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TABBED_PDF Plugin and Ordering Doc Types

This document describes how to add and configure the TABBED_PDF plugin in Transact Release 4.5.0.0, and contains these topics.

For additional information about using the TABBED_PDF plugin, refer to Tabbed PDF Plugin

TABBED_PDF Plugin Overview, Transact 4.5.0.0

The TABBED_PDF plugin is used to merge all multipage PDF files to form a single tabbed PDF file, based on the placeholder component that you define with the plugin.

This plugin merges all incoming, multipage PDF files.

This plugin creates a single, bookmarked PDF file in the Export module folder, as configured for the batch class.

Transact Release 4.5.0.0 further enhances the TABBED_PDF plugin. When exporting multiple different document types, such as invoices and purchase orders, you can specify which document type should come first, second, and last in the TABBED_PDF plugin, and in the resulting PDF file to be exported.

This capability is available with the export-script.properties file. This file is located at [Ephesoft_Directory]\SharedFolders\property\export.script.properties

Release 4.5.0.0 also resolves an observed error with the Folder Management screen that relates to the TABBED_PDF plugin.

In some circumstances, the TABBED_PDF plugin would create an error when executed from the Folder Management screen:

Error in writing PDF marks

This issue has been resolved for Release 4.5.0.0.

Adding the TABBED_PDF Plugin to the Batch Class

Perform these steps to add the TABBED_PDF plugin to a batch class.

1. Log in to Transact. From the Administration section, select Batch Class Management.

2. In the Batch Class Management screen, select the batch class to configure and click Open.

3. Navigate to Modules > Export. The plugins that are currently enabled in the Export module appear.

Figure 1. Export Module with Plugins

4. To add the TABBED_PDF plugin to this module, scroll down to this plugin from the Associated Plugins menu, then click the right arrow. This activates the plugin for the Export module.

Figure 2. Activating the TABBED_PDF Plugin

5. Select (highlight) the TABBED_PDF plugin on the right, and click the up or down arrow to adjust the sequence of this plugin in relation to the other plugins.

Note: This plugin should be placed before the CLEANUP plugin, in the Export module.

6. Click Apply to apply or register the changes. Then click Deploy to activate the changes within the batch class.

The system displays a temporary confirmation message that the changes have been saved and that the workflow has been activated.

The TABBED_PDF plugin is now included in the batch class, and ready to be configured.

Configuring the TABBED_PDF Plugin

Once you have added the TABBED_PDF plugin to the Batch Class with the previous procedure, perform these steps to configure the TABBED_PDF plugin:

1. Log in to Transact. From the Administration section, select Batch Class Management.

2. In the Batch Class Management screen, select the batch class to configure and click Open.

3. Navigate to Modules > Export. The plugins that are currently enabled in the Export module appear. The TABBED_PDF plugin should be visible in the Export module.

Figure 3. Export Module > TABBED_PDF Plugin

4. Select (click on) the TABBED_PDF plugin. The Plugin Configuration screen for the TABBED_PDF plugin appears on the right.

Figure 4. Plugin Configuration for TABBED_PDF Plugin

5. Complete the fields on this screen. Required fields are indicated with an asterisk.

Field Description
Tabbed PDF Switch:* Select ON or OFF to enable or disable this switch.

ON — enables the plugin

OFF (default) — disables the plugin

Tabbed PDF Export Folder:* By default, this folder is set to the following location:

[Ephesoft_Directory]\SharedFolders\tabbed-pdf-export-folder

You can change this location if desired. Enter a new path if you do not wish to use the default location.

Tabbed PDF Placeholder:* Use this setting to define how the document tabs are created, in the exported PDF.

YES — If this switch is set to YES, this plugin will create the document tabs in the PDF file on the basis of order or priority of document types, which are defined in the export-script.properties file.

NO (default) — If this switch is set to NO, this plugin will create document tabs in the PDF on the basis of documents present in batch.xml.

Tabbed PDF Property file:* By default, this file is set to the following location:

[Ephesoft_Directory]\SharedFolders\property\export-script.properties

You can change this location if desired.

You can specify which document type should come first, second, and last in the TABBED_PDF plugin. This capability is available with the export-script.properties file.

Tabbed PDF Creation Parameters:* By default, the parameters set for this plugin are as follows:

-q -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=pdfwrite

You can adjust these parameters if desired.

-q: Quiet startup: suppress normal startup messages, and also do the equivalent of -dQUIET.

-dBATCH: Causes Ghostscript to exit after processing all files named on the command line, rather than going into an interactive loop reading PostScript commands. Equivalent to putting -c quit at the end of the command line.

-dNOPAUSE: Disables the prompt and pause at the end of each page. Normally one should use this (along with -dBATCH) when producing output on a printer or to a file; it also may be desirable for applications where another program is “driving” Ghostscript.

Additional Ghost script information is available at the following website:

https://ghostscript.com/doc/9.22/Use.htm#Output_device

Tabbed PDF Optimization Parameters:* By default, the optimization parameters set for this plugin are as follows:

-dQUITE -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook

Additional Ghost script information is available at the following website:

https://ghostscript.com/doc/9.22/Use.htm#Output_device

PDF Optimization Switch:* Use this field to enable or disable the PDF Optimization Switch. This switch determines whether the exported PDF file will be optimized.

ON (default) — Enables PDF optimization

OFF — Disables PDF optimization

Output PDF Version:* Use this field to define the PDF version for the output file.

Supported versions are:

  • 1.4
  • 1.5
  • 1.6
  • 1.7

6. Click Apply to register these changes.

7. Click Deploy to activate these changes for the TABBED_PDF plugin in this batch class.

8. Click Close to complete the configuration of the TABBED_PDF plugin in this batch class.

9. You can now export with normal steps.

This plugin will manage itself and merge all incoming, multi-page PDF files to form a single tabbed PDF to export.

  • The PDF file is defined in the switch setting for the Tabbed PDF Placeholder.
  • This plugin creates the exported, bookmarked PDF in the export folder.
  • This plugin also merges all multi-page PDF files, according to the defined order or priority of document types.
  • The document types are defined in the export-script.properties or batch.xml file, which is configured in the Tabbed PDF Placeholder switch settings.