8.4

Note
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 Configuration and Options chapter (Reference Guide, in English only).
There are some important things to consider when using the External Program task:
l The executable file must accept so-called "command-line options" and be able to run without any sort
of user interaction. 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.
Properties
General tab
l Program group
l Executable file: Enter the name and path of an executable file (exe or com extension), batch file
(bat extension), 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