Serial Input

Serial Input tasks receive files sent to a serial port on the computer running Connect Workflow. All the Serial Input tasks in a Connect Workflow configuration share the same general properties, which are configured through user options (see Serial Input plugin preferences). Only the properties set in the Other and Error tabs are specific to individual tasks.

Input

This task does not poll an input, it sits there and waits for a job file to be sent through the Serial connection.

Processing

When the job is received through the Serial connection, it is saved as a job file. No further processing is done on the file.

Output

The task outputs the job file as is, with no evaluation or modification.

Task properties

General Tab

  • Since Serial Input tasks have no specific task configurable properties, this section contains no property information.

"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 PReS 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 - Source file name: Contains the name of the job file as specified by the software that sent the job.

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.