(a2ps.info)Using Delegations

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2.2.3 Using Delegations
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a2ps can decide that a2ps itself is not the right tool to do what you
want.  In that case it delegates the task to other programs.  What you
should retain from this, is, _forget that there are delegations_.
Indeed, the interface with the delegations has been designed so that you
don't need to be aware that they exist to use them.  Do as usual.

   As an example, if you need to print a PostScript file, just hit:
     gargantua ~ $ a2ps article.ps -d
     [article.ps (ps, delegated to PsNup): 7 pages on 4 sheets]
     [Total: 8 pages on 4 sheets] sent to the default printer

   While honoring your defaults settings, a2ps delegates the task to put
two virtual pages per physical page to 'psnup', a powerful filter part
of the famous 'psutils' by Angus Duggan.

   Suppose now that you want to display a Texinfo file.  Then, provided
you have all the programs a2ps needs, just hit
     gargantua ~ $ a2ps a2ps.texi -P display
     [a2ps.texi (texinfo, delegated to texi2dvi): 75 pages on 38 sheets]
     [Total: 76 pages on 38 sheets] sent to the printer `display'

   Once the read documentation, you know you want to print just pages 10
to 20, plus the cover.  Just hit:
     gargantua ~ $ a2ps a2ps.texi --pages=1,10-20 -d
     [a2ps.texi (texinfo, delegated to texi2dvi): 13 pages on 7 sheets]
     [Total: 14 pages on 7 sheets] sent to the default printer

   A final word: compressed files can be treated in the very same way:
     gargantua ~ $ a2ps a2ps.texi.gz -a1,10-20 -d
     [a2ps.texi (compressed, delegated to Gzip-a2ps): 13 pages on 7 sheets]
     [Total: 14 pages on 7 sheets] sent to the default printer

   You should be aware that:
   - the option '-Z' enables the delegations if they are not (see
     '--list=defaults' for your settings);

   - the set of delegations is customizable, to know the delegations
     your a2ps knows, consult 'a2ps --list=delegations'.