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Table Of Contents
the filtered one. However in some cases Metadata does affect your output directly (see "How
Metadata affects the output" below).
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Modifying data does not immediately modify the Metadata. So, if you have a PDF file with
Metadata and you use a PDF splitter, the Metadata information would still reflect the original
data, not the split. This can generally be resolved by using the Create Metadata plugin (again).
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Branches, Conditions and Loops (such as the "PDF Splitter" on page414) do not reset the
Metadata. This is important to know in cases where Metadata does affect your output (see "How
Metadata affects the output" below). Not handling the Metadata properly in such cases can cause
confusing issues because the Metadata and the Data may become out of sync.
How tasks influence Metadata
As a general rule, only Input tasks and Metadata related tasks modify Metadata. There are, however, a
few notable exceptions:
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"Run Script" on page428 tasks can modify Metadata using the "Metadata API" on page162 (see
"Using Scripts" on page117).
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"Create PDF" on page365 has the option to reset your Metadata according to the new PDF file.
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"OL Connect tasks" on page494 can add information, such as record IDs, a record set ID or a
print job ID, to the Metadata. They put it under 'User defined information' on the Job, Group or
Document level.
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The "Barcode Scan" on page357 task can add information to the existing Metadata, and creates
it if there is none.
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The "Capture-Fields generator" on page623, "Capture-Fields processor" on page625, "Capture-
Get document" on page634 and "Capture-Find document" on page631 tasks generate their own
Metadata.
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The "Lookup in Microsof Exce Documents" on page442 enhances Metadata fields with
information from an Excel spreadsheet, but does not otherwise change its structure.
How Metadata affects the output
By default the data file is not affected when the Metadata are modified. There are however a few situ-
ations in which Metadata will or may affect the output.
In OL Connect, output is normally created from records in the Connect database, but options in some
"OL Connect tasks" on page494 make it possible to influence the output via the Metadata.
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The "Execute Data Mapping" on page524 task and "Retrieve Items" on page538 task can output
records in the Metadata.
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