Terms Used in the Print Schema

This topic is not current. For the most current information, see the Print Schema Specification.

The following list contains terms that are specific to the Print Schema and related technologies.

Term	Description
attribute name	An attribute name is the token on the left side of the equals sign in a standard XML attribute. The standard representation of an XML attribute is attribute name="attribute value". Although similar, the term "attribute name" must not be confused with the name attribute defined in the Print Schema Framework. The name attribute defined in the Print Schema Framework is a specific instance of an attribute name.
candidate	Option. Any Option that belongs to the list being evaluated during the scoring process. See the terms, scoring or mapping Option, and reference Option.
Configuration	Describes one of the states a device can assume or be placed in. The device performs its task differently in each state. There is a distinct and identifiable difference between the behavior of the device in each of these states. For example, in one state, the media is pulled out of one tray and ends up in another tray. A change in either or both of these trays determines a different state.
Constraint	Information needed to determine the validity of a configuration. A constraint is often of the form: FeatureA set to Option1 is not compatible with FeatureB set to Option2.
corresponding elements	Two elements that have the same location relative to a specified pair of origin elements. The origin elements are frequently two Option elements that are being compared.
default	Option. The Option that is designated by either the Print Schema or the PrintCapabilities provider as the Option that is assigned to a Feature when the PrintTicket does not contain an explicit setting for that Feature. Each Feature has a designated default Option.
device configuration attribute	A device attribute that contributes to the definition of the device configuration. A device configuration attribute is represented in the Print Schema Framework by either Feature/Option or parameter constructs. Note that attribute used in this context has no relation to either XML attributes or to Print Schema Framework-defined Attribute elements.
element type	The type of each XML element defined in the Print Schema Framework is identified by its XML element tag.
elements in common	See corresponding elements. Feature. A Print Schema Framework-defined construct that represents a specific device configuration attribute. Each Feature instance represents one device attribute. A Feature instance is defined by explicitly defining each of its states. Identity Option. The Option that has no observable effect when selected; in effect, a "no-op". The result is always the same regardless of the number of times this Option is selected.
instance name	An XML attribute that identifies the specific instance of an element type. See name attribute.
interface client	The entity that consumes PrintCapabilities documents, and that constructs and consumes PrintTickets. Common examples of interface clients include user interface (UI) modules and rendering modules.
interface provider	The entity that implements and exposes functionality by means of an interface. In the Print Schema, this amounts to creating PrintCapabilities documents and validating PrintTickets.
location of an element	The position of a particular instance of an element within the element hierarchy. The location is defined by both the particular element and all ancestors of that element. In other words, location is the equivalent of a fully qualified path in a file system.
name attribute	The designation given to the XML attribute with an attribute name of "name". This attribute appears in most of the element types defined in the Print Schema Framework. It identifies and defines instances of each element type. The following two terms refer to name attributes: the Sibling Uniqueness Rule, and the Namespace Convention.
Namespace Convention	States that Schema-defined name attributes, as well as any schema-defined object, exist in a dedicated namespace, the public namespace, and that privately-defined name attributes must exist in a different namespace, one that can be identified as belonging to the defining party. Option. A Print Schema Framework construct used to represent states that each Feature can assume or be placed in. For example, if the Feature represents media size, typical Option values might be Letter, Legal, A4, among others.
Parameter	The Print Schema supports the ability to describe parameterized data for the purpose of user input. There are three Print Schema Framework element types that play roles in parametric input: ParameterDef, ParameterInit, and ParameterRef. A ParameterDef element characterizes a parameter (its range of values, the type of its data, and other characteristics). A ParameterInit element is used to initialize a parameter. A ParameterRef element is used to reference a particular instance of a ParameterInit element.
parameterized	Option. An Option instance that contains at least one ScoredProperty element that in turn contains a ParameterRef element rather than a Value element.
perfectly-matching	Options. Two Option instances are considered to match perfectly if for every ScoredProperty element in one Option instance, there is a corresponding ScoredProperty instance in the other Option instance, and both Value elements of the corresponding ScoredProperty instances are identical.
PrintCapabilities Schema	The schema that defines the syntax and semantics used by a PrintCapabilities document. The PrintCapabilities Schema and the PrintTicket Schema are subsets of the Print Schema. See also Print Schema Framework.
PrintTicket Schema	The schema that defines the syntax and semantics used by the PrintTicket. The PrintTicket Schema and the PrintCapabilities Schema are subsets of the Print Schema. See also Print Schema Framework.
Print Schema Framework	The schema that defines the syntax and semantics used by Print Schema technologies. For example, the Print Schema Framework defines a collection of element types and their uses, but does not enumerate all the element instances.
Print Schema Keywords	The schema that defines individual instances of Property, Feature, and Option elements that are commonly used to describe devices and job formatting. This schema defines a common language that makes PrintCapabilities documents and PrintTickets portable. Also known as the public schema.
privately-defined	Any instances of elements that appear in a PrintCapabilities document or PrintTicket that are not explicitly defined in the Print Schema Keywords. These element instances must be explicitly qualified with a per-vendor private namespace.
reference	Option. The Option that each candidate Option is compared to. A reference Option typically originates from the PrintTicket. See the terms, scoring or mapping Option, and candidate Option.
root level	The root level is the base of the hierarchical structure of the Print Schema Framework. A root level element is defined as a child of a PrintCapabilities element or a PrintTicket element.
scoping prefix	A textual label pre-appended to a schema keyword to provide contextual scope. The Print Schema allowed scoping prefixes are Job, Doc and Page. For example, the scoping prefix for JobInputBin is 'Job'.
ScoredProperty	A Print Schema Framework construct used to represent the qualities that distinguish or differentiate one Option instance from another. An example is the difference between Letter and Legal sized paper.
scoring or mapping	Option. The process of selecting from a list the (candidate) Option instance that best matches a given (reference) Option instance. Closely related terms are candidate Option and reference Option.
Sibling Uniqueness Rule	States that all siblings of the same element type must have unique name attributes. Some element types are exempt from this rule. These exceptions are defined in the Print Schema Framework.
single-valued versus multivalued	Property. A Property whose Value is invariant (does not depend on the configuration) is considered to be single-valued. Such a Property has only a single Value under any possible configuration. A Property that depends on the configuration is considered to be multivalued.
suffix/suffixes	A schema keyword, representing the feature or parameter name. For example, the suffix for JobInputBin is 'InputBin'.
Validation	The process of verifying that a PrintTicket conforms to the schema and represents a configuration that can be executed by a specific device.
_Undefined_	The specific data that is represented here is a placeholder for the specific driver, device or application to produce. It does not convey that the data should be a string.

Related topics

Print Schema Specification