For Personalized Print Markup Language V2.1/2.2
PPML Comprehensive Functional Test Suite

Personalized Print Markup Language

The 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.

The PPML CFTS

QualityLogic's PPML Comprehensive Functional Test Suite (CFTS) consists of over 400 test cases that produce device-independent test results. This test suite incorporates features common to both QualityLogic’s Functional Test Suite and Comprehensive Evaluation Test for a PDL. This creates a new class of product with enhanced testing of PPML, the Comprehensive Functional Test Suite (CFTS) for PPML 2.1/2.2.

The following characteristics have been incorporated:

• 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.

Test Cases

The PPML CFTS represents a systematic and practical use of PPML commands by employing a large content library of fonts, PS fragments, EPS, TIFF, JPG, and PDF files for test case development. The design is modular so the suite can be expanded to support new file formats as they emerge.

The PPML CFTS is broken down in the following sections: Markup Tests, Conformance Level 2 Tests, and Error Condition Tests.

• Markup Tests rigorously exercise the breadth of PPML elements and attributes. Specific tests include:
  
  Attribute Combination Tests demonstrate the functionality of attributes by applying various combinations
  
  Attribute Range Tests demonstrate the range of supported values for attributes
  
  Attribute Default Value Tests confirm that the specified default values are used for optional attributes
  
  Child Element Combination Tests demonstrate the use of 1st descendent child elements as described below
  
  Special Tests perform complex interactions and make specific declarations that are not covered in the above standard tests and error and syntax related tests
  
  The following PPML Markup commands are tested:
  01 – PPML Element
  02 – Document_Set and Job Elements
  03 – Document
  04 – Page
  05 – Mark
  06 – Conformance Element
  07 – Supplied_Resources Element
  08 – Supplied_Resource Element
  09 – Internal_Data Element
  10 – External_Data Element
  11 – Required_Resources Element
  12 – Processor Element
  13 – Supplied_Resource_Ref Element
  14 – Page_Design
  15 – Private_Info Element
  16 – Reusable_Object Element
  17 – Object Element
  18 – Source Element
  19 – External_Data_Array Element
  20 – View Element
  21 – Transform Element
  22 – Clip_Rect_Element
  23 – Occurrence_List_Element
  24 – Occurrence_Element
  25 – Occurrence_Ref
  
  
• Conformance Level 2 Tests focus on capabilities unique to PPML’s Conformance Level 2:
  
  Definition of global reusable objects
  
  Use of the Font child element in Required_Resources
  
  Use of URIs pointing to content outside of the package
  
  
• Error Condition Tests focus on error conditions explicitly noted in the PPML specification and those that seem very likely in PPML producer applications.

For more information on this and our other testing products, send an email to tools@qualitylogic.com, or call 1-800-436-6292 ext. 107 (US toll free) or +1-805-531-9030 ext. 107.

PPML Page Markup Tests for Graphic Arts Conformance
Level 1 Set

Graphic Arts Conformance
Level 2 Tests

Uses various content data including JPEG, TIFF v6.0, PDF v1.3 and PostScript 3

Error Condition Tests for likely errors caused by PPML producers

Exercises mandatory PPML Document, Page Markup and Resource elements

Over 400 test cases combining functional and contents tests

First test suite for PPML to test the breadth of the specification

Complements the PODi PPML Test Suite by exercising PPML commands to greater depth and applying more practical application of PPML commands