PrintBOS Release Notes
Version 4.2.3UPD#1
August 2008
These Release Notes include the latest information about PrintBOS version 4.2.3, 4.2.1UPD, 4.2.1 & 4.2.
CONTENTS
I. Enhancement features in Version 4.2.3UPD#1
II. Enhancement features in Version 4.2.3
III. Enhancement features in Version 4.2.1UPD
IV. Enhancement features in Version 4.2.1
V. News about Version 4.2 and Miscellaneous Features
VI. Known open issues & Limitations
VII. END OF LIFE for old versions.
I. Enhancement Features in Version 4.2.3UPD#1
Version 4.2.3UPD improves Version 4.2.3 with fixes and enhancements:
1. New feature of formatting numbers. Now one can control the formatting of numbers in the output. The numbering format will be set per Queue according to the regional setting (Default), or by a custom setting. This feature answers special international/ local numbers formatting requirements.
For example: 123,456,789.00 (English USA format)
123.456.789,00 (Brazilian format)
123 456 789,00 (Russian)
etc.
For more details, look at the "Number formatting" document, in the "Documentation" folder.
2. New option of formatting the output file name. In 4.2.3UPD#1 one can control the default output file name, for each "output file" destination. The output file name can contain by default the job number, the user name, Queue name, Group name, date, etc. One can also choose whether to create sub folder for each output, in case of multi files destination or not. One can also choose the format for numbering the different copies of that job, etc.
Here are some examples of output file names, which can be configured in PB:
J0000001_joe_PC-JOE_string.pdf
J0000002_Group2_Copy#1.pdf
J0000002_Group2_Copy#2.pdf
J0000002_##1.pdf
J0000002_##2.pdf
etc.
3. New option of designing a global cover page. First and last page will be cover pages for each job, defined for each queue, and not dependent by any template.
4. New property was added in the designer to the table object. It is called: "Skip empty lines". Now you can choose weather or not you want to skip an empty line, or show it as empty line in the output. In this version, for old templates, where this property was not assigned, empty tags and empty lines are ignored and space is reduced. In relation to the former issue - "Skip empty lines" options - When you want to skip empty lines, and for any reason in the coming job all the lines in that section are empty, the output can be strange: you will get a table header, but the table body will be entirely empty.
To avoid this case, you need to locate the table fields in a new subsection and apply the trigger on the subsection.
5. A new control file can be configured for fixing problems with PCL jobs. Under PrintBOS main folder, you can create a text file named: 'pclcommands.txt', and add there PCL commands that PB still doesn't recognize as PCL commands. To make PB ignore PCL commands you can add those commands to the file, and PB will ignore them.
Examples of PVL commands:
(8H
&a3L
&a120v
(The first character is 'ESC' - ASCII 27)
For more details, please consult our support.
6. New option of sending script parameters as a part of an XML job.
The parameters that are sent can be used as parameters in PB scripts, like any other PB script parameters.
For more details, please consult PrintBOS support.
II. Enhancement Features in Version 4.2.3
Version 4.2.3 improves Version 4.2.1UPD with fixes and major enhancements:
1. New option for Multi-Templates XML jobs. It is possible to create now XML jobs that can use several templates to create a dynamic output.
The control on the templates that will be used to create the dynamic output is done by pointing out inside the job what templates numbers will be used for creating the output for that job. One can use more than one template number out of a list of numbers. This feature enhances the capability to create dynamic output jobs with input from several enterprise applications sources. A large telecom customer is using this feature to create output files with integrated data from ERP, CRM & billing systems.
For more details, please contact our support.
2. New installation procedure that allows setup of PrintBOS in service mode.
3. New uninstall procedure.
4. New "StartNewPage" script function with the option to enable/disable page header.
5. "Pay-Per-Use" license option (count and limit by license the # of output pages).
6. New designing feature - Text flow within columns (Newspaper style).
7. "Print to output file". This feature replaces the need to use PrintBOS Archive module for the same purpose and containing new file type saving options - PostScript & PCL.
8. Improved TCP\IP connection to PrintBOS.
9. New printing & preview options in PrintBOS agent. (Via "Datalogic" 3rd party software). This option requires additional license and royalties' payment. Contact Mr. Amir Gil for details.
10. Web Service connection new option usage of Win32-dll for calling Web Service from PrintBOS Script.
11. Sub template Substitution Editor.
- A new editor application to support substitutions of sub templates according to users defined rules.
12. Support for duplex printing in stream-in.
13. Print preview of sub-templates from the PrintBOS designer.
14. Trim sub-template object.
Trim a whole sub-template by a TrimObj script function, or by a trigger on a tag.
15. Grouping of sub-templates.
There is a new possibility to create a group for several sub-Templates inside a template.
III. Enhancement Features in Version 4.2.1UPD
Version 4.2.1UPD improves Version 4.2.1 with bug fixes and enhancements features as follows:
1. In general, Version 4.2.1UPD supports backward compatibility to Versions 4.01, 4.2, and 4.2.1.
2. Certified SAP-PrintBOS connectivity of XSF, RDI and IDOC formats with SAP AG.
Please ask for PBConnector-XSF 4.2 and PBConnector-RDI 4.2.
3. Support the Archiving of multiple JPEG files using automatic naming convention.
4. Support big file size attachments for sending in email.
5. Allows configuring of any SMTP port for sending emails.
6. Allows configuring of any LPR port for communicating with PrintBOS Agent.
7. Support Slovenian character set when printing formatted document.
8. Allows PrintBOS Agent to print PDF documents without opening Acrobat Reader.
9. Improve interactive design work with enhanced and faster drag & drop functionality.
10. Improve installation plug & play based of fax Message Managers client.
11. Support TIFF Grey Scale when sending fax with Message Manager.
12. Improve communication channel with SAP systems when receiving job.
13. Improve throughput with qualified output PDFs in multi-process mode.
14. Updated Online Help and Tutorials.
IV. Enhancement Features in Version 4.2.1
Version 4.2.1 improves Version 4.2 with bug fixes and enhancements features as follows:
1. Allows setup the number of running print processes up to the licensed maximum number.
2. Support 2 dimensional QR Denso barcode. QR Code is a kind of two dimensional symbology developed by Denso Wave aim of being symbol that is easily interpreted by scanner equipment.
3. Support 2 dimensional PDF417 barcode. PDF417 barcode is a very high-density two dimensional symbology that can encode text, numbers, files and actual data bytes.
4. Allows to setup template ID by value.
5. Allows changing page setup of sub template.
6. Allows changing (dynamically) layout design of sub template within existing template.
7. Change the size limit of memory allocation for strings in scripts to 2500 characters.
8. Enables invocation of scripts on input fields.
9. Allows wrap text and right-to-left (RTL) from GUI.
10. Allows trimObject on grouped objects.
11. Allows inserting a sub template in existing sub template in create mode.
12. Allows inserting a new page before and after an existing page.
13. Optimize PBSPY, the PrintBOS Hot Folder mechanism that enables automatic fast processing of input raw data coming over file transfer protocols such as FTP or else.
14. Script calls. Allow to call a script from within another script.
15. Automatic Ordering of Table List. Allow to select automatic vertical or horizontal ordering of items in a table list.
16. Support Pre-Process. A new mechanism that invokes a PrintBOS script or a 3rd party DLL on incoming jobs.
17. Dynamic page break in stream-in. Allows to link page break script to a specific input tag.
V. News about Version 4.2 and Miscellaneous Features
Version 4.2 improves stability in multi-process operation and enhances support of stream-in XML, XSF, and RDI with a new look & feel Designer Tool.
Version 4.2 includes numerous fixes to minor problems that were discovered after the release of version 4.01.
A complete list of these is available from Consist Technologies Ltd.
2. Stream-in Support
a. A new Designer enables intuitive design and template
b. Support XML, XSF, and RDI as input data.
c. No limitation of hierarchy levels.
d. Support links to external templates (sub-templates).
e. Support multiple of nesting levels links to external templates (sub-templates).
f. Support page break (start new page).
g. Support adding Cover and Appendix.
h. A new engine that better supports any created stream-in data by the new Designer.
i. See below "Known Problems & Limitations".
2. New License Options
a. Page-in and Stream-in printing modes.
b. Barcode.
c. Labels.
d. Charts.
e. Multi Process (1, 2, 3, 4).
f. Designer Tool.
g. Virtual Printing (AS/400).
h. Site License.
3. Inline Attribute
Improve inline attributes such as bold, italic, underline for text in both, page-in and stream-in printing modes.
4. Error Handling
Expand the use of error handling throughout the code.
Improve LogViewer tracer for local & remote debugging.
5. Stop Job Mechanism
Stop the engine from printing when output product may be corrupted Job will be held in the Queue until the problem would be fixed, and then released for execution.
6. Archive
Support Archive of PDF files from multiple different output queues to different folders.
7. Barcode
Support 2D Denso barcode.
8. Fax Output
Support TIFF G4 in Fax output.
9. Email Distribution
Email distribution allows to post up to 500 recipients.
10. Heavy thick dash line
Printout correctly 0.1mm dash lines.
11. Wrap Text
Support wrapping text in a table cell (via script).
12. Text Visualization
Switch between Visual and Logical text presentation done via scripts BsVisualToLogical" and "BsLogicalToVisual".
13. Interface to Printer Status
Provide an LPQ interface to acquire printer status.
14. Support Structured Parameters in Scripts
Allows to transferring unlimited number of parameters to a scripting function via structure.
15. Enhance database access
Implement access to database using user and password authentication scheme (via script).
16. Automatic PDF setup for Multi Process
Automatic creation and assignment of PDF Writer for each process that would work in multi process mode.
17. A New Import/Export Dialog
Implement a new "Import/Export" dialog in the Designer "Tools" that enables to import and export single and multiple selections of Templates, sub templates, Scripts, and Images.
VI. Known Open Issues & Limitations
1. In general, the New Stream-in supports backward compatibility. This means that the New Stream-in implementation may execute "old" templates from Version 4.01 with no problems. However, if an "old" template is opened in the designer Tool, we do recommend using print preview.
2. It is recommended to print preview "old" RDI based templates (from Version 4.01) before production.
3. If "Uninstall" before new PrintBOS installation is required, then make sure to stop any of the PrintBOS
PrintBOS Version 4.2.3
