Output Tasks
Output tasks are exits from PlanetPress Workflow processes. They can be used to send data to specific devices, such as printers, applications, such as email software, or locations, such as folders. A single process can include multiple branches, each one terminated by an Output task, and so a single process may generate output via a variety of Output tasks.
Typically, whenever a PlanetPress Workflow Output task sends output to an output device, application or location, it considers its job finished. When it sends data to a printer, for example, it does not wait for the document to have finished printing to consider its job done. In the same fashion, an Email Output task is completed once PlanetPress Workflow has sent its message to the email software, not when the email has actually been sent from the software. And in the case of a PlanetPress Image Output task, PlanetPress Workflow considers its job done once it has sent its request to PlanetPress Image, not once PlanetPress Image has finished generating the actual image file.
Other tasks available in PlanetPress Workflow can also be used to generate output, such as Digital Action, Create VDX and PrintForm Action tasks. Unlike Output tasks, Action tasks are only considered completed once the output file has been generated. In the case of a Digital Action Action task, for example, PlanetPress Workflow will consider the task completed only once the image file has actually been created. This means that no other task from the same process can be performed in the meantime. For more information on those tasks, refer to Action Tasks.
Send to Folder tasks, which are considered as Action and Output tasks, are documented in the current chapter.