The PdrStore API can be used to load printer driver information files and create a printer driver. PdrStore provides access to the printer driver information contained in .pdr files for applications to build a printer driver list. PdrStore also loads and creates an appropriate printer driver for a given printer.

.pdr files contain printer driver access information. This access information can be used by applications to build printer driver lists. In an unsecure environment, PdrStore provides printer driver lists from the PDR information files installed in a secure platform environment in the \resource\printers\ folder.

Load the physical and logical printer device before creating a printer driver. The following code loads the physical and logical devices:

// Load printer driver
    User::LoadPhysicalDevice(PDD_NAME);
    // Load printer device
    User::LoadLogicalDevice(LDD_NAME);

The following code allows you to create a printer driver object, check for the available printer driver models, select a model and create a printer device.

    iStopper=new(ELeave) CPdrPrint();
    CActiveScheduler::Add(iStopper);

    // Create a printer driver object
    iDriver=CPrinterDriver::NewL();     
    
    TFileName filename( KDriveName );
    filename.Append( KDefaultPrinterDriverPath );
    filename.Append( KEpsonFileName );
    
    iConsole->Printf ( _L("\nOpening printer driver information file...\n") );
    
    // Open a printer driver information(.pdr) file
    TInt ret;
    TRAP(ret,iDriver->OpenPdrL( filename ));
    if ( ret == KErrNone )
        {
        iConsole->Printf(_L("\nNumber of models: %d\n"),iDriver->NumModels());       
        }

    // Get models
    TPrinterModelEntry entry;
    for (TInt i=0; i<iDriver->NumModels(); i++)
        {
        entry=iDriver->Model(i);
        iConsole->Printf(_L("Model: %S\n"),&entry.iModelName);
        }
    
    iConsole->Getch();
    iConsole->Printf(_L("\nSelect model from 1 to %d\n"),iDriver->NumModels());
    iConsole->Printf(_L("\nSelecting... %d\n"),iDriver->NumModels());
    iConsole->Printf(_L("\nPrinter driver properties:\n"));

    // Create a printer device      
    iDevice=NULL;
    entry=iDriver->Model(iDriver->NumModels()-1);
    TRAP(ret,iDevice=iDriver->CreatePrinterDeviceL(entry.iUid));
    if ( ret == KErrNone )
        {
        iConsole->Printf(_L("PDR device: %d\n"),iDevice);
        iConsole->Printf(_L("No. of typefaces: %d\n"),iDevice->NumTypefaces());
        iConsole->Printf(_L("Model name: %S\n"),&(iDevice->Model().iModelName));
        iConsole->Getch();
        
        TPageSpec pagespec(TPageSpec::EPortrait,KA4PaperSizeInTwips);
        iDevice->SelectPageSpecInTwips(pagespec);
    
        }   

Creating a Printer Driver using pdr files