HTTP Client Input

HTTP Client Input tasks use the HTTP protocol to issue HTTP GET commands (queries) to HTTP servers. Replies received from the HTTP servers are used as jobfiles and are thus passed on to following tasks.

Input

This initial input task retrieves a single file as specified in the URL option. This file may be of any format, even formats that are not readable by PlanetPress Workflow.

Processing

No processing is done by this task. The file retrieved is not changed in any way.

Output

HTTP Client Input will output a single file which was retrieved from the web. Metadata is not generated by this task.

Task properties

General Tab

  • URL: Enter the URL of the HTTP server from which the file must be downloaded. Since this is a variable property box, variables may be used, as well as the Get Data and Select Data commands (see Variable task properties). Note that when PlanetPress Workflow connects to a secure page, an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) connection is automatically used.

    Note: The connection to remote HTTPS is done through TLS v1 encryption. Prior to version 2019.2, this was done through SSL v2.3.

    Secure connections (SSL) made with the HTTP Input Client are known to experience issues when connecting to site bindings using the Server Name Indication (SNI). Disabling SNI through the server's site bindings configuration will allow proper SSL connection through the HTTP Input Client.

  • Server requires authentication: Check this option if the HTTP server requires user authentication. This enables the following options.
    • User name: A user name known to the Web server.
    • Password: The password associated with the user name entered above.

  • Custom headers: Some services require additional HTTP headers to be set. To add a custom header, click the + icon; then type the header's name and value.

 

"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 - URL address: Contains the full URL that was requested by the task. This includes any GET variables in the URL.

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.