PPML Testing

The Print On Demand Initiative (PODi) has developed an XML-based, industry standard variable data mark-up language that is the only open standard for variable data printing available today. Personalized Print Markup Language (PPML) provides an efficient means to send complex variable print jobs with high graphical content to digital print workflows. PPML provides a mechanism for defining reusable objects that can be cached in the consumer and then referenced by each page in a variable print job. This facility has the potential to dramatically reduce the time it takes to transmit and print jobs that could contain millions of pages.

PPML provides a hierarchical set of XML elements to define the documents in a set, the pages in a document, a number of rectangular regions in each page (called Marks), and a set of objects used by each Mark to render pixels on the page. Objects can be defined inline or as external objects, and can be any data format registered with IANA, although from a practical perspective PostScript/EPS, PDF, TIFF, and JPG are the most commonly used data formats. PPML can be used to position, transform, and clip objects, as well as define an object as reusable.

Testing native print implementations of PPML requires more than the application test pages and the PODi Interoperability Test Suite. In response to customer requests, QualityLogic has developed the state-of-the-art Comprehensive Functional Test Suite (PPML-CFTS) for PPML 2.1/2.2. This test suite is already in use by major OEMs of commercial digital print systems and answers the need for testing the full scope of the PPML specification.

QualityLogic’s PPML Comprehensive Functional Test Suite tests the breadth of the PPML specification. It exercises mandatory PPML Document, Page Markup and Resource elements, and includes Error Condition Tests for likely errors caused by PPML producers. The PPML CFTS complements the PODi PPML Interoperability Test Suite by exercising PPML commands to greater depth and applying more practical application of PPML commands.

Benefits:

Over 400 test cases combining functional and contents tests
Tests elements and attributes documented in PPML version 2.1 and 2.2 specifications
Test case design is constrained to stay within the bounds of the Graphic Arts conformance subset requirements
Packaging for transport to the consuming device follows the recommendations for the Zip format documented in the appendices of the PPML specification.