AX1631

Setting up file processing: Snapshot Forms

Using file processing, you can set up a form-enabled file to generate a PDF "snapshot" of the form, and then save that copy to a file location and / or email it. The "snapshot" process converts an Axiom form to a stand-alone PDF file, so that it can be accessed outside of Axiom Software. When used with multipass processing, snapshot form provides a production reporting feature for Axiom forms, where the form can be processed multiple times over a specified dimension, saving and/or emailing the PDF generated for each pass.

When you use the snapshot form option, Axiom Software processes the form-enabled source file and renders the web form, then generates a PDF copy of it. This PDF generation is the same process that occurs when using Tools > Generate PDF on an Axiom form in the Web Client. The Axiom form should be set up as needed for optimal PDF generation. For more information, see Configuring an Axiom form for printing to PDF.

Special design considerations may apply to certain forms, especially if the target form contains Embedded Form components. For more information, see Design considerations for snapshot form processing.

IMPORTANT: Snapshot form processing can only be executed by Scheduler. It cannot be executed locally on the Desktop ClientGeneral term for using either the Excel Client or the Windows Client, both of which are installed to the user's desktop.. You must create a Scheduler job, add a File Processing task, and configure that task to process the form-enabled file that has been configured for snapshot form processing. For more information, see Scheduler and Scheduler task: File Processing.

To set up file processing to create and deliver snapshot PDF copies of an Axiom form:

  1. Open the file where you want to set up file processing, and enable it as follows: On the Axiom tab, in the File Output group, click File Processing > Add File Processing control sheet to active workbook.

    NOTE: In systems with installed products, this feature may be located on the Main tab (either directly on the tab, or on the Publish menu).

    The File Processing pane opens, and a sheet named Control_FileProcessing is added to the file.

  2. In the File Processing pane, for Processing Type, select Save Snapshot of Forms.

  3. In the Output File Settings section, complete the following settings to determine the delivery of the output file (or files):

    Item Description

    Output To

    Select one of the following:

    • 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 name

    Specify how the output file (or files) should be named. You can do one of the following:

    • You can use file processing variables to generate dynamic file names.
    • You can type a "hard-coded" file name.

    The file name setting cannot be left blank. By default the file name uses file processing variables, and is set to [Current_Value]_Report. You can change "_Report" to something more specific to the file contents (or omit it to use only the current value). If you do not plan to use multipass processing on the file, then you can delete the current value variable and just type the desired file name.

    If you want to use a file processing variable, you can type the variable or you can click the pencil icon to open a text editor. From the Insert Variable list, select the variable that you want to use.

    For more information, see Defining the file name for file processing.

    Output folder

    Specify the folder location for the output file (or files). You can type a folder path, or you can click the folder icon to browse to the folder location. The browse dialog will display either your local file system or the Axiom file system, depending on what you selected for Output To. This setting does not apply if you are only emailing files.

    For more information, see Defining the output folder for file processing.

    File Generation

    This option only applies when using multipass processing. Select one of the following:

    • Create a Single Output File (default): The results of each pass are collected into a single output file. For example, if the multipass settings result in 10 passes, then one output file is created, containing the output of all 10 passes.
    • Create an Output File for Each Pass: The results of each pass are saved as individual output files. For example, if the multipass settings result in 10 passes, then 10 output files are created (one file for each pass).

    For snapshot, standard (non-multipass) processing always produces a single output file.

    Save or Email Files

    Select a delivery option for the output file (or files):

    • Save Files: The output files are saved to the specified output folder.
    • Email Files: The output files are emailed to the specified recipients. The output files are not saved anywhere on the file system.
    • Save and Email Files: The output files are both saved and emailed.

    If you select an option that includes emailing, then the Email Settings section displays in the File Processing pane.

    Purge Setting

    This option only applies when the file output is being saved to the Axiom Repository.

    If you want the file output to be automatically deleted after a specified period of time, then click the pencil icon to open the Choose Date dialog.

    • Static purge date: Select a specific date, after which the output will be deleted.
    • Relative purge date: Specify a number of days to keep the output after it has been generated. The output will be deleted after the specified number of days have passed.

    For more information, see Automatically deleting file output generated by file processing.

    Remote Data Connection

    This option only applies when the file output is being saved to your local file system, and only for Cloud Service systems that are using remote data connections.

    Select the name of the remote data connection to use for the file processing operation. The designated remote data connection will be used to access the local file system and save output file(s) to the designated location.

    A remote data connection is required to save files locally from a cloud system. For more information, see Managing remote data connections.

  4. If you chose to email the output file (or files), complete the Email Settings:

    Item Description

    To

    Bcc

    Enter the email addresses to receive the output file via email. Separate multiple addresses with a semicolon.

    If the file will be processed using multipass processing, to multiple output files, then you should use formulas to dynamically generate the appropriate email recipients for each pass (otherwise each pass will be sent to the same recipients). See Using dynamic email addresses with file processing.
    From

    Select one of the following to specify the From address:

    • System User: The From address is the default From address specified for Axiom Software in the system configuration settings.
    • Current User: The From address is the email address for the user who performs the file processing, as defined in Security.
    Subject Line Enter a subject line for the email.
    Body Text Enter body text for the email.

    For more information, see How email is delivered for file processing.

  5. If you want to use multipass processing on the file, then complete the MultiPass Settings.

    For Source Column, click the column icon to select the source column for multipass processing. For example, if you select DEPT.VP as the source column, then the file will be processed once for each VP, and the data in the file will be automatically filtered to show only the data for that VP.

    To confirm that the file will be processed using your desired list of items, click Preview Multipass List. A dialog opens, displaying the total number of items to process, as well as the list of individual items.

    For more information on multipass processing, and for details on advanced settings, see Configuring multipass settings for file processing.

  6. When you are finished configuring the file processing settings, click File Options > Save to save the settings in the file.

Results

The file can now be scheduled for execution using Scheduler. As noted previously, snapshot form processing can only be executed via Scheduler, using a File Processing task.

When the Scheduler job is processed, the following actions will occur, depending on whether Process File Multipass is enabled for the job:

  • If Process File Multipass is not enabled, the file will be refreshed "as is," the PDF snapshot copy will be taken, and the PDF will be saved and/or emailed according to the file processing settings.

  • If Process File Multipass is enabled, the file will be refreshed using a multipass filter to limit the data to the current multipass item (for example, for the current VP if processing by DEPT.VP). This process will occur for each unique multipass item being processed, with a different multipass filter being applied for each pass.

    If the file generation is to multiple output files, then the PDF snapshot copy is taken after each pass, and then saved and/or emailed according to the file processing settings.

    If the file generation is to a single output file, then the results of each pass are collected into a single PDF file. When all of the passes are complete, the PDF is saved and / or emailed according to the file processing settings.