7.4

Though some error messages are specific to a task in particular, others may apply to any and all tasks because they are
related more to the system than to PlanetPress itself. Some examples would be W3813, W3830, W3991, W4005. These cor-
respond to issues such as not having any space to write files, permission errors on folders or files, etc.
External Program
External Program action tasks are used to launch and execute other programs, which can be useful when you wish to process
your job file in a way that is not possible with the standard PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools tasks.
As with any task that can refer to network resources, it is important to understand the considerations involved with
paths and permissions of these resources. Please refer to the Network Considerations page in the Advanced Con-
figuration and Options chapter (Reference Guide, in English only).
There are some important things to consider when using the External Program Action Task:
l The executable file must accept so-called "command-line options" and be able to run without any sort of user inter-
action. Only certain programs are able to do this and may refer to it as "command-line"or "automation"features.
l The process will always wait for the executable file to finish before it continues to the next task, and does not have any
timeout setting. This mean that if your program fails to exit for any reason, your process will hang.
Input
Any active data file, in any format.
Processing
The external program is executed using the parameters provided. Note that the current data file is not "sent"to the executable
file, however you can refer to the full path of the data file using %F.
Output
If the external program modifies the job file using the full path, the modified file is the output of this software. Otherwise, the
output is the same as the input. Metadata is not modified in any way. Job Infos may be modified, depending on the options set
in the task's properties.
External Program action task properties are as follows:
General tab
l Program group
l Executable file: Enter the name and path of an executable file (exe or com extension), batch file (bat exten-
sion), or command script (cmd extension) that can run in command mode. Note that the program will be run
without user interaction. Although it may display progress information, it is better if the application has no user
interface.
l Parameters: Enter parameters that will be passed to the external program when it is launched. Each param-
eter should be enclosed in quotation marks and separated by a space ("Param1""Param2" "Param3") except
command line options (such as -f, /n). The exact parameters accepted are unique to the executable and defined
in its documentation if it exists.
l Start in: Enter the folder in which the external program is to run. This is important, for example, if the program
is to generate files that are to be picked up in a specific location for further processing, or if it requires resources
that are located in a specific folder. Leave blank to run the program in the folder of the executable file.
l Run minimized: Select to prevent a window (a DOS box, for instance) from being displayed on the desktop.
When selected, the program runs in a background window.