How to distinguish Hardware printer and Software printer

[Minh Bui]

Hello,
My Destop application use javax.print.* to detech printer. However, what i get are all the printers that are in Control Panel/Printers and Faxes folder. How can i distinguish hardware printers( real printer) and software printers(got from installing software:Snagit 9, ... ) to remove software printers from printer lists?
My code:

   
        services =
                PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(DocFlavor.SERVICE_FORMATTED.PRINTABLE, null);

        // check for a default service and make sure it is at index 0. the lookupPrintServices does not
        // aways put the default printer first in the array.
        PrintService defaultService = PrintServiceLookup.lookupDefaultPrintService();
        if (defaultService != null && services.length > 1) {
            PrintService printService;
            for (int i = 1, max = services.length; i < max; i++) {
                printService = services[i];
                if (printService.equals(defaultService)) {
                    // found the default printer, now swap it with the first index.
                    PrintService tmp = services[0];
                    services[0] = defaultService;
                    services[i] = tmp;
                    break;
                }
            }
        }

Can i select correct printers from function: PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices with correct conditions?
Thank you.
Minhbt.

[Minh Bui]

Hello,
I thinks i can distinguish hardware printer and software printer(cutePDF, Snagit ..) by their attributes. For example, software printer do not connect to computer through LPT, COM, or USB port, but hardware is reverse. But i still did not find the instance of this in java.
Here is what i got now, I m not sure this work for all hardware printer.

   
services =PrintServiceLookup.lookupPrintServices(DocFlavor.SERVICE_FORMATTED.PRINTABLE, null);
 PrintRequestAttributeSet aset = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
aset.add(Sides.DUPLEX);
for (int i = 0; i < services.length; i++) {
    if ((!(services[i].getName().startsWith("\\\\"))) &&
            (!services[i].isAttributeValueSupported(Sides.DUPLEX, DocFlavor.SERVICE_FORMATTED.PRINTABLE, aset))) {  
       //Printer is in this host, and do not support print in both sides. => Ugly printer, eliminate it.
            }
     else{
        //Hardware printer. Copy to temp array.
     }
}
 

Any ideas?
Minhbt.

[Edit Insert line breaks in "code". Such long lines go off the edge of the screen and are difficult to read.[/edit]

[Campbell Ritchie]

Too difficult a question for "beginning Java". Moving thread.

[Minh Bui]

Hi,
I think the key point here is: How to get port name of printer?
Virtual printers do not connect computer through COM, LPT or USB port.
Any idea?
Minhbt.