DOCUMENT:Q75380  11-MAY-2001  [win16sdk]
TITLE   :INFO: Using the DRAWPATTERNRECT Escape in Windows
PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWin95 kbDSupport kbSDKWin16

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The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1 
 - Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), used with:
    - Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 
    - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 
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SUMMARY
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The DRAWPATTERNRECT escape is implemented by the PCL/HP driver for
Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet printers and compatibles. The escape is used to
draw a patterned rectangle without using the graphics banding bitmap. Using this
escape can enhance the performance for many applications, particularly when a
majority of users have LaserJet-compatible printers.

MORE INFORMATION
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The HP LaserJet Plus and all later LaserJets implement a command called a rule.
A rule is a rectangle filled with some pattern, such as a black rule, a
quasi-halftone gray scale, or a hatch pattern.

The output does not go through the graphics banding bitmap (it is actually sent
to the printer in the text band). The DRAWPATTERNRECT escape can be used to
print line and block graphics in the text band without using graphics banding at
all. Because many applications use only horizontal and vertical lines or blocks,
this is a significant optimization.

An application should determine support for rules using the QUERYESCSUPPORT
escape. In particular, the application should not check for the PCL/HP driver,
since other page printer drivers may implement the escape as well.

There are some limitations to the escape. First, rules drawn with DRAWPATTERNRECT
are not subject to clipping regions in the Device Context (DC). Second, rules
cannot be opaqued; no white pixel in the graphics band will erase a pixel drawn
by a rule (the same limitation occurs for PCL text). Once a rule is drawn, it
cannot be erased.

If these limitations are acceptable, if all graphics on the page are likely to be
horizontal and vertical lines, and if a significant number of users are expected
to have LaserJet-type printers (which is the case for most Windows-based
applications), the DRAWPATTERNRECT escape should be used.

If for any reason DRAWPATTERNRECT cannot be used, then the application should
generally use the PatBlt function. If the device is a plotter, the Rectangle
function should be used. In the case of the PatBlt function, if a black
rectangle is to be printed, the BLACKNESS raster operator (ROP) should be used
to avoid the overhead of selecting and later deselecting a black brush into the
printer DC.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.10 3.50 4.00 HPPCL HP-PCL win16sdk

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Keywords          : kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWin95 kbDSupport kbSDKWin16 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbSDKSearch kbWin32sSearch kbWin32API kbWinSDKSearch
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51
Issue type        : kbinfo

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