Folder Listing

Folder Listing input tasks list the files present in a selected folder and give you the option to use filename masks, to sort files by name or date, and to list the files present in the selected folder’s subfolders. The lists it generates are in XML format.

Input

Folder Listing captures nothing, however it does read the input folders (and, if selected, subfolders) and gathers information about each file in that folder.

Processing

Folder Listing loops through the files and, for each file, generates an XML node with information about the file.

Output

The output is an XML file containing information about each file. If the Sub-directories option was checked, the structure of the XML also contains the folder structure as it is present on the drive.

Here is a sample of the XML that is generated:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252"?>
<files count="3" filemask="*.*">
    <folder>C:\Samples\<file>
            <filename>invoice.pdf</filename>
            <path>C:\Samples\</path>
            <time>2012/06/01 16:14:40</time>
            <size>81452</size>
        </file>
        <file>
            <filename>test1.pdf</filename>
            <path>C:\Samples\</path>
            <time>2013/01/17 09:13:50</time>
            <size>20197</size>
        </file>
    </folder>
    <folder>C:\Samples\manuals\<file>
            <filename>usermanual.pdf</filename>
            <path>C:\Samples\manuals\</path>
            <time>1999/10/06 09:52:04</time>
            <size>644037</size>
        </file>
    </folder>
</files>

Note: The <time> tag is independent of the OS locale, language or settings. The format is always YYYY/MM/DD 23:59:59.

Task properties

General Tab

  • Input folder: Enter the path of the folder that contains the files you want listed.
  • Sorted by: Select either Name or Modified date, depending on how you want the list top be sorted.
  • File mask: Edit the default file name mask (*.*) if you want only some of the files present in the folder to appear in the list. See Masks.
  • List files in sub-directories also: Select this option if you want the task to list any files present in subfolders of the selected input folder.

"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 PlanetPress 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- Folder: Contains the full path of the base folder from which the files are listed.

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.