Printing interface for a computer platform

A printing interface embodied on one or more computer readable storage media, comprising:

• a first group of objects to manage print jobs;
• a second group of objects to configure a print server;
• a third group of objects to control access to at least one printing component;
• and
• a fourth group of objects to manage extensible print server properties, the print server properties being defined both as properties of managed printing objects and as attribute-value pair objects that are associated with managed printing objects through collection objects of the managed printing objects, the defining of the print server properties by attribute-value pair objects enabling the print server properties to be independent of a print server operating system, and the print server properties further being accessed through getters and setters of the managed printing objects for the properties and through the collection objects based on attribute names included in the attribute-value pair objects.
• wherein the properties of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects are linked such that an update made to one of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects is reflected with the other of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects.

A computer system including one or more processors and one or more software programs, the one or more software programs utilizing an application program interface to request printing services, the application program interface including separate commands to request services comprising:

• a first group of services to configure a print server, wherein configuring the print server includes managing extensible print server properties, the print server properties being defined both as properties of managed printing objects and as attribute-value pair objects that are associated with managed printing objects through collection objects of the managed printing objects, the defining of the print server properties by attribute-value pair objects enabling the print server properties to be independent of a print server operating system, and the print server properties further being accessed through getters and setters of the managed printing objects for the properties and through the collection objects based on attribute names included in the attribute-value pair objects;
• and
• a second group of services to control access to at least one printing component coupled to the print server,
• wherein the properties of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects are linked such that an update made to one of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects is reflected with the other of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects.

A method comprising:

• managing a print server associated with a print queue by calling first functions from a programming interface, the managing including managing extensible print server properties, the print server properties being defined both as properties of managed printing objects and as attribute-value pair objects that are associated with managed printing objects through collection objects of the managed printing objects, the defining of the print server properties by attribute-value pair objects enabling the print server properties to be independent of a print server operating system, and the print server properties further being accessed through getters and setters of the managed printing objects for the properties and through the collection objects based on attribute names included in the attribute-value pair objects,
• wherein the properties of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects are linked such that an update made to one of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects is reflected with the other of the managed printing objects and the attribute-value pair objects;
• and
• calling at least one function from the programming interface to
• facilitate managing the print queue by calling second functions;
• or
• facilitate providing print jobs to the print queue by calling third functions.