7.3

l Local and Global Variables. See "Manipulate Local Variables" (page 42).
l Job Infos. See "Job Info Variables" (page 95).
l Data and Metadata Selections. See "Data Selections in PlanetPress Workflow Tools" (page 98).
l Printer Control Characters. See "Printer Queue Advanced Properties" (page 213). These are normally only used in
printer outputs.
Variable propertiescan also be used in these special locations:
l In the Set Job Infos and Variables Action Task. See "Set Job Infos and Variables" (page 138).
l In Scripts. See the chapter on "Using Scripts" (page 229).
l In the Create File Input Task. See "Create File" (page 107).
l Within a PlanetPress Design Document, using the ExpandString()PlanetPressTalk function.See the PlanetPress Design
User Guide and PlanetPress Talk Reference Guide.
Variable properties can also be mixed, meaning you can combine, within a single variable property box, any number and
order of variable types. You can, for example, do the following for an output file name: %O_@(1,1,1,30, KeepCase,Trim)_
%y-%m-%d.txt. This would translate in the original filename, followed by part of the first line of a text data file, then the cur-
rent date.
Contextual Menu
In any variable properties box, you may use the contextual (right-click) menu to add variables and control characters, as well
as to get data and make data selections. The lower part of the contextual menu is divided into 4 items that provide variable
properties:
l Variables
l System: Contains system variables, also called "Standard Variables" (page 96).
l Job Info: Contains Job Info variables from %1 to %9
l Local Variables: Contains a list of local variables in this process. If no local variables exist, this item is dis-
abled.
l Global Variables:Contains a list of global variables in this configuration. If no global variables exist, this item
is disabled.
l Control Characters:Contains a list of control characters that can be used in printers.
l Get Data Value: Brings up the Data Selector, retrieves the value you select and places it in the variable properties
box. This information becomes static and does not change between each datapage and job file.
l Get Data Location:Brings up the Data Selector and records your selection. The data selection is dynamic, meaning
it will get the data located in the area you choose, every time a new data file passes through it. This is indicated by a
data selection (see "Data Selections in PlanetPress Workflow Tools" (page 98)).
l Get Metadata Value:Brings up the Data Selector with only the Metadata tab visible and lets you select the value
(contents)of a Metadata attribute or field. The result is static and does not change between jobs.
l Get Metadata Location:Brings up the Data Selector with only the Metadata tab visible and lets you select the loca-
tion of the data. The result is variable and changes between jobs.
You can quickly identify variable information that is already present in your variable properties as such:
l A percentage sign identifies standard variables, as well as standard and custom job info variables — %f, for example.
l A backslash indicates a control character — \004, for example.
l An at sign (@) indicates a data selection for emulations other than database — @(1,1,1,1,17,KeepCase,Trim), for
example.
l Field indicates a data selection for a database emulation — field(1,0,0,'Billing_Email',KeepCase,NoTrim), for example.
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