AX2253

File Collect Configuration sheet

The File Collect Configuration sheet defines settings for the File Collect action of file processing.

The first column of the sheet, titled Common Files, can be used to maintain a list of common files to be automatically added to each package when file collect is processed.
Each subsequent column in the sheet can be used to define a file collect package. By default, the sheet contains one package column. In many cases, you can meet your file collect and delivery needs by defining one package column with dynamic settings and then processing that column using multipass processing. However, if you need more package columns, you can add them by using the Add additional package columns action in the File Processing task pane.

File Collect Configuration sheets can only be added to a file that is enabled for file processing and where File Collect has been specified as the processing type. When you initially select the processing type, you will be prompted to add a configuration sheet to the file. You can add more configuration sheets to the file by using the Add new file collect sheet action in the File Processing pane.

The File Collect Configuration sheet is only visible to administrators or to users with the Allow File Processing permission to the file. Otherwise, it is hidden by default.

General Settings

The following general settings are defined for each package:

Item	Description
Package name	Optional. The name for the file collect package, such as "Monthly Report Package".
Active	Specifies whether the package is included when the file is processed. By default, this is set to Off. Change this to On if you want the package to be included in processing. This setting can be used to dynamically enable or disable certain packages based on a condition. For example, you may have certain packages that you run monthly and others that you run quarterly. You could define these packages in different files and run the files at different times, or you could define them in the same file and disable the packages that you do not need to run currently.

Item

Description

Package name

Optional. The name for the file collect package, such as "Monthly Report Package".

Active

Specifies whether the package is included when the file is processed. By default, this is set to Off. Change this to On if you want the package to be included in processing.

This setting can be used to dynamically enable or disable certain packages based on a condition. For example, you may have certain packages that you run monthly and others that you run quarterly. You could define these packages in different files and run the files at different times, or you could define them in the same file and disable the packages that you do not need to run currently.

Email Settings

These settings only apply if Save or email generated files is set to Email File or Save File and Send Email.

Item	Description
Email to list	The email addresses to include on the To line of the email. Separate multiple addresses with a semicolon. When performing multipass processing, this setting should be determined dynamically so that the results of each pass are emailed to a different recipient. For example, if the email addresses are stored in a table column, you can use the GetCurrentValue function to return an email address relating to the current pass.
Email CC list	The email addresses to include on the CC line of the email. Separate multiple addresses with a semicolon.
Email from	The email address to include on the From line of the email.
Subject text	The subject line of the email. When performing multipass processing, you can optionally use formulas such as GetCurrentValue to dynamically change the subject text for each pass.
Body text	The body text of the email. When performing multipass processing, you can optionally use formulas such as GetCurrentValue to dynamically change the body text for each pass.
Message priority	The priority of the message, either Normal (default) or Urgent.
Attach file to email	Specifies whether the output file is attached to the email. By default, this option is set to On. You can set this option to Off to exclude the output file from the email. For example, you might want to save the file to a network location and then send an email to recipients to let them know the file is available for viewing, without attaching the file to the email.
Attach each file separately (don't combine them into one)	Specifies whether to attach the individual files from the file list to the email directly. By default, this is set to Off, which means that "normal" file collect processing applies—the files in the file list are collected into a single output file, and that single file is attached to the email. If this option is set to On, then the files in the file list are attached to the email as individual files instead of being collected into a single output file. This option is useful when there is not a one-to-one correlation between the desired email recipients and the package output. For example, imagine that you need to generate one report package per region and then deliver those packages to the appropriate VPs. If each region has a unique VP, then this can easily be done in one file collect operation. But if some VPs are responsible for multiple regions, then normal file collect processing will result in the VPs getting multiple emails (one for each region). If instead you want those VPs to get one email with multiple region attachments, then you can perform file collect processing in two phases: Phase one to collect and create the report packages for each region, and save them to a file location. Phase two to attach the relevant region packages to an email for each VP. In this phase, Attach each file separately is enabled, so that all files in the file list are attached as individual files rather than being collected together. For a detailed example of using this feature, see Two-phase file collect example. NOTE: In order to use this option, Save or email generated files must be set to Email File. This option is ignored otherwise.

Source Folder Settings

In order to automatically generate the file list for a package, you must specify one or more source folders. By default, each package has settings for two source folders. If you need more source folders, use the Add new source folder section action in the File Processing pane.

Source folders are only used when Refresh file list is set to On.

Item	Description
File source	Specifies the location of the source folder or folders: Local File System: The source folders are located outside of Axiom Software—on a shared network drive or on your local machine. Axiom Repository: The source folders are located in the Axiom Software file system, within the Reports Library. This setting applies to all source folders for this package.
Source folder path	The path to the desired source folder. This folder contains the source files that you want to include in the file collect operation. What you enter here depends on the file source. Local File System The path should be entered as a UNC path. For example: `\\ServerName\Reports\MonthlyReports` If you use a folder on your local drive, it will only be valid when running file processing interactively from your own computer. If you want to process this file using Scheduler, the output folder should be a shared network drive. If your system is a Cloud Service system, then you must also specify a Remote Data Connection Name in order to collect files from a local location. Axiom Repository Specify the full path to the folder within the Reports Library. For example: `\Axiom\Reports Library\File_Processing` To browse to the desired location, right-click this cell and select Select Reports Library Folder. In the Choose Folder dialog, select the desired folder and then click OK.
File filter list	Optional. File filter(s) to specify which files in the source folder to add to the file list. Only Excel files can be collected (XLS, XLSX, or XLSM). If the filter is left blank, then Axiom Software will include all valid files in the folder. You can use wildcard characters (* or ?) to include groups of files that share naming conventions. For example: `North.xls` to collect all XLS files where the file name starts with "North". You can also exclude files using the ! operator—such as `!Branch` to exclude all files that contain the word "Branch". If only* exclusion filters are used, then it is assumed that all files are included except those that match the exclusion filters. If inclusion filters are used, then only the files that match the inclusion filters are included (minus any files that also match any exclusion filters). Separate multiple filters with commas. For example, the following filter would include XLS files and XLSX files, but exclude XLSM files: `.xls, .xlsx`
(Multipass only) Filter template	Optional. A filter template to apply during multipass processing, to specify which files in the source folder to add to the file list. The filter template serves the same purpose as the File filter list, but it can change dynamically during multipass processing by using a column value. For example, imagine that the source folder contains files where the file name starts with a department code. If you are multipass processing by `Dept.VP`, you want to collect all files where the department is assigned to that VP. To do this, you can set a filter template such as `{Dept.Dept}.xlsx`. When multipass processing is performed, the `{Dept.Dept}` portion of the filter is resolved using the department codes that belong to the current pass VP. If departments 200, 300, and 600 belong to the current pass VP, then the filter list will be resolved as: 200.xlsx, 300.xlsx, 600.xlsx The filter template can use any Table.Column that can be resolved in the context of the multipass Source Column. The Table.Column name must be placed in curly brackets, such as `{Dept.Dept}` or `{Dept.VP}`. If the File filter list and the Filter template are both defined, then the file filter list is combined with the resolved filter template for each pass. The filter template only applies when performing multipass processing. When performing non-multipass processing, or when manually refreshing file lists, it is ignored.

Output File Settings

These settings define the output file to be created for the package. The output file is the file that contains the collected results of the source files.

Item	Description
Output location	The location for the output file, either: Local File System (default): The output location is outside of Axiom, to either your local computer or a network share. The specific path is detailed in the Output Folder setting. Access to output files is not controlled by Axiom Software. Axiom Repository: The output location is the Axiom file system, within the Reports Library. The specific path is detailed in the Output Folder setting. Access to output files is controlled by security access to the designated folder within Axiom.
Output file purge setting	Specifies whether and when the output file will be automatically purged by Axiom Software. This only applies if the output file is saved to the Axiom Repository. If blank, then the output file is not purged. Otherwise, specify either of the following: A date, to delete the output file after that date. For example, specify `12/10/2019` (or the appropriate date format for your locale) to delete the output file after that date is passed. A number representing the number of days to keep the output file after it is generated. For example, specify `20` to keep the output for 20 days and then delete it. The file deletion is performed by the System Data Purge job in Scheduler.
Output folder path	The folder location in which to save the output file. This setting only applies if Save or Email Generated Files is set to Save File or Save File and Send Email. Local File System The path should be entered as a UNC path. For example: `\\ServerName\Reports\ReportPackages` If you use a folder on your local drive, it will only be valid when running file processing interactively from your own computer. If you want to process this file using Scheduler, the output folder should be a shared network drive. The ability to save the output file to the specified location and to create a new folder (if necessary) depends on the network permissions for the user processing file collect. Access to the file after it is created is also dependent your network permissions. If your system is a Cloud Service system, then you must also specify a Remote Data Connection Name in order to save the output file to a local location. Axiom Repository The specified location in the Axiom file system must be within the Reports Library, and the location must use the full path (meaning: `\Axiom\Reports Library\...`). To browse to the desired location, right-click this cell and select Select Reports Library Folder. In the Choose Folder dialog, select the desired folder and then click OK. The ability to save the output file to the specified location and to create a new folder (if necessary) depends on the Axiom Software security permissions for the user processing file collect. Users can only create a new folder if they have read/write permissions to the parent folder, and they can only create a new file if they have read/write permissions to the target folder. Once the file is created within the Axiom file system, access to the output file is dependent on the user's permissions to the output folder. Typically you should create the output folder in advance (or if you want to create output folders on-the-fly, create a parent folder to hold the output folders), and then set permissions for that folder as appropriate in Axiom Software security, so that the appropriate users will be able to access the file after it is created.
Remote Data Connection Name	Specifies the name of the remote data connection to use for the file collect operation. Enter the name of any defined remote data connection in your system. This option only applies to Cloud Service systems. A remote data connection is required to save files locally from a cloud system, or to collect files stored on a local file system. For more information, see Managing remote data connections. By default, this setting uses the function GetSystemInfo("DefaultRemoteDataConnection"), so that the field is automatically populated with the name of your default remote data connection. If you do not have any remote data connections, the field is blank. If you want to use a different remote data connection, you can simply delete the function and enter the desired name.
Output file name	The name of the output file, without a file extension. For example, enter "MonthlyReports" (not "MonthlyReports.xlsx"). When performing multipass processing and saving files, this setting should be determined dynamically so that each pass results in a unique output file name (or alternatively, a unique output folder path). For example, if you are multipass processing by VP, you can use the GetCurrentValue function to include the current VP name in the output file name.
Output file type	The file type of the output file: XLS, XLSX, XLSM, or PDF.
Save or email generated files	Specifies the action to take after the output file has been created: Save File: The output file is saved to the output folder path. Email File: The output file is emailed to the specified recipients. Save File and Send Email: The output file is saved and emailed. NOTES: If you want to save the file to a folder and then send a notification email to recipients (without attaching the file to the email), then select Save File and Send Email. In the email settings, set Attach file to email to Off. If you want to use the Attach each file separately option, then select Email File.

File List Settings

These settings impact the file list for the package.

Item	Description
Auto-generate file list	Specifies whether the file list for the package is automatically generated: If On (default), then the file list is automatically generated based on the source folder settings defined for the package. The auto-generation occurs when the file lists are refreshed manually, and whenever file collect is processed. Any existing content in the file list is cleared when the list is auto-generated. If Off, then the file list is not automatically-generated. Only the files that are currently listed in the column will be included when processed.
Continue on error	Specifies whether the file collect process will continue or cancel if an error relating to the file list occurs—for example, if a listed file is missing or if the file list is empty. If On, then errors will be ignored and the file collect process will continue. Errors will be listed in the confirmation dialog shown at the end of the process. If Off (default), then any errors will cancel the process. This setting should be set to On if you want packages to be created even if some or all of the source files cannot be found.
Include common files in package	Specifies whether common files are included in the package: If On (default), then when file collect is processed, any files listed in the Common Files column will be added to the beginning of the package. If the Common Files column uses auto-generation to create its file list, that auto-generation will occur before any of the packages are processed. If Off, then common files are ignored and will not be added to the package.

Item

Description

Auto-generate file list

Specifies whether the file list for the package is automatically generated:

If On (default), then the file list is automatically generated based on the source folder settings defined for the package. The auto-generation occurs when the file lists are refreshed manually, and whenever file collect is processed. Any existing content in the file list is cleared when the list is auto-generated.
If Off, then the file list is not automatically-generated. Only the files that are currently listed in the column will be included when processed.

Continue on error

Specifies whether the file collect process will continue or cancel if an error relating to the file list occurs—for example, if a listed file is missing or if the file list is empty.

If On, then errors will be ignored and the file collect process will continue. Errors will be listed in the confirmation dialog shown at the end of the process.
If Off (default), then any errors will cancel the process.

This setting should be set to On if you want packages to be created even if some or all of the source files cannot be found.

Include common files in package

Specifies whether common files are included in the package:

If On (default), then when file collect is processed, any files listed in the Common Files column will be added to the beginning of the package. If the Common Files column uses auto-generation to create its file list, that auto-generation will occur before any of the packages are processed.
If Off, then common files are ignored and will not be added to the package.

File List

The file list section contains the list of source files to be collected within the output file. This list can be generated automatically (using the source folder settings), or it can be created manually. For more information, see Creating and refreshing file lists for file collect.

When file collect processes the file list and collects the contents of each file into the output file, it takes a snapshot of each file. The result of each snapshot is the same as if you had manually snapshot the file and selected to Retain Excel Native Formulas while including All Sheets in File. The snapshot version of the file is what gets included in the output file.

NOTE: If Attach each file separately is enabled, then the files in the file list are not transformed in any way. The files are simply attached to the email as is.