---
name: "XpStartJob"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libxp"
version: "1.0.4-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/XpStartJob"
---

# XpStartJob(3)

Indicates the beginning of a single print job.

## NAME

XpStartJob -  Indicates the beginning of a single print job.

## SYNOPSIS

      cc \[ flag... \] file... -lXp \[ library... \]\
\
       \#include \<X11/extensions/Print.h\>

**void XpStartJob** ( *display,* *output\_mode* )\
\
       Display \**display*;\
\
       XPSaveData *output\_mode*;

## ARGUMENTS

- *display*

  Specifies a pointer to the Display structure; returned from XOpenDisplay.

- *output\_mode*

  Specifies how the printer output data is to be handled.

## DESCRIPTION

XpStartJob signals the beginning of a new print job.

If *output\_mode* is XPSpool the X Print Server will automatically spool the printer output. If *output\_mode* is XPGetData, then the X Print Server buffers the document output for retrieval by XpGetDocumentData. In this case, the print server suspends processing further requests on this print context until some other client sends XpGetDocumentData. Subsequent operations that use the print context may be suspended at any time pending the processing of XpGetDocumentData replies to read any buffered output.

XpStartJob sets the job-owner job attribute (included in the XPJobAttr pool) immediately prior to issuing the PrintStartJob request. On POSIX systems, the job-owner attribute is set using getpwuid\_r on the result of getuid. This attribute may be used by the X Print Server to identify the user to the spooler.

All changes to the XPJobAttr attribute pool (see XpSetAttributes) must be made prior to calling XpStartJob, after which an XPBadSequence will be generated if changes are attempted, until XpEndJob is called.

For clients selecting XPPrintMask (see XpSelectInput), the event XPPrintNotify will be generated with its detail field set to XPStartJobNotify when the X Print Server has completed the PrintStartJob request.

Conceptually, a "Job" is a collection of "Documents", where each Document is in turn a collection of "Pages". Depending on the print facilities underlying the X Print Server, these delineations may be mapped by a DDX driver into real functionality (e.g. see the server attribute multiple-documents-supported).

## STRUCTURES

The XPSaveData values for output\_mode are defined in \<X11/extensions/Print.h\>. :

```
    #define XPSpool               1   /∗ Job data sent to spooler */
    #define XPGetData             2   /∗ Job data via XpGetDocumentData */
```

## DIAGNOSTICS

- BadValue

  The value specified for output\_mode is not valid.

- XPBadContext

  A valid print context-id has not been set prior to making this call.

- XPBadSequence

  The function was not called in the proper order with respect to the other X Print Service Extension calls (example, XpEndDoc prior to XpStartDoc).

## SEE ALSO

**XpEndJob**(3Xp), **XpGetDocumentData**(3Xp), **XpSelectInput**(3Xp), **XpSetAttributes**(3Xp), **XpStartJob**(3Xp)