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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
Data can also be changed using the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools. You can use an Action task to perform
search and replace operations on the data, to change the data emulation, or the data character set.
When data is pulled in via an input task it is stored in an internal data file, called a job file, that is handed
down from task to task. Data can originate from a variety of sources and come in a variety of formats. For
example input sources might be UNIX systems dispatching print jobs or various types of databases which are
queried. Examples of formats are plain ASCII files, CSV files, and database files through any ODBC compatible
data source.
Note that null characters present in the data may not be displayed properly when using the PlanetPress Suite
Workflow Tools Configuration program, and that they may also be printed differently by different printers. To
ensure consistency, you should consider filtering out such characters.
You add data selections to tasks using the same Data Selector and emulation types as in PlanetPress Design
(with the exception of User Defined emulations, which are not available in the PlanetPress Suite Workflow
Tools). A scaled-down version of the Data Selector, called the File Viewer, can also be used when you don’t
need an emulation.
You can also change the emulation during the course of the process by adding a Change Emulation action
task. You might do this, for example, if you are retrieving data files from multiple sources in a single
PlanetPress Suite process. For example a print job sent from a UNIX system may require Line printer
emulation, while a Comma Separated Value file retrieved via FTP may require CSV emulation.
About Binary Data
PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools are designed to process text files (files that contain bytes of value 4, 8 to
13, 32 to 126 and 128 to 255). Results are not guaranteed when tasks are used to process binary files.
Data and Emulation in PlanetPress Design and PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools
Emulations are like filters that can be used to read the data. When you create a document in PlanetPress
Design, you choose a sample data file and specify the emulation to use for the chosen data. The emulation
setting you choose will typically always be associated with that document. If you choose a CSV (comma
separated values) file and specify the corresponding emulation, for instance, commas encountered in the data
will typically be considered as value separators.
Every PlanetPress Design document is associated with an emulation that allows it to read the data correctly
and thus to perform the merging process successfully. When a PlanetPress Design document created for data
formatted using the line printer emulation receives data files formatted using the CSV emulation, for instance,
the results are less than perfect. So whatever processing takes place in the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools,
the data always remains in its original format.
Change Emulation Tasks
Why would you want to add a Change Emulation action task in a PlanetPress Suite process? You may need to
do this, for instance, if your process includes a secondary input task.
When you choose a sample data file and an emulation in your PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool Configuration
program, you are in fact doing two related but very different things:
• You are loading data that will be used as test data to help you create your process in your PlanetPress
Suite Workflow Tool Configuration program.
• You are telling the tasks in your PlanetPress Suite process how the data included in the files they will
receive is structured.
So if you add a secondary input task that pulls in data that is not structured like the data pulled in by the
initial input task, you must add a Change Emulation action task to tell the tasks that follow it how the new
data is structured.
Understanding PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools - Key Concepts
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