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.
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.
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).
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.
General Tab
- Folder: 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.
- 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 sub-directories also: 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 infos 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 PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools working folders under the "Backup" folder.
- Backup filename: Enter the filename 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 filename (excluding path but including extension) of the file name that is captured. Equivalent to using the %o system variable.
- %2 - Folder: Contains the folder from which the data was captured.
On Error Tab
By default, any action task, branch, splitter or condition that generates an error will simply be ignored, and the task just under it (not within a branch) will be given control of the job file without any modification. Any initial input task that generates an error will stop the process from running as a whole, and output tasks will not generate output. The On Error tab can be used to overwrite the default behaviors.
- Send to Process: Check this option to send the job file to an error management process.
- Error Process drop-down: Enabled only when the Send to Process option is checked. Lists any process of which the initial input task is the Input Error Bin task.
- Action Group: This group is disabled in the initial input tasks and defaults to Stop Process. In all other tasks where the On Error tab is present, the following options are available:
- Ignore: The task is ignored as if it did not exist, and the job file is passed on to the next task in the process.
- Stop Branch: If the task is in a branch of the process, the branch is stopped and the job file is returned to the process after the branch. The branch will not produce any output.
- Stop Process: The process is stopped and no more processing is done. No further output is produced.
- Log Message: Check this option to enable logging a custom error message in the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools' log file.
- Message: Enabled only when the Log Message option is checked. Enter a message that will be logged in the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools' log file. You can use any variables available in PlanetPress Workflow to customize the message.
- Store the message in variable: Select in which jobinfo, local or global variable you want to store the message content.
- ID: Enter an error ID. This ID will be visible in the Windows Event Viewer. However, the ID is not visible in the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tools' log file.
- Store the ID in variable: Select in which jobinfo, local or global variable you want to store the error ID.
- Reset to defaults: Resets all options in this tab to their default values.
If storing the message or ID, if they are store in a jobinfo they will be available in any error handling process where errors are being forwarded. In all cases, if your process continues after the error, the contents of the variables selected in this window will be available for the rest of your process, or whenever they are overwritten.
Common Errors
Though some error messages are specific to a task in particular, others may apply to any and all tasks because they are related more to the system than to PlanetPress itself. Some examples would be W3813, W3830, W3991, W4005. These correspond to issues such as not having any space to write files, permission errors on folders or files, etc.
Comments Tab
The Comments tab, added in PlanetPress Suite 7.5, is common to all tasks. It contains a single 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.