Managing channels

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; and to Harlequin MultiRIP but not Harlequin Core

Channels can be managed in different ways depending on the nature of the channel class. For example, some channels are managed purely from the PostScript language, with PostScript language fragments doing the instantiation, manipulation, and destruction of the channel. Other channels are managed entirely from the Input Controller. This dialog box is available from the Harlequin MultiRIP menu in GUI versions of the RIP. Finally, other channels still are managed from both the Input Man‐ ager and the PostScript language.

The management requirements of a channel class are controlled by the channelClassFlags field of the ChannelClassDescription . See channelClassFlags (ChannelClassDescription) . Channels of a particular class can be managed in one of the following ways:

Default	The channel is polled for incoming PostScript language jobs. All classes are managed from the Input Manager so that they can at least be turned on and off. This is the default when none of the channel management flags are set.
`CCF_POSTSCRIPT_MANAGED`	The channel is only available for management from a PostScript language environment. It is never offered in the Input Manager. You can view, but not alter, the channel in the Input Controller by checking the box Show protected channels. This is how a filter would typically be managed. See Filters . A source of high‐resolution Open Prepress Interface (OPI) data with no configuration information that the user could usefully change could also be managed this way.
`CCF_NOT_POLLED`	The channel is managed from the Input Manager but is not available for polling. That is, a PostScript language job would never be looked for on channels of that class, but parameters for it can be set up from the user interface. For example, a source of high resolution OPI data which requires end‐ user configuration.
`CCF_ASYNCHRONOUS_ACTION`	The channel is managed from the user interface, or perhaps from the PostScript language, and is available as a source of asynchronous actions. This means that the channel is polled as normal, but when a job is encountered it will be executed immediately, often in the middle of another job. See Asynchronous actions .
Progress	Progress channels are managed from the PostScript language. They need the `CCF_POSTSCRIPT_MANAGED` and `CCF_SEEK_BY_PARAMS` flags to be set.

PostScript language‐compatible devices for channels managed from the Input Manager are created automatically. The device names are constructed by prefixing “ip:” to the name the user gives in the Input Manager. This avoids clashes with other PostScript language device names. Like all devices, when used in PostScript language fragments, the name is expressed as a string starting with a percent sign.

Warning: Explicitly mounted devices should not use names starting “ip:”.