Creating a custom step (transform) object to convert data and print only smaller files

If your transform might want to terminate the processing of the job in some cases but return data to be printed in other cases, you can create a conditionally terminating transform. For example, you might want to transform and store some documents but transform and return for printing other documents. You can define a return code that your transform can return to indicate when it has completed its task successfully, but is not returning any data for printing.

In the example below, the actual destination activates the pics2gif transform when incoming JPEG and TIFF jobs enter the system. These jobs are transformed into GIF format and then uploaded to the Internet by an application outside of InfoPrint Manager. When the transformed GIF files are smaller than 3 KB, they are returned to InfoPrint Manager for printing on a proof printer. To observe cost-cutting mandates across the installation, transformed GIF files that are larger than 3 KB are not printed. The transform checks the size of the transformed file and sends a return code of 5 if the job is too big to be printed.

To define a data stream transform object from the InfoPrint Manager Web Administration Interface as a conditionally-terminating transform, use this procedure:

  1. Connect to the InfoPrint Manager server using the InfoPrint Manager Web Administration Interface.
  2. In the left-hand Objects panel, click the Servers tab.
  3. Click , the Menu icon, and select Custom Steps (Transforms)....
  4. Click the New button in the upper right corner.
  5. In the Create New Custom Step (Transform) dialog, fill in the fields as shown in the following figure. These values create a transform that transforms both JPEG and TIFF input data into GIF output and then provides a return code of 5 if the transform has completed successfully without returning to InfoPrint Manager for printing.
    In the Transform Options field, you can use a series of substitution variables to provide special options for the transform sequences. In this example, besides the standard input (%i) and output (%o), this transform object also uses the %q flag so the InfoPrint Manager server passes the name of the actual destination processing the job.

    Create New Custom Step (Transform) dialog: Define a conditionally terminating transform

    Create New Custom Step (Transform) dialog: define a transform that conditionally terminates with a return code on a Windows server.
  6. Click OK.
    InfoPrint Manager saves the transform under the name you provided in the Name field. To see the values of this transform, click , the Menu icon, on the Servers tab and select the Custom Steps (Transforms)... option.
Parent topic: Examples of creating custom steps (transform) objects