Create File

Create File input tasks are different from other input tasks in that they do not pull in data from a source location. The data that this task passes along to other task is its own: text or values from variables entered when the task was created or last edited.

Since Create File input tasks are not dependent on data from external sources, they are performed at every polling interval and the process is thus started every time.

This task is put into effect in the following use cases and example processes:

• HTTP PDF Invoice Request
• HTTP Brochure Request

Input

Create File does not capture any file and, if it is a secondary input task, discards the current data file.

Processing

Create File generates a job file with the contents of its text. If variables and control characters are present, they are evaluated at run-time when the task is executed.

A file created with the Create File plugin will be encoded with the ISO 8859-1 (ISO Latin-1) table.

Output

The output is the job file. No metadata is generated by the task itself, however if metadata is present in the job and it is not deleted (in the "Other" tab), it will remain active.

Task properties

General Tab

• Create File: Enter the text to use as the data. The Create File box is a Variables Properties box, so you can use any of the variables, control characters or data selections as noted in Variable task properties.
• Add CRLF after last line: Check if you want the plugin to automatically add a new line at the end of the file. Remove the checkmark to leave the file as-is, useful in the creation of CSV files for example.
• Delete Metadata: Check to delete any metadata attached to your data file.

"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 OL Connect 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

This task does not generate any job information.

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.