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Table Of Contents
- Other Documentation
- Understanding PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools
- Key Concepts
- PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools
- The Origins of PlanetPress Watch
- The Nature of PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools
- Configurations and Processes
- More on PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools and How They Work
- The Configuration and its Processes
- Tasks
- More on PlanetPress Suite Services
- PlanetPress Design and PlanetPress Workflow Tools
- Data
- Data File and Job File
- Job File Names and Output File Names
- Error Handling Tools
- PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools and Printing
- The PlanetPress Suite Workflow
- Date and Time Format
- Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express® and MAPI
- Key Concepts
- The PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools Configuration Program
- Key Concepts
- Detailed Directions
- Start the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool Configuration Program
- Choose the Account to be Used by your PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool
- Control Access to the Locally Installed Services
- Exit the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool Configuration Program
- Create a New Configuration
- Open a PlanetPress Suite Configuration File
- Reopen a Configuration File
- Add a PlanetPress Suite Process
- Import Processes from Another Configuration File
- Save a Configuration
- Use Online Help
- Rename Objects in the Configuration Components Area
- Expand and Collapse Categories and Groups in the Configuration Components Area
- Cut, Copy and Paste Objects in the Configuration Components Area
- Reorder Objects in the Configuration Components Area
- Group and Ungroup Objects in the Configuration Components Area
- Delete Objects and Groups from the Configuration Components Area
- Undo a Command
- Redo a Command
- View Document Properties
- Edit Properties in the Object Inspector
- Select a Process
- Resize Rows and Columns of the PlanetPress Suite Process Area
- Zoom In or Out within the PlanetPress Suite Process Area
- Highlight a Task or Branch
- Resize the Program Window Areas
- Show or Hide Areas of the Program Window
- Dock and Undock Areas of the Program Window
- Combine and Attach Areas
- Configurations, Processes and Tasks
- Configuration Management
- Opening and Importing Configurations and Processes
- Users and Configurations
- Anatomy of a Process
- Configurations, Processes and Flowcharts
- Design Versus Debug Mode
- Tasks as Plugins
- Task Properties Dialog Boxes
- Variable Properties
- Standard Variables
- Job Information Elements and Job Info Variables
- Custom Variables
- Selecting Documents in Tasks
- Sending Job Info Variables to Output Devices
- Working with Tasks in the PlanetPress Process Area
- Adding Branches
- Detailed Directions
- Adding Tasks
- Editing Tasks or Branches
- Adding Comments
- Replacing Tasks, Conditions, Branches or Comments
- Removing Tasks and Branches
- Cutting and Pasting, or Copying and Pasting Tasks and Branches
- Moving Tasks, Branches and Comments Using Drag-and-Drop
- Duplicating Tasks, Branches and Comments Using Drag-and-Drop
- Copying and Pasting Properties between Task, Conditions or Comments
- Disabling and Enabling Tasks and Branches
- Data in PlanetPress Watch
- Input Tasks
- Detailed Directions
- Email Input Task Properties
- Folder Listing Input Task Properties
- Folder Capture Input Task Properties
- FTP Input Task Properties
- HTTP Client Input Task Properties
- HTTP Server Input Task Properties
- Create File Input Task Properties
- LPD Input Task Properties
- Serial Input Task Properties
- Telnet Input Task Properties
- WinQueue Input Task Properties
- Detailed Directions
- Output Tasks
- PlanetPress Fax
- PlanetPress Image
- Action Tasks
- Detailed Directions
- Advanced Search and Replace Action Task Properties
- Database Action Task Properties
- PrintForm Action Task Properties
- PrintShop Mail Action Task Properties
- Rename Action Task Property
- Run Script Action Task Properties
- Search and Replace Action Task Properties
- Send Images to Printer Action Task Properties
- Send to Folder Action Task Properties
- Set Variables Action Task Properties
- Standard Filter Action Task Properties
- Translator Action Task Properties
- Windows Print Converter Action Task Properties
- Create Metadata Action Task Properties
- Create PDF Action Task Properties
- In-Stream Splitter Action Task Properties
- Load External File Action Properties
- PDF Splitter Action Task Properties
- Send to Process Action Task Properties
- Emulated Data Splitter Action Task Properties
- XML Splitter Action Task Properties
- Database Splitter Action Task Properties
- Generic Splitter Action Task Properties
- Add Document Action Properties
- Add/Remove Text Action Properties
- Change Emulation Action Task Properties
- Create VDX Action Task Properties
- Decompress Action Task Properties
- Digital Imaging Action Task Properties
- Digital Signature Action Task Properties
- Download to Printer Action Task Properties
- External Program Action Task Properties
- Loop Action Task Properties
- Open XSLT Action Task Properties
- Detailed Directions
- Using Conditions
- Using Scripts
- Printer Queues and Documents
- Detailed Directions
- LPR Output Printer Queue Properties
- Windows Output Printer Queue Properties
- FTP Output Printer Queue Properties
- Send to Folder Printer Queue Properties
- Printer Queue Advanced Properties
- Import Documents
- Import PrintShop Mail Documents
- Add Resident Documents in the Configuration Components Area
- Associate Documents and PlanetPress Watch Printer Queues
- Print a Test Page
- Manually Update Documents
- Detailed Directions
- Scheduling PlanetPress Watch Processes
- Advanced Configurations and Options
- Key Concepts
- Service Options Versus Properties
- Languages
- Detailed Directions
- Delete Images From Your Virtual Drive
- Editor Options
- LPR Output User Options
- Network Ports Settings
- Change Languages
- Change your User Options
- Change your Script Editor or XSLT Editor User Options
- General User Options
- Object Inspector User Options
- Configuration Components Area User Options
- Default Configuration User Options
- Notification Messages User Options
- Sample Data User Options
- Logging User Options
- Network User Options
- HTTP Server Input User Options
- LPD Input User Options
- Serial Input Service User Options
- Telnet Input User Options
- FTP Output Service User Options
- Error Handling
- Debugging PlanetPress Watch Processes
- Sending and Running a Configuration
Output tasks can save text files to an archive folder, send data to PostScript printers where resident
PlanetPress Design documents are waiting, create PDF files, send mails or faxes, etc.
Data flowing through PlanetPress Watch/Server can be used in the documents created with the help of
PlanetPress Design, but it can also be used in other PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools tasks. A Send Email
output task may, for instance, take sending addresses from the data at runtime.
Let us imagine a process that includes the following tasks:
A) An input task that receives data from a given data sources. B) An action task that splits the large data file received
by the input task into smaller, more usable files (ones that only contain information on individual clients, for example).
C) An output task that uses the data from the file created by the action task and that merges it with a PlanetPress
Design document to create a PDF document that is sent via email. D) An output task that sends the data from the file
created by the action task to a printer where it is merged with a PlanetPress document and printed.
When data is received by the serial port identified in the input task, it is saved by the PlanetPress Suite
Workflow Tool. The input file thus created is then handed down to the action task that splits it and generates
multiple files. Those files are then handed down to both output tasks. If the input task receives a file that
contains information on ten clients, for example, the action task will typically create ten client-specific data
files, and the output tasks will both be repeated ten times. Once for every client-specific file and thus once for
each client. The illustration below is a representation of this example.
A) Data is received and a “multi-record” data file enters the process. B) The process comes to a branching and an exact
copy of the input file is sent down each branch. C) “Single-record” data files are typically created by the Splitter action
task. Each file then travels to the output tasks.
Another thing that you should never forget is that PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools cannot work without a
valid configuration and that a PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools session running on a given computer can only
use one configuration at a time. Once you have created a configuration, you must “send” it to either
PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools. When you do this, your PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool forgets its previous
configuration and starts executing the tasks included in the new configuration.
PlanetPress Suite and its Related Programs and Services
PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools come with a number of other programs. The most important is the
PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool Configuration program. It is a configuration interface to the PlanetPress Suite
Workflow Tools. It lets you create processes and tasks and thus define configurations.
PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools can use other programs included in the PlanetPress Suite, such as:
PlanetPress Fax Used to generate faxes that are sent via a faxing program, such as WinFax PRO or
Windows Fax.
PlanetPress
Image
Used to generate image files, such as PDFs, JPEGs or TIFFs.
Understanding PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools - Key Concepts
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