[R] dev.print() in R for windows

[Uwe Ligges]

Martin Maechler wrote:
> 
> Both help(dev.print) and the "R for windows FAQ"
> suggest that dev.print() with no arguments
> should work also on Windows
> [Our students have to use Windows, I don't fortunately ...]
> 
>  > dev.print()
>  Error in PS(file, old$paper, old$family, old$encoding, old$bg, old$fg,  :
>          unable to start device PostScript
>  In addition: Warning message:
>  printing via file = "" is not implemented in this version
>  >
> 
> One explanation of the problem is that
>     getOption("printcmd")
> is NULL and frankly I wouldn't know what to put there (Win NT 4, or Win 2k).
> 
> Of course all this not a big problem, since at least in RGui, there's the
> print button that probably everyone uses.
> OTOH, it would be nice if  dev.print()  was portable and would work on all
> platforms (as advertized).
> 
> Confirmations, suggestions, opinions ?

win.print() opens the windows printing dialog.

Most R users probably have installed ghostscript and GhostView, but it
is not a standard under Windows. So porting the unix like printing to
Windows (via postscript) is tricky. Particularly the windows printer
driver system differs from unix and you cannot print a postscript file
without ghostscript (or similar software) on a non-postscript (or even
worse GDI) printer.

Uwe Ligges
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