Parameter reference key

To view v13.x documentation, go to the top level of the legacy documentation.

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

Each parameter is followed by a table giving information about the parameter and possibly by a cross-reference to more information.

The following example table displays the seven entry types for a fictitious system parameter (that is, FooBar):

FooBar

Param	Val	ExType	Vers	Use?	HPS	Ref
S	i	H		Y	With	7.14

The example's entry types are:

(1) In general, only one instance from each entry type can apply to a parameter.
(2) Page device keys do not have a parameter type.

Specifics for each entry type listed in the FooBar example follow:

Param : Parameter classes

S	Ordinary system parameter
SR	System parameter, reset to default value each time round the server loop.
U	User parameter

Val : Parameter value types

b	Boolean
i	Integer
r	Real number (real or integer)
n	Name
s	String
x	Special; see text for the entry
s‡	String, but when queried returns a reference to buffer whose contents can subsequently change. See "Returning string buffer references" (below) for more information.

ExType : Parameter extension types

P	Standard PostScript language, as found in [RB3]
H	Harlequin Extension
XR3	Extension for strict compatibility with [RB3]
RB3+	In [RB3], but has a somewhat different interpretation in the RIP
A	Not in [RB3], but implemented by Adobe

Vers : The version of Harlequin Core that this parameter was introduced for

Use? : Recommended parameters

N	Should not be used except under guidance from GGS, because the parameter either is obsolete or is used for some special purpose
Y	May be used freely, subject to caveats noted in the text

HPS : Parameter relationship to HPS

HPS	The parameter is effective only when HPS is activated (when the `AccurateScreens` system parameter is `true`). However, the value displays whether or not HPS is turned on.
All	The parameter is always effective.

Ref : Parameter cross-references

There may be a cross-reference to where the parameter is discussed in greater detail. The cross-reference may be to another section in this Extensions Manual or to another book listed (for example, shown as [RB2]).

Returning string buffer references

For efficiency reasons, when querying some parameters that have string values, what the query operator returns is actually a reference to a subset of an internal buffer within the RIP. And because the content of that internal buffer can potentially change after the query operator returns the reference, the period for which the return value is guaranteed to remain correct is relatively short lived.

If you intend to keep the returned value for later use, you must copy that returned value into a newly created string object.

For example, instead of doing this:

TEXT

            /MyValue
            /OverrideSpotFunctionName
            1183615869 internaldict /currentsystemparam get exec def

you should do something more like this:

TEXT

            /MyValue
            /OverrideSpotFunctionName
            1183615869 internaldict /currentsystemparam get exec dup length string copy
            def