Enabling access to supported capabilities of printers prior to installing printer specific software for the printers

摘要

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of a printer. During operation the system obtains on an electronic device a set of supported capabilities from the printer. Next the system provides to a user of the electronic device the set of supported capabilities within a workflow for using the printer without installing printer specific software for the printer. Upon detecting a selection of a supported capability from the provided set of supported capabilities by the user the system determines if the supported capability requires the printer specific software. If the supported capability does not require the printer specific software the system enables use of the supported capability by the user without using the printer specific software to provide the supported capability to the user. If the supported capability requires the printer specific software the system uses the printer specific software to provide the supported capability to the user.