Replacement files  - Advanced automation (6.0)

Replacement files do not apply in the Quite Imposing Plus plug-in.

When automating work, it may be helpful to replace files used to set up a sequence or XML file. The files used include

·         Background files

·         Files for Insert Pages

·         Files for Stick on Text

·         Data source for Variable Data Merge (the replacement must have the same field names)

Replacement files allow you to create a file, typically with the same name as the original file, but in a different folder. You can then tell Quite Hot Imposing to use it. There are two ways to provide a replacement. A command line option, or a folder within a job folder.

·         One or more of the command line options

o   -replacefile filename

o   -replacefile2 filetoreplace replacementfile

o   -replacefilefolder replacementfolder

·         The REPLACE subfolder in a job folder, provided as

o   A folder dragged in the IN folder using Quite Hot Imposing watched folders (the queue must have “Allow job folders” set). This folder contains a REPLACE subfolder.

o   A folder dragging into the input folder in Enfocus Switch (job folders are always allowed). This folder contains a REPLACE subfolder.

o   A folder specified with the -source option in the Quite Hot Imposing command line. This folder contains a REPLACE subfolder.

When you use the command line option -replacefile filename then the file is added to a list. Whenever a file is to be used (background, data source etc.) the list is checked, and the replacement file is used if provided. That is, if the file in the XML or sequence has the same filename part as filename, then the replacement filename is used. The filename must include a directory unless it is in the current directory. If the file does not exist, but it would be used as a replacement, there will be an error.

When you use -replacefile2 filetoreplace replacementfile it is the same except that the original file in the XML or sequence will have the name in filetoreplace but the replacement replacementfile need not have the same name. As with -replacefile, the replacementfile must include a directory unless it is in the current directory, and must exist. But filetoreplace is only scanned to find a file name part; the file does not need to exist. Any file in the XML or sequence with the same name will be replaced.

When you use -replacefilefolder replacementfolder the folder replacementfolder is scanned. All files found there are specified as if with -replacefile filename.

When working with job folders, a folder is placed in the IN folder of Quite Hot Imposing, rather than a single PDF. The job folder contains one or more PDF files, and they will be joined together before running the sequence or XML files. You can create a subfolder REPLACE in the job folder, and provide replacement files inside that folder. This is the same as using -replacefilefolder sourcefolder\REPLACE (or /REPLACE on macOS).

An example of this is where a sequence has been set up to use a datasource of ADDRESSES.CSV. The job folder can have this structure

+MYJOB
            FILE1.PDF
            +REPLACE
                        ADDRESSES.CSV

The result file (written to the OUT folder) will be a single PDF called MYJOB.PDF. The entire job folder is moved to the DONE folder. A job folder can also be used via the command line, with -source jobfolder and with the Enfocus Switch configurator/app. It is your responsibility to make sure that the replacement file has the same columns as the original file.

Job folders are in earlier versions of Quite Hot Imposing, but they will ignore the REPLACE subfolder.

Datasets (Quite Hot Imposing Advanced feature for Enfocus Switch and command line) (6.0)

Datasets are simply a way of giving a special name to a file. At some point, you tell Quite Hot Imposing what actual file has this special name. For example, when you use Stick On PDF Pages you could add pages from a dataset “LOGOFILE”. Before you can make the result, you have to actually set a file for the LOGOFILE dataset, containing the logo needed for this particular job.

There are two ways to set datasets. One is an automatic feature when used with Enfocus Switch. The other is a command line option. Datasets are not usually relevant when using Quite Hot Imposing with hot folders (though using Replacement Files with a Job Folder may give you a similar function).

To set a command to use a dataset, chose “Dataset…” in any command which accepts a file. This includes

·         Stick on PDF pages

·         Insert pages

·         Page background for N-Up, Step & Repeat

·         Variable data merge

Note that in variable data merge you need to choose a model file during the merge setup, to get the column names. It is your responsibility to make sure that the dataset has the same columns as the original model.

If you have referred to a dataset in a command, but not set up a dataset by that name, you will get a “File not found” error with a filename starting “Dataset::…”.

Use datasets with Enfocus Switch (6.0)

Datasets are a standard concept in Enfocus Switch. You can add datasets to a job to carry extra information. Often, script steps are added to a flow to create datasets. Recent versions of the Quite Hot Imposing configurator or app for Enfocus Switch have a new option “Connect Switch Metadata”. Set this to “Private data and datasets” and all the datasets in a flow are automatically added. (Note: Private data can be used to set variables in Quite Hot Imposing, this is described in a separate document).

Use datasets with the command line (6.0)

Datasets may be useful when Quite Hot Imposing is automated using the command line. The relevant command line options are as follows:

-dataset:dsname filename – this defines a dataset called dsname which should match a name used in a command (though there is no error for unused datasets).

The following probably only make sense if you are providing a separate interface to set datasets.

-replacefileds filename dsname – this allows you to use a dataset reference when a command was set up to use a regular file. The filename is the name part, without directory. This does not define the dataset, so you would also typically include -dataset:dsname newfilename. These two options would be more simply done using -replacefile2 filename newfilename. See the section on using replacement files for more details on this feature.

-vars dataset:dsname – this allows you to specify a list of variables is read from a specified dataset, rather than a filename.