In addition to functioning as a conventional printer, a printer system responds to triggering strings of characters within incoming pages of data by calling upon a meta-command interpreter to execute meta-commands such as "#if . . . #endif," "#for . . . #next," and "#mid . . . " embedded within templates containing data and print commands which describe families of documents or reports. The incoming pages can be stripped of their printer control codes and can be then used as rectangular arrays of characters which control the customization and reduction of the templates into one or more customized documents or reports containing data extracted from the incoming pages inserted at points marked by the "#mid" meta-command and similar meta-commands. A first template, with a "#startform" command, can cause the meta-command interpreter to process subsequent incoming pages against a designated template without the need for further triggering. The system provides global search and replace functions for all incoming pages as well as optional double-byte to single-byte conversion.

The present invention provides a printer capable of separately processing a plurality of print data corresponding to an image to be printed on the same page, each of the print data having an attribute, in accordance with the attribute. The printer has an image, a plurality of video interfaces, a print data integration circuit, and an output mechanism. The image buffer stores each of the print data in accordance with the attribute. Each of the video interfaces reads each of the print data stored in the image buffer. The print data integration circuit integrates the plurality of print data read by the video interfaces into a piece of print data for the same page. The output mechanism outputs the image of the same page based on the print data integrated by the print data integration circuit. Therefore, the plurality of print data can be separately processed and output in accordance with the attribute.

A computer is provided, along with a printer and software. The software causes the computer to change control settings of a printer's marking device while printing on a single page. The computer prepares raster data blocks (RDB) of data for printing a single page. In addition, there are included interspersed raster control block (RCB) data for adjusting the settings of the marking device while printing on the page. While the RCB data is preferably presented between RDB data of different scan lines, the RCB data blocks can change the settings even when printing along a single scan line.

A computer implemented method includes the steps of: a) generating a template PDL (page description language) specification, which includes template data and associated graphic attributes (i.e., graphic states) defining how the template data is to appear on a printed page, and also includes at least one variable data identifier; b) generating a plurality of sub-template PDL specifications, each including sub-template data and associated graphic attributes defining how the sub-template data is to appear on a portion of a printed page; c) interpreting the template specification so as to generate a template bitmap or a plurality of template rendering commands, and during the interpreting step, identifying the variable data identifier; d) saving the template bitmap/rendering commands; e) associating the variable data identifier with the sub-template specifications; f) accessing a first sub-template specification; g) processing the first sub-template specification so as to generate a sub-template bitmap or a plurality of first sub-template rendering commands; h) accessing a copy of the saved template bitmap/rendering commands; i) merging the copy of the template bitmap/rendering commands with the sub-template bitmap/rendering commands so as to provide a first merged bitmap or first merged plurality of rendering commands; j) generating a first merged bitmap from the first merged plurality rendering commands (if necessary); k) accessing a next sub-template specification; l) processing the next sub-template specification so as to generate a next sub-template bitmap or plurality of next subtemplate rendering commands, m) accessing a copy of the saved template bitmap/rendering commands; n) merging the copy of the template bitmap/rendering commands with the next sub-template bitmap/rendering commands so as to provide a next merged bitmap or next plurality of rendering commands; and o) generating a next merge bitmap from the next merged plurality of rendering commands, if necessary. The steps k-o may be repeated, as necessary, to generate a plurality of merged bitmaps.

A computer implemented method for generating a plurality of bit maps suitable for high-speed printing includes the steps of: (a) providing a page description code specification, where the page description code specification defines at least one data area, and the page description code further defines a graphics state corresponding to the data area, where the graphics state including at least one attribute which controls the appearance of data in the data area; (b) interpreting the page description code specification, and during the interpretation step, identifying the data area defined by the page description code specification; (c) upon the identification of the variable data area in step (b), applying the graphics state corresponding to the data area to a set of alphanumeric characters so as to generate a plurality of character bit maps; (d) storing the plurality of character bit maps; (e) retrieving a variable data item from a plurality of variable data items; (f) associating the variable data item with the plurality of character bit maps; (g) generating a variable data bit map for the variable data using the character bit maps; and (h) repeating steps (e) through (g) for remaining variable data items in the plurality of variable data items. Thus, the stored character bit maps are used repeatedly to generate a plurality of variable data bit maps.