# Re: Need scanner info, please (OS/2, but also others)

becka@rz.uni-duesseldorf.de
Thu, 16 Apr 1998 16:02:59 +0200 (MET DST)

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Hi !

> > > I am writing a little program (it is called "fax 'n copy", a little
> > > utility for copying and faxing), and I want to support as many scanners as
> > > possible.
> > > Therefore I need the output of the following commands:
> > > *) scanimage -L
> > > *) scanimage --help -d DEVICE (your device)

> Another thing is that it seems that every model has different commands
> e.g. for setting the resolutions, etc. Is this true?

Basically yes, because every model is different.

Some scanners can control their x and y resolutions independently,
others can't, as you have already seen.

> I know that at least for a Microtek it says '-resolution' and
> for a Canon '-Xresolution' and '-Yresolution'.

> Or to define the scan area, one says mm, the other says pixels. I know
> that I can convert them - I even know how ;-) - but this suprises me.

SANE handles that internally. You can give units together with values
to scanimage.

> Is there a more general way to access the scanners?

No. SANE was designed to allow _everything_ a scanner can do. Any API
based on a "complete feature list" ist likely to grow beyond limits
and there will always be devices/functions that are not fully supported.

This is the reason why SANE puts the intelligence to understand what an
option means into the user not in a program.

There are some "standard" options that can be recognized, but they are
always optional. Remember that SANE also drives picture archives, still
cameras etc, which have e.g. no notion of "resolution". At least not in
the way a scanner does.

Regarding your request of --help outputs ... :

You can more easily find out the possible options a backend provides
by having a glimpse at the SANE source. The options are normally listed
in a more or less long list which should be easy to spot in each backend
driver.

CU,Andy

    --
    = Andreas Beck                    |  Email :  <andreas.beck@ggi-project.org> =

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