert data in AFP format to PostScript format in an efficient manner.
Still another object of the present invention is to determine if objects encountered while scanning an AFP file are appropriate for conversion to PostScript format.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects and features of the present invention a method is provided for converting a document presented in AFP format to PostScript format. The method includes scanning an object in an AFP file. A check is made to determine if the scanned object is appropriate. If the scanned object is not appropriate, an error message is generated. If the scanned object is appropriate, the scanned object is converted to PostScript format. The converted object to is written to a PostScript file. This procedure is repeated if any object remains not scanned in the AFP file. If the scanned object is a text object, the converted object includes text, lines, and font changes. If the scanned object is a font object, an AFP font name is mapped to a Postscript font name which is added to a list of necessary fonts in the PostScript file.
In an embodiment of the present invention, converting the scanned object to PostScript format includes determining if the AFP object is an image object with compressed image data in the form of IBM modified modified relative addressing designation data. If so, the image object is converted to CCITT Group
4
compressed image data.
In another embodiment of the present invention the AFP format is a hierarchical structure of objects, each particular object having a set of allowed objects that may be correctly included within the particular object. Determining if the scanned AFP object is appropriate includes maintaining a hierarchical stack of open objects, the top of the stack corresponding to the most recently opened object. The scanned object is determined to be appropriate if the scanned object belongs to the set of allowed objects for the object on the top of the stack.
Another method is provided for converting a document presented in AFP format to PostScript format. The document in AFP format is stored in a first file and the converted PostScript document is stored in a second file. The method includes creating a scanner object. The AFP object in the first file is scanned with the scanner object. A check is made to determine if the scanned AFP object is appropriate and, if not, an error message is generated. If the scanned object is appropriate and the scanned object is a font object, the AFP font described by the font object is mapped to a PostScript font. If the appropriate scanned AFP object is not a font object, the AFP object is converted to PostScript code and written to the second file. The steps of scanning an AFP object, generating an error message if the AFP object is not appropriate, and, if the scanned AFP object is appropriate, mapping the font or converting the non-font object are repeated until all AFP objects are scanned. A reference to each mapped PostScript font is then added to the beginning of the second file.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


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