Folder Capture

Folder Capture input tasks retrieve files corresponding to a specified file mask, from a specified folder.

Input

Folder Capture retrieves all files corresponding to the specified mask. These files may be of any format, even formats that are not readable by PReS Workflow.

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.

If you create a Folder Capture input task that takes any file it finds in the root folder of one of your hard disks, then PReS Workflow will try to remove all the files located in that folder, including all the system and hidden files. So when using a Folder Capture, be aware of where you are capturing.

Processing

Each file capture by the input is sent down through the process, one at a time. When the file is finished, the process goes back to the input which feeds another file down, as long as there are files in the queue. Once all the files are gone, the task polls the input folder again to see if new files are present and, if so, the process continues with these files. Otherwise, the process ends.

Output

The output to this task is a series of individual files, one after the other. These files are not modified in any way from when they are captured from the source folder.

Task properties

General Tab
  • Folder list: Enter the full path of the folder from which the input files are to be taken.
  • Masks: Enter a single or multiple file names or use file name masks. See Masks.
    • Treat as regular expressions: When ticked, the contents of the Mask field are deemed to be a regular expression . You can specify multiple masks based on regular expressions, separating the regular expressions by a semicolon.
      The checkbox is not ticked by default. Please refer to Regular Expressions for more information.
    No Variable Data can be used inside this field if the Treat as regular expressions option is ticked. The percent sign, the curly brackets and the period are all key elements of the RegEx syntax, therefore they cannot be mixed and matched with Workflow variable data syntax (e.g. %1, ${global.myvar}, etc.). Also, there is no validation of the RegEx being specified.
  • Sort files by: Select a given sorting method to prompt PReS Workflow to sort the files in the source folder before taking them (and thus to take them in a specific order). Select None to let PReS Workflow take the files without sorting them first.
  • Sort order: If you selected a sorting method in the Sort files by box, select the order in which you want the files to be sorted.
  • Use archive attribute: Select to turn on the archive attribute of the data files found in the source folder and to leave them in their original location (i.e. to take copies of the source files). Note that PReS Workflow never takes source files that have their archive attribute turned on (so the source files will not be taken again and again). When this option is turned off, PReS Workflow removes data files from the source location.
  • Capture files in subfolders: Select to capture files from child folders of the source folder as well.
  • Sort directories first: If you selected a sorting method in the Sort files by box, and if you want the folders present in the source folder to be sorted first, select this option. When this option is selected, the chosen Sort order is applied to each separate folder, not across folders. The subfolders themselves are always processed in alphabetical order, regardless of the sort order.
  • Include hidden files: Select if you want any hidden folders or files present in the source folder to be taken as well.
  • Include empty files: Select if you want any empty folders or files present in the source folder to be taken as well.
"Other" Tab
  • Job Information group
    • Information elements: Indicates what Job Info variables are automatically created by the input task.
    • Add lines before first data page: Using the arrows keys you can add any job information directly at the beginning of your data file.
  • Backup input files: Check this to save a copy of each data file that is captured by your input. These files are saved in the PReS Workflow Tools working folders under the "Backup" folder.
    To navigate quickly to the Workflow working folders, press the keyboard shortcut CTRL+ALT+Shift+F4 from within the Workflow configuration tool.
    The number of days to keep backups of jobs processed by input tasks is set per process; see Process properties.
  • Backup filename: Enter the file name that you wish the input data file backup to be saved under.
  • Delete Existing Metadata: Check to remove any Metadata from memory. This option is disabled on initial input tasks, and is checked by default on secondary input tasks.
Job Information definitions
  • %1 - Source File Name. Contains the file name (including the path and extension) of the file name that is captured.
  • %2 - Folder: Contains the folder from which the data was captured.

On Error Tab

For a description of the options on the On Error tab see Using the On Error tab.

Miscellaneous Tab

The Miscellaneous tab is common to all tasks.

It contains a text area (Task comments) that lets you write comments about the task. These comments are saved when the dialog is closed with the OK button and are displayed in The Task Comments Pane.

Check the option Use as step description to display the text next to the icon of the plugin in the Process area.

The tab also provides an option to highlight the task in The Process area with the default color, set in the Preferences (see Colors), or the color selected or defined under Highlight color on this tab.
To revert the selected highlight color to the default color, open this tab, turn the Highlight option off and close the dialog with the OK button; then turn highlighting back on.
Highlighting can also be turned on and off via the task's contextual menu and with the Highlight button on the View ribbon.