Create!form Bind Technical Note. Software Version: 6.1 Operating Environment: Windows 2000/2003 Server

Transcription

1 Create!form Bind Technical Note Software Version: 6.1 Operating Environment: Windows 2000/2003 Server

2 Contents 1 Introducing Create!form Bind Overview Installing Create!form Bind Starting Create!form Bind User Guide Conventions Using Create!form Bind Configure Create!form Bind Updates Working with Bind Instructions How the Bind Action Works The Bind Tree Structure Directory Structure Names Sample Scenario Populating Client and Trigger Directories Configuring Bind Instructions Defining the Input Directory Setting Bind Options Setting the Bind Schedule Managing Original Documents Running Create!form Bind Managing Log Files Merging Bound Files Bound PDF Spool Files Bound Text Spool Files Index 23 Create!form Bind 3

3 1 Introducing Create!form Bind This chapter provides an overview on installing and using Create!form Bind. The following topics are covered:! Overview! Installing Create!form Bind! Starting Create!form Bind! User Guide Conventions Create!form Bind 5

4 Chapter 1: Introducing Create!form Bind 1.1 Overview Create!form Bind is a component of the Create!form Distributed Output Management (DOM) system. The Create!form Bind module extends your document control and management options by combining a related group of text or PDF documents into a single file for storing, ing or faxing directly to your client. Create!form Bind works by watching a specified directory and combining all files in that directory using a pre-defined schedule. The bind schedule can be delayed until a trigger for the directory is activated or can automatically occur at a scheduled time, or both options can be specified, depending on the settings you define. Once a bound document is completed, the original documents can be moved to a directory you nominate, and the bound document is sent to the nominated output destination. The output destination can be configured to send documents to a Create!form Server print queue for further processing, or to a nominated directory. To complete the document management cycle, Create!form Server can automatically deliver your completed, merged documents to Create!print, Create! , Create!fax or Create!archive. Please refer to the appropriate user guide for further details. 1.2 Installing Create!form Bind The Create!form installation CD contains the Create!form Bind application which is installed on the Windows e-forms server. Requirements The following is required to install Create!form Bind: Create!form installation CD. Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 Server. Approximately 10 Mb free disk space. It is recommended you install Create!form Bind on the same machine as Create!form Server. 6 Create!form Bind

5 1.3 Starting Create!form Bind Installation To install Create!form Bind: 1. Log on as a user with Administrator rights. 2. Insert the Create!form installation CD. The Create!form install dialog will be displayed. If the setup program does not start automatically, start Windows Explorer and proceed to step 4 below. 3. Click Install Products, then choose Utilities, and then Create!form Bind. The Create!form Bind installation program will be started. 4. Continue through the installation program by pressing Next, and follow the on screen instructions. Once installation is complete, you will return to the Install Products screen. 5. Continue installing additional products if required, or click Main Menu to finish. 6. From the Main menu, click Exit to close the Create!form install program. 1.3 Starting Create!form Bind To start Create!form Bind: From the Windows Start menu, select Programs!Create!form!Utilities!Create!form Bind. Create!form Bind 7

6 Chapter 1: Introducing Create!form Bind 1.4 User Guide Conventions Section headings are listed at the front of each chapter to assist you in finding the relevant information. In the electronic version of this document, clicking on these and other cross references will take you to the appropriate section. The following typographical conventions are used: Convention Bold " Italic Screen text \Folder KEY Convention Usage Screen items, dialog options and buttons. Short-cut reference to a chapter or section within this document. Click on the shortcut to go to the reference. References to other online manuals and technical notes. Commands entered by a user. Path names, directories and file names, e.g. C:\Program Files Keyboard keys. Two or more keys separated by the + symbol indicates that the first key or keys should be held down while pressing the last key, e.g. SHIFT+F1 means hold down the SHIFT key while pressing the F1 key. Additional information relating to the topic. Critical information relating to the use of the product. Item!Sub-Item Numbering (1.) Menu selection; i.e. select the menu Item and then select the Sub- Item from the drop-down list, e.g. File!New. Step-by-step procedures. To perform an action, follow these instructions in the sequential order given. 8 Create!form Bind

7 2 Using Create!form Bind This chapter describes how to configure and use Create!form Bind. The following topics are covered:! Configure Create!form Bind Updates! Working with Bind Instructions! How the Bind Action Works! Configuring Bind Instructions! Managing Log Files! Merging Bound Files Create!form Bind 9

8 Chapter 2: Using Create!form Bind 2.1 Configure Create!form Bind Updates Create!form Bind allows you to define multiple bind instructions to handle a variety of incoming jobs from different directories and using different schedules. At the specified interval (called the Update Period), the Create!form Bind service will examine each of the existing instructions to determine if a scheduled instruction is due to be executed. To specify the Create!form Bind update period: 1. Start Create!form Bind (" Section 1.3). 2. From the Main menu, choose Administration!Update Period. In the dialog displayed, enter the scheduled interval (between 1 and 1440 minutes) for the service to check the schedule of each bind instruction. 3. Click OK to continue. At each interval, Create!form Bind will examine existing instructions to see if the scheduled time for the instruction has been reached. 2.2 Working with Bind Instructions A bind instruction describes the actions to perform as well as the scheduled time that the actions should occur. You can create as many bind instructions as required. To add a new bind instruction: 1. From the Create!form Bind application window, click Add to define a new instruction. 2. Complete each of the instruction fields as described in the following sections (" Section 2.4). 10 Create!form Bind

9 2.2 Working with Bind Instructions 3. Click OK to save the new instruction. Instructions are displayed in the Create!form Bind application window: Figure 2-1: Instruction rows in the Create!form Bind window. 4. To save all new and modified instructions, click the Save button at the bottom of the application window. To modify an existing bind instruction: 1. Select the instruction row you want to modify by clicking on its name. 2. Click Edit to display the Bind Instruction dialog. Make changes to the instruction as required, and click OK to return to the application window. 3. To update Create!form Bind with the changes you have made, click Save in the application window. To delete an existing bind instruction: 1. Select the instruction row you want to delete by clicking on its name. 2. Click Delete. The bind instruction row is deleted. 3. To update Create!form Bind with the changes you have made, click Save in the application window. Create!form Bind 11

10 Chapter 2: Using Create!form Bind 2.3 How the Bind Action Works At the time specified in the bind instruction s schedule (" Section 2.4.3), Create!form Bind automatically binds together all files that exist in a directory. What do you want to know about? The Bind Tree Structure (" Section 2.3.1) Directory Structure Names (" Section 2.3.2) Sample Scenario (" Section 2.3.3) Populating Client and Trigger Directories (" Section 2.3.4) The Bind Tree Structure A tree structure is used to identify the directories that contain the files to be bound (the spool files). The bind instruction specifies the root directory of the spool files (" Section 2.4.1), and Create!form Bind creates one bound document for each subdirectory beneath the input root directory. The following illustration shows a typical tree structure, where Invoices is the input root directory, and GlobeWorld and BestParts are two client subdirectories: Figure 2-2: A typical input root directory containing client subdirectories. Using the above structure, Create!form Bind would generate one bound document for each client all invoices in the BestParts directory bound together into a single document; all invoices in the GlobeWorld directory bound together into a single document Directory Structure Names When specifying the input root directory, it is not necessary to identify the name of each of the subdirectories that will contain files to be bound. This allows you to automate the process of creating and populating client directories (using output from Create!form Director) and ensure that Create!form Bind is able to bind documents from all the directories that are generated. 12 Create!form Bind

11 2.3 How the Bind Action Works Create!form Bind also allows the bind schedule to be delayed until a trigger file is received. A trigger file is placed in the Trigger directory beneath the client s subdirectory. When a bind instruction specifies that binding should only occur if a trigger exists (" Section 2.4.3), binding will not take place at the scheduled time, but will wait until the next scheduled time to ensure the trigger file has been received. The following illustration shows a directory structure, including the trigger directory. If it doesn t already exist, the Trigger directory is automatically created by Create!form Bind the first time the update condition causes the bind service to be activated. Figure 2-3: A typical input root directory containing client and trigger subdirectories. The bind action for each client directory can be triggered by separate trigger files Sample Scenario A common application of Create!form Bind is to bind together all invoices for a client and attach their monthly statement. This would be achieved by delivering each client invoice to the appropriate client directory and delivering the statement document to the trigger directory. When bound, the trigger file (the monthly statement) can be attached as the first part of the bound set, followed by each of the invoices. A single file can then be sent directly to the client summarizing their activities for the month. Figure 2-4: A typical directory structure containing client invoices. Create!form Bind 13

12 Chapter 2: Using Create!form Bind In the above diagram, the statement and all the invoices for BestParts would be bound together as a single document. Similarly, the statement and all invoices for GlobeWorld would be bound together as another single document Populating Client and Trigger Directories To automatically create and populate client subdirectories on the fly, use Create!form Director to distribute documents to a branch of the input root directory using an expression. For example, use an expression similar to the following to automatically create subdirectories that use the company name: use(concat("c:\\clientinvoices\\",trim("@company"))) Use the trim function to strip leading and trailing spaces from data fields to ensure that valid directory names are generated. In expressions, the backslash character must be preceded by a literal character \. To ensure that individual client documents are identifiable and bound in the order you require, create the output file name using an expression. The expression should include identifying information such as an invoice or check number, or the document s date: use(concat(concat("inv",trim("@invno")),".txt")); The above expression will create files named Inv1234.txt where 1234 is the invoice number from the data file. Create!form Bind combines documents in ascending alpha-numeric order according to the document file name (numbers before letters). For more information on defining output destinations and building expressions, refer to the Create!form Director User Guide. 2.4 Configuring Bind Instructions When setting up a new bind instruction, it must first be given an instruction name. The name will be displayed in the list of existing instructions and should describe what the particular instruction is designed to do. For example, an instruction that binds a client s invoices together with their statement for the month could simply be called Monthly Client Set. 14 Create!form Bind

13 2.4 Configuring Bind Instructions Enter the instruction name in the Name field of the Bind Instruction dialog: Figure 2-5: Enter the details for a new bind instruction. In addition to providing the instruction name, Create!form Bind will require the following details for each instruction: The input root directory that will contain the client subdirectories and their documents to be bound (" Section 2.4.1); Bind options that specify the output file name and location (" Section 2.4.2); A schedule to specify when the bind action should occur (" Section 2.4.3); Instructions on how to deal with the original (unbound) documents (" Section 2.4.4). Each of these requirements is discussed in detail in the following sections Defining the Input Directory For each bind instruction, you must specify the Input Root Directory. This identifies the start of the bind tree structure (" Section 2.3.1). Figure 2-6: Identify the input root directory. 1. Click the Browse button adjacent to the Input root directory field. 2. Navigate to the directory that will become the root directory for files to be bound by this instruction. 3. Click OK to continue. Where necessary, the Trigger directory will automatically be created in each subdirectory of the root directory you have selected. Create!form Bind 15

14 Chapter 2: Using Create!form Bind Setting Bind Options The Bind Options section specifies the type of files to be bound and where the resultant bound documents should be output to for each instruction you create. Figure 2-7: Specify bind options for an instruction. To set the bind options: 1. In the File type field, select whether files bound by this instruction are plain text files (choose Txt) or JDE OneWorld PDF files (choose Pdf). 2. When a trigger file (" Section 2.3.2) is used to trigger the bind action, you can elect to have this file bound together with the remaining files by checking the Include trigger in output check box. The trigger file, if included, is always bound to the beginning of the resultant document. 3. In the Output To section, specify whether the final document will be stored on disk in a specified Directory, or sent directly to a print Queue. After making your selection, click the Browse button and select the directory or queue the output should be sent to. To automatically merge bound documents with your custom e-forms, send the output to a Create!form Server print queue. 4. When sending output to a directory location a new file is created that uses the directory name of the original file (for example, the Customer Name). The file extension is either.txt or.pdf depending on the choice you have made in the File type field. Choose how Duplicate Filenames should be handled if they are encountered: Select Replace to update any existing file with the new document the next time a bound document is created for the same directory. 16 Create!form Bind

15 2.4 Configuring Bind Instructions Select Make Unique to create a unique file name for each bound document that occurs for a directory. The file name is determined by the directory name of the original file, followed by a random 10-digit number and either a.txt or.pdf extension. When binding text files, you can also choose to Append new bound documents for the directory to the end of any existing bound document, using the same file-naming conventions. This option is not available for PDF file types. Text file options: In addition to the Bind Options above, you can specify whether text files bound together should be separated by form feeds. 1. From the Main menu, select Administration!File Type Properties!Txt. 2. In the dialog displayed, select the Form Feed between Bound files check box if you want each original document to be separated by a form feed; or clear this check box if you do not require form feeds between documents. 3. Click OK to continue Setting the Bind Schedule The Bind Schedule section is where you nominate the frequency with which binding should take place. The bind action will only occur if the scheduled time has been reached and all other requirements have been met (such as a trigger existing). Figure 2-8: Specify the bind schedule for an instruction. 1. In the Frequency field, choose how often the bind instruction should occur. You can choose from Daily, Weekly or Monthly. You can also choose Continuous to cause binding to occur at intervals specified in minutes. Create!form Bind 17

16 Chapter 2: Using Create!form Bind 2. Depending on the Frequency selected, you will be able to customize your schedule by specifying the Day of Week, Day of Month and Time of Day. For example, you can elect to bind jobs Monthly on the 15th Day of Month at 12:00 midnight. 3. The No. of field is also determined by the Frequency you have selected. For example, you may want to bind every 2nd week by choosing a Weekly Frequency and entering 2 in the No. of Weeks field. 4. When using a Continuous Frequency, specify the interval at which Create!form Bind should check if the instruction is ready to be performed by entering a No. of Minutes. 5. For any frequency other than Continuous, you can choose the date to commence binding on, by clicking the drop-down arrow in the Start Date field. 6. When the Bind only if trigger exists check box is enabled, binding will not occur unless a trigger file exists in the Trigger directory, regardless of the scheduled settings. If this field is disabled, files in the directory will be bound on schedule, whether a trigger file exists or not Managing Original Documents The Original Files section lets you determine how the original (unbound) document files should be managed. Figure 2-9: Specify how the original files should be managed. 1. To remove the original files completely once they have been bound, choose Delete. To automatically move the original documents to a directory you nominate, select Directory, and click the Browse button to select the directory to send the original files to. 18 Create!form Bind

17 2.5 Managing Log Files 2. When sending original files to a directory location, the original file name is used. Choose how Duplicate Filenames should be handled if they are encountered: Select Replace to update any existing file with the new document the next time an original of the same name occurs. Select Make Unique to create a unique file name for each original document. The file name is determined by the original file name, followed by a random 10-digit number and using the original extension. For text files, you can also choose to Append new original documents with the same name to the end of any existing original document, using the same file-naming conventions. This option is not available for PDF file types. When you have finished making your choices for the Bind Instruction, click OK to save your changes. To ensure Create!form Bind is updated with the new details, click the Save button in the main window Running Create!form Bind Once you have defined your bind instructions, the Create!form Bind service will perform checks at the specified Update Interval to see if any instructions require processing. When a scheduled time and/or trigger event occurs for an instruction, the program will automatically bind all documents beneath the defined Input Root Directory and send the results to the nominated Output destination. 2.5 Managing Log Files Create!form Bind records information in various log files to help you trouble-shoot errors and keep a record of activity. Trace Logs The Create!form Bind trace logs record all Create!form Bind activity by maintaining separate daily log files. By default, log files are stored in the \<install dir>\temp directory. The current (today s) log file has the default name Create!form Bind.log. Previous log files have the default name Create!form Bindyyyymmdd.log, where yyyymmdd represents the log file date. All log files can be viewed with a standard text editor such as Windows Notepad. Previous log files are automatically removed according to the Create!stream server clean up options you have defined. Create!form Bind 19

18 Chapter 2: Using Create!form Bind To view the Create!form Bind log files: 1. Start Create!form Bind if it is not already started. 2. From the Main menu, select Log!View Log File. The most recent log file is opened and displayed in Windows Notepad. 3. To view a list of the log files that have been saved from previous days, choose Log!View Log File List from the Main menu. 2.6 Merging Bound Files Once your text or PDF spool files have been bound together into a single spool file document, they will be sent to Create!form Server to be merged with your custom form projects. What do you want to know about? Bound PDF Spool Files (" Section 2.6.1) Bound Text Spool Files (" Section 2.6.2) Bound PDF Spool Files Once a collection of PDF spool files have been bound, they will need to be processed by Create!form Server in order for the merge and bind process to be completed. Create!form Server will merge each of the spool file pages with their correct form projects, based on information contained in the bound document. You will not be able to view the bound files until after merging has been completed. Attempting to open a bound PDF spool file prior to being processed by Create!form Server can result in an error Bound Text Spool Files Text spool files are bound together as a single document in the alphabetical order in which they appear in the bind sub-folders. To be able to merge the text spool file with the appropriate custom form project, Create!form Server will require a job header that identifies the form project to use. 20 Create!form Bind

19 2.6 Merging Bound Files The job header can be included with the spool file by using a JTT to attach header information to the bound file. The header should be attached to the trigger file (which always occurs first when the file is bound), or as a minimum, to the first page of the bound document. If Create!form Server encounters multiple headers in the spool file pages, these will be ignored and will not affect the merge process - only the first occurrence of the header file actually determines the parameters for the job. Refer to the Create!form Server User Guide for further details on specifying form projects in a job header. Create!form Bind 21

20 Index activate with trigger, 18 A B bind instruction, 10 bound documents merging, 20 original files, 18 queue, 16 separate with form feed, 17 bound order, 14 C combine documents, 6 configure, 10 conventions for user guide, 8 Create!form Bind how it works, 12 D destination bound documents, 16 directory automatic names, 12 bind expression, 14 directory names, 12 duplicate filenames, 16 frequency field, 17 F include trigger, 16 input directory, 15 instruction, 14 add, 10 bind on trigger, 18 configure, 14 create new, 15 delete, 11 file type, 16 form feed, 17 modify, 11 name, 15 output destination, 16 save, 11 schedule, 10 interval bind update, 10 log files, 19 I L M merge bound documents, 20 merging bound files, 20 options, 16 order, 14 original documents, 18 overview, 6 O Create!form Bind 23

21 Index P U PDF spool files bound documents, 20 R remove originals, 18 root directory bind instruction, 15 spool files, 12 running, 19 update period, 10 user guide shortcuts, 8 watched directory, 6 W S sample scenario, 13 schedule, 6, 17 bind instruction, 17 frequency, 17 schedule delay, 13 schedule settings, 17 schedule trigger, 13 service update interval, 19 sort bound documents, 14 sort order, 14 text spool files bound documents, 20 tree structure, 12 input root directory, 15 trigger activate bind, 6 trigger directory, 13 create automatically, 15 trigger file, 13 include with bound document, 16 T 24 Create!form Bind