Supersede System.Printing

[deeprobin]

WPF uses the library System.Printing, which is WPF Only, but also contains C++/CLI code.

That we should replace C++/CLI code is generally known. However, my suggestion is to create a new general purpose API for printing. For this I have already created a feature request in dotnet/runtime (see dotnet/runtime#75628).

I would like to get feedback on this API and its use case in WPF.

[miloush]

I don't see any actionable justification. You say the current API is "very legacy and very limited". Can you be a bit more specific and list some problems or features you are missing? With WPF not being cross-platform, rewriting printing to be cross-platform sounds like out of scope for WPF.

[deeprobin]

You say the current API is "very legacy and very limited".

It is. In general, on the one hand the implementation is done in C++/CLI and is still based on many things, which probably wouldn't be done that way nowadays (I don't want to say that COM is bad).

Can you be a bit more specific and list some problems or features you are missing?

There are many things that are not guaranteed in the current library, which I mentioned in my feature request above, such as support for IPP. So a direct implementation that is not strictly based on the Windows APIs.

With WPF not being cross-platform, rewriting printing to be cross-platform sounds like out of scope for WPF.

Of course, WPF is windows-only. However, I think we should find a unified consensus between Winforms, WPF, MAUI and other application areas (such as cross-platform desktop frameworks like Avalonia or UNO).

[wstaelens]

Please first fix this printing bug: #3546
Has been moved to "future" since the first release of .net core. Again it didn't make it in .NET 7, 😠 👿

next #4000

after that #6296

It would help if the team actually fixes (xps/printing) bugs which are open for YEARS already instead of starting new projects and stops halfway.

[deeprobin]

@wstaelens This issue describes a completely new API, which has nothing to do with the current System.Printing.
A unified API for printing, managing printers & co. would make a lot of things easier.