Program, recording medium, information processing apparatus, and printing data processing method

An apparatus for executing in a group printer driver, processing a general printing file containing document data and printing instruction information, the printing instruction information including defined information defining a setting of a group printer related with a plurality of member printers, and of controlling a plurality of member printers based on defined information of the plurality of member printers to execute a printing process via respective member printer drivers the apparatus comprising:

• determination means for, when a printing instruction is received from any one of a plurality of applications, determining whether the printing instruction is a printing instruction from a first application which can edit the general printing file by modifying the document data contained in the general printing file according to an editing instruction given by a user and which outputs the edited general printing file, or a printing instruction on the basis of a drawing instruction issued from a second application;
• first processing means for receiving the general printing file from the first application and of controlling the plurality of member printers via the respective member printer drivers to execute printing on the basis of the document data and printing instruction information contained in the general printing file from the first application without generating the document data and printing instruction information if it is determined in said determination step that the received printing instruction is the printing instruction from the first application;
• and
• second processing means for generating document data and printing instruction information on the basis of the drawing instruction from the second application and controlling the plurality of member printers via the respective member printer drivers to execute printing on the basis of the generated document data and printing instruction information if it is determined in said determination step that the received printing instruction is the printing instruction from the second application.

A data processing method of processing a general printing file containing document data and printing instruction information, the printing instruction information including defined information defining a setting of a group printer related with a plurality of member printers, and of controlling a plurality of member printers based on defined information of the plurality of member printers to execute a printing process via respective member printer drivers, the method comprising:

• a determination step of, when a printing instruction is received from any one of a plurality of applications, determining whether the printing instruction is a printing instruction from a first application which can edit the general printing file by modifying the document data contained in the general printing file according to an editing instruction given by a user and which outputs the edited general printing file, or a printing instruction on the basis of a drawing instruction issued from a second application;
• a first processing step of receiving the general printing file from the first application and of controlling the plurality of member printers via the respective member printer drives to execute printing on the basis of the document data and printing instruction information contained in the general printing file from the first application without generating the document data and printing instruction information if it is determined in said determination step that the received printing instruction is the printing instruction from the first application;
• and
• a second processing step of generating document data and printing instruction information on the basis of the drawing instruction from the second application and controlling the plurality of member printers via the respective member printer drivers to execute printing on the basis of the generated document data and printing instruction information if it is determined in said determination step that the received printing instruction is the printing instruction from the second application.