Process By HotFolder Application

With this node you can save one or more files in a hotfolder of an external application, and wait for the results to return.

It has the following configuration options:
  • File to process: here you can select the file that you want to process. Select the pencil to open Expression Builder.
  • Output File: here you can specify the name that should be assigned to the output file. Options:
    • Leave this field blank: in this case the file name(s) as generated by the HotApp are used . This means that if the HotApp generates one file with the same name as the input file, the input file will be overwritten/updated with the results of the HotApp. If the HotApp generates files with different name(s) (for example with a different extension), the output file(s) will be copied next to the input file, which remains unchanged.
    • Only specify a file name: in case you specify the original file name, the input file will be overwritten, regardless of the naming convention used by the HotApp. If you specify a different file name, the output file will be copied next to the input file.
      Note: You cannot use this setup when the HotApp generates more than one output file, since all files will be copied next to the input file with the same name, overwriting each other.
    • Only specify a folder: in this case all the output file(s) will be copied into this folder, using the naming convention used by the HotApp.
    • Specify a folder and file name: in this case all the output file(s) will be copied to the specified file.
      Note: You can not use this setup when the HotApp generates more than one output file, because all files will be copied to the same location, overwriting each other.
  • Ignore Results: if you select this checkbox, the results are ignored. You can choose this option if you are not interested in the actual results but you want to know that the process has ended correctly. This is for example useful to wait on a hard copy device. If you leave this checkbox unselected, the results generated by the application will be used.

Input and Output folders of external application

  • Mode: here you can specify how the application generates result files. Options:
    • In To Success: in this case the output is always written in the same folder.
    • In To Success or Error: in this case the output is written in a success folder or in an error folder.
    • In To Success, Warning or Error: in this case the output is written in a success folder, a warning folder or in an error folder.

    The result file will be searched in one of the configured output folders. The location where the output is found will determine the path of the workable.

  • Input Hot Folder: here you can specify the location where the input file should be copied to so that the hot folder application can find it for processing.
  • Insert (unique) folder: if you select this checkbox, the input file is saved inside a unique subfolder in the hot folder input, so that the output can be searched in a folder with the same name (allowing for alternative output names and/or multiple output files).
  • Success Output Folder: here you can specify the location where the hot folder application saves the file when processing was successful.

Match results from external application

  • Name Match Mode: here you can specify how the generated files should be found. Options:
    • File, Exact Match: if you select this option, the generated file name will exactly match the specified value.
    • Enclosing Folder, Exact Match: if you select this option, the enclosing folder of the generated file will exactly match the specified value.
      Note: This option/value will be ignored when checkbox Insert Folder is selected.
    • File, Starts With: if you select this option, the generated file name will exactly start with the specified value.
    • File, Ends With: if you select this option, the generated file name will exactly end with the specified value.
    • File, Contains: if you select this option, the generated file name will contain the specified value.
    • File, Matches Regular Expression: if you select this option, the generated file name will match a regular expression with the specified value.
      Note: You can use https://regex101.com as an online regex tester.
    Note: For all modes, there is also an as URL version. In this case, the contents of the field Name Match String should be in URL notation. This is useful when you construct the name to match from the incoming file references which are typically in URL notation.
  • Name Match String: here you can specify the name matching string. Options:
    • Leave this field blank in combination with all Name Match Modes excluding Folder Exact Match: if you select this option, the system will search for a (single) output file that contains a part that matches exactly with the name of the input file.
    • A Value in combination with all Name Match Modes excluding Folder Exact Match: if you select this option, the system will search for a (single) output file that contains a part that matches exactly with the specified value.
    • A Value in combination with all Folder Exact Match: if you select this option, the system will search for one or more output file in an enclosing folder that has a name that matches exactly with the specified value. :
      Note: This option/value will be ignored when Insert Folder is selected.

    Select an as URL in the field Name Match Mode if the supplied string is URL encoded.

  • Polling Interval: here you can specify how often the system should check for generated results.
  • Settling Time: here you can specify how long the system should ignore any changes in the generated results before we actually use the results. No changes can mean that the file modification date does not change, and/or no new files are found.
  • Time Out: here you can specify how long the system should wait for results before marking this workable as failed.