SetDocPropsFromList

A step based on this step template reads one or more list files in a directory and sets the value of a specified document property for each document in the document properties file (DPF) for the job.

The step uses the document properties in the Columns in list file list to match documents in the job. If the value for the property in the list file matches the value for the property in the DPF, the step sets one value for the Document property to set property and sets the same property to a different value for the documents that do not match. Using this step, you can provide a "pull list" of documents in a job to suppress them from printing or divert them from inserting or mailing based on setting a value for a document property that controls those actions.

Job property defaults

  • Columns in list file:
  • Delimiter: New Line
  • Document property to set:
  • List file directory:
  • Stop for excess columns: Yes
  • Value for matching documents:
  • Value for other documents:

Usage notes

  • If the DPF contains the document property in the Document property to set field when the step runs, the values for the documents specified by values in the list file are changed to the value specified in the Value for matching documents property.

    If the DPF does not contain the document property when the step runs, the property is added to the DPF, and the value for the documents specified by values in the list file is set to the value specified in the Value for matching documents property. The value for other documents is set to the value specified in the Value for other documents property.

  • If the Stop for excess columns property value is set to Yes and the number of columns in the list file is greater than the number of properties in the Selected list for the Columns in list file property, the step places the job in Error state.
  • The step assumes that the properties listed in the Columns in list file property and the columns in the list file are in the same order. For example, the property at the top of the Selected list corresponds to the first column of the list file; the second property in the Selected list corresponds to the second column in the list file.
  • If you set the Stop for excess columns value to No, the step ignores any columns that are not mapped to properties in the Selected list. For example, if the list file contains 25 columns and the Selected list contains five properties, the step reads the information in the first five columns and ignores the other 20 columns.

Example

The DPF contains this information (where ... means other properties are also present but not important for this example):

Doc.Custom.AccountNumber   Doc.Custom.AccountType   ...
1234   Life   ...
1234   Fire   ...
4567   Life   ...
4567   Fire   ...

The insurance company decides to no longer print policies for Fire, but they do not want to change the application that creates the print job.

To suppress printing of the Fire policies, the administrator builds this list file and places it in the List file directory:

#Doc.Custom.AccountType
Fire
Because the list file does not support column headings, the first line is a comment, indicated by the # comment character.

On the SetDocPropsFromList step in the workflow, the administrator specifies:

  • Columns in list file: Doc.Custom.AccountType
  • Document property to set: Doc.Custom.Suppress
  • Value for matching documents: Yes
  • Value for other documents: No

After the step runs, the DPF contains this information:

Doc.Custom.AccountNumber  Doc.Custom.AccountType  ...  Doc.Custom.Suppress
1234   Life   ...   No
1234   Fire   ...   Yes
4567   Life   ...   No
4567   Fire   ...   Yes