Creating an associated properties file

You can create an associated properties file to specify one or more properties that are associated with a job, but that are properties of other objects. When a step based on the StoreInRepository step template runs, these properties and their values are stored in a repository along with job and document data. For example, you can store the model of the printer requested for a job or the color of the media specified to print a job.

Note:

You can also specify positional job properties in an associated properties file and store their values in a repository. You cannot select a positional job property as a value for the Job properties to store property on the StoreInRepository step. In a workflow, the values of positional properties can be different for different steps based on the same step template.

Positional job properties

To store values for a positional job property, you specify the property, the phase that the step is in, the internal name of the step with the property, and a property label. The syntax is:

Job_property[Phase][Step_identifier]:Property_label

For example, you have the Automated Verification feature, and you want to store the name of the barcode reader that the ReadBarcodeData step in the Insert phase uses to track the documents in a job through an inserter.

When you create the associated properties file, you type this line into a text editor:

Job.TrackAndTrace.BarcodeReader[Insert][ReadBarcodeData]:Property_label

The property label might be Job.BarcodeReader.

When the StoreInRepository step runs, RICOH ProcessDirector:

Gets the value of the Barcode reader job property (database name Job.TrackAndTrace.BarcodeReader) for the ReadBarcodeData step in the Insert phase.
This value might be BarcodeReader1.
Stores the value of the Barcode reader property along with other information for the job and its documents in the repository.

To see whether a property on a step template is positional, click the ? icon and check the Usage notes in the help.

Properties associated with a job

To store the value for a property of another object, you must be able to create a chain of relationships to that property. The chain must start with a job property that specifies an object as a value. The next property in the chain must be a property of the object specified by the job property. The chain must end with the property whose values you want to store.

Although you can start the chain with any job property that specifies an object as a value, these job properties satisfy most needs.

Object	User interface name of job property	Database name of job property	Base product or feature
Barcode reader	Barcode reader	Job.TrackAndTrace.BarcodeReader	Automated Verification
Input device	None	Job.SourceInputDeviceName	Base product
Inserter	Inserter controller	Job.InserterSystem.ID	Inserter
Media	Media	Job.Media	Base product
Printer	Requested printer	Job.RequestedPrinter	Base product

The following line shows a simple version of the syntax for specifying associated properties:

Property_to_store@Job_property:Property_label

Note:

If you chose Any printer on the PrintJobs step, you cannot use the Job.RequestedPrinter database name. Replace that name with Job.PreviousPrinter.

The system starts at the colon and reads the properties from right to left. The number of properties in the chain can vary. An @ symbol separates the properties. To the right of the colon is a property label. The property label is required.

These examples give the user interface names of properties with the database names in parentheses. Use the database names when you create the associated properties file.

You want to store values for the Printer model printer property (database name Printer.Model.Specific). You can chain the Requested printer job property (database name Job.RequestedPrinter) directly to the printer property.
When you create the associated properties file, you type this line into a text editor:

Printer.Model.Specific@Job.RequestedPrinter:Property_label

The property label might be Job.PrinterModel.

When the StoreInRepository step runs, RICOH ProcessDirector:
1. Gets the value of the Requested printer property.
  This value might be Printer4.
2. Uses the Printer. portion of the Printer.Model.Specific property to identify the next object in the chain: a printer object.
3. Gets the value of the Printer model property for Printer4.
  This value might be Ricoh Pro C901.
4. Stores the value of the Printer model property along with other information for the job and its documents in the repository.
  - The link between the job property and the object portion of the next property is critical. You must link the Requested printer job property to a printer property. The database name of a printer property starts with Printer. An example at the end of this topic shows how to link a job property to another property through an intermediate property.
You have the Automated Verification feature, and you want to store values for the Barcode Format property (database name BarcodeReader.BarcodeFormat). You can chain the Barcode reader job property (database name Job.TrackAndTrace.BarcodeReader) directly to the Barcode Format property. Because the Barcode reader property is positional, you need to specify the Phase and Step identifier.
You have two different steps that read barcodes, and the barcode readers in the two steps use a different barcode format. You want the barcode reader that the ReadBarcodeData step in the Insert phase uses.

When you create the associated properties file, you type this line into a text editor:

BarcodeReader.BarcodeFormat@Job.TrackAndTrace.BarcodeReader[Insert][ReadBarcodeData]:Property_label

The property label might be Job.BarcodeFormat.

When the StoreInRepository step runs, RICOH ProcessDirector:
1. Gets the value of the Barcode reader property for the ReadBarcodeData step in the Insert phase.
  This value might be BarcodeReader2.
2. Uses the BarcodeReader. portion of the BarcodeReader.BarcodeFormat property to identify the next object in the chain: a barcode reader object.
3. Gets the value of the Barcode Format property for BarcodeReader2.
  This value might be BarcodeFormat2.
4. Stores the value of the Barcode Format property along with other information for the job and its documents in the repository.

To create an associated properties file:

With a text editor, create a new file.
Type a line for the first property whose values you want to store.
Use this syntax:

Property_to_store@Intermediate_property@Job_property[Phase][Step_identifier]:Property_label

where:
- Property_to_store is the database name of the property you want to store.
- Intermediate_property is the database name of an intermediate property, if needed, that links the job property to the property you want to store by identifying an intermediate object, such as Media. If you need to specify two intermediate properties, separate them with an @ symbol.
  You can link many job properties directly to properties you want to store without an Intermediate_property.
- Job_property[Phase][Step_identifier] has these parts:
  - Job_property is the database name of the job property that identifies an object such as a printer.
    If you are storing a positional job property, which you cannot select as a value for the Job properties to store property on the StoreInRepository step, Job_property is the database name of the positional job property. You do not need to specify any additional properties.
  - If the property is positional, Phase is the name of the phase that the step is in, and Step_identifier is the internal name of the step with the property.
    If the property is not positional, do not type a [Phase] or [Step_identifier].
- Property_label is the name that appears on the Properties tab when you click Show details on the Results table of the Archive tab. We recommend the format Job.MyProperty. The property label for each property in the associated properties file must be unique.
For example, you might type:

Job.TrackAndTrace.BarcodeReader[Insert][ReadBarcodeData]:Job.BarcodeReader
If you want to store values for a second property, type a line break, and then repeat the previous step for the second property.

For example, you might type:

Printer.Model.Specific@Job.RequestedPrinter:Job.PrinterModel
Save the text file.
For example, you might name the file associatedproperties.txt.
Send the associated properties file to the RICOH ProcessDirector server in a directory that the RICOH ProcessDirector system user has access to.

The file is now available to use as the value of the Associated properties file property for a StoreInRepository step in a workflow.

When the StoreInRepository step runs, RICOH ProcessDirector stores (with each document and job) the value of each stored property specified in the associated properties file.

If the value is null for any stored property on a line of the associated properties file, RICOH ProcessDirector stores a null value for the property.
If a property allows multiple selections, RICOH ProcessDirector stores the multiple selections separated by a vertical bar (|). For example, the value of a stored property might be BarcodeReader1|BarcodeReader2.
If multiple values are selected for both a job property and the associated object property, RICOH ProcessDirector adds an underscore and the name of the job property value to the property label. RICOH ProcessDirector stores each job property value separately. For example:
```
Job.BarcodeFormat_BarcodeReader1    Job.BarcodeFormat_BarcodeReader2
BarcodeFormat1|BarcodeFormat2          BarcodeFormat3
```

Users cannot search a repository for these properties. After you search on the Archive tab for job or document properties, RICOH ProcessDirector displays the values of associated properties on the Properties tab when you click Show details on the Results table.

Examples

Storing the model of the printer requested to print a job

File contents:

Printer.Model.Specific@Job.RequestedPrinter:Job.PrinterModel

Value of Printer model property:
```
Ricoh Pro C901
```
Information stored in the repository for a specific job and each document in the job:
```
Job.PrinterModelRicoh Pro C901
```
Information displayed in the properties notebook for the results of a search:
Job.PrinterModel: Ricoh Pro C901
- When processing an associated properties file, RICOH ProcessDirector does not store or display the value of the Job_property_identifying_object property or any Property_identifying_intermediate_object property.
- If you chose Any printer on the PrintJobs step, you cannot use the Job.RequestedPrinter database name. Replace that name with Job.PreviousPrinter.

Storing the barcode format used by a barcode reader

File contents:

BarcodeReader.BarcodeFormat@Job.TrackAndTrace.BarcodeReader[Insert][ReadBarcodeData]:Job.BarcodeFormat

Barcode readers selected on the ReadBarcodeData step:
- BarcodeReader1
- BarcodeReader2
Barcode formats selected for BarcodeReader1:
- BarcodeFormat1
- BarcodeFormat2
Barcode format selected for BarcodeReader2: BarcodeFormat3.

Information stored in the repository for a specific job and each document in the job:

Job.BarcodeFormat_BarcodeReader1    Job.BarcodeFormat_BarcodeReader2
BarcodeFormat1|BarcodeFormat2          BarcodeFormat3

Information displayed in the properties notebook for the results of a search:
Job.BarcodeFormat_BarcodeReader1: BarcodeFormat1|BarcodeFormat2

Job.BarcodeFormat_BarcodeReader2: BarcodeFormat3

Storing the reprint method used by an inserter

File contents:

InserterSystem.ReprintMethod@Job.InserterSystem.ID:Job.InserterReprintMethod

Value of Reprint method property (database name InserterSystem.ReprintMethod):
```
Open loop
```
Information stored in the repository for a specific job and each document in the job:
```
Job.InserterReprintMethod
Open loop
```
Information displayed in the properties notebook for the results of a search:
Job.InserterReprintMethod: Open loop

Storing the folder location of the input device that received a job

File contents:

InputDevice.FolderLocation@Job.SourceInputDeviceName:Job.InputDeviceFolder

Value of Folder location property (database name InputDevice.FolderLocation):
```
/aiw/aiw1/System/hf/defaultPDF
```
Information stored in the repository for a specific job and each document in the job:
```
Job.InputDeviceFolder
/aiw/aiw1/System/hf/defaultPDF
```
Information displayed in the properties notebook for the results of a search:
Job.InputDeviceFolder: /aiw/aiw1/System/hf/defaultPDF

Storing the color of the media requested to print a job

File contents:

MediaType.Color@Media.MediaTypeID@Job.Media:Job.MediaColor

Value of Media color property (database name MediaType.Color):
```
Ricoh Pro C901
```
Information stored in the repository for a specific job and each document in the job:
```
Job.MediaColor
Blue
```
Information displayed in the properties notebook for the results of a search:
Job.MediaColor: Blue

Note:

You can replace the Media color property with other media type properties such as Media weight (database name MediaType.Weight) and Media details (database name MediaType.Details).
To store the values of a media size property, such as Media height (database name MediaSize.Height), use this line:MediaSize.Height@Media.MediaSizeID@Job.Media:Job.MediaHeight

RICOH ProcessDirector™ for Windows

Creating an associated properties file

Related information: