Introduction to files, filters, and devices

To view previous v13.x documentation, go to Manuals (v13).

This page applies to Harlequin v14.0r0 and later; and to Harlequin Core and Harlequin MultiRIP.

The core RIP can communicate with the outside world through files and devices. New devices can be added by OEMs that are accessible from standard PostScript-language operators, allowing, for example, for addition of custom operators and custom interfaces.

Filters are also implemented through the same interface. This means that new filter types can be added and, because an external implementation of a standard filter overrides the built-in one, existing filters can be replaced with custom implementations. This is particularly interesting when these involve hardware, for example using a JPEG decompression chip.

Devices may be added directly to a Core RIP skin or in the form of plugins in HMR. The C coding details for this are given in the relevant manuals (Harlequin MultiRIP Plugin kit for HMR and DEVICE interface for Core) and are not discussed further here.