JetTrac JobConfig

Introduction:

Job Config is a program made to simplify the job creation and modification process by giving it a GUI (Graphical User Interface). This GUI will allow you to modify the job steps found within the JMD through an easy to use visual interface as opposed to modifying the file directly.

Please note that any files edited while setting up AcroFieldScrub should be edited using Notepad or Notepad++. Do not use Microsoft Word or Wordpad as these text editors will add formatting that will interfere with the program reading the files.

How to run JetTrac JobConfig:

To run the program, you will need to have the following files located in the same folder:

  • JobConfig.exe
  • ExitHandler.dll
  • IniFileGui.dll
  • GuiGrid.dll
  • JobConfig.ini
  • Run JetTrac JobConfig.bat

The .bat file is used to run the executable. Simply double-click this file (or right-click > Run as Administrator depending on your computer’s security settings) to open the JetTrac JobConfig GUI.

How to Use JetTrac JobConfig:

JobConfigScreenshot.png

The JetTrac JobConfig GUI contains three columns as well as three tabs along the top of the window. By default when JetTrac JobConfig opens it will use the data from the JMD located at C:\JetTrac\JobController\Server\Config\jfserver.jmd. The three tabs across the top of the window are File, Tools, and Help.

  • File:
    • o New – This option is used to create a new JMD to be edited using the JobConfig GUI.
    • o Open – Use this option to browse for and use a preexisting JMD.
    • o Save – This saves any changes made to the current JMD. Please also note that you must restart the JobController service to publish the changes.
    • o Save As – This option allows you to save the JMD somewhere other than the default location. This can be used to save changes you don’t want to overwrite in the default JMD.
    • o Exit – This closes JetTrac JobConfig.
    • Tools:
      • o Configure – This option allows you to create a new configuration .ini file for use with a module within JetTrac JobConfig.
      • Help: This section contains links to the user guides as well as version information.

In addition to the tabs across the top of the GUI, there are three columns. These columns are used to add new jobs and edit the steps for each job. The left column is the list of jobs already saved into the JMD, by default there should already be JBCError, NOJOB, and PDFJOB. These three jobs should not be deleted or edited in any way. The center column will display a list of job steps when a job from the left column is selected. Finally, the right column is list of modules available to you to add to your jobs as job steps.

Within the first column, to add a new job, click on the green plus icon then enter a job name (this name must be unique as no two jobs can have the same name). In addition, you can click on the white paper icon to copy the steps from a highlighted job and rename it to a different job name. This is useful if you wish to have a second job that is similar to the first but with minor differences. Lastly, there is the red “X” icon that will delete a selected job.

Once you have a job created and selected you can begin adding modules to the job to set up the job steps. To do this, select the module from the right column that you wish to add and click on the left arrow. Alternatively, you can double-click on the module to open up the user guide for that module. Once you have multiple job steps added to the middle column from the right column, you can use the up and down arrow buttons to move a selected job step up or down the list or the red “X” button to remove a selected job from the center column.
When the job steps you wish to run in a job are added to the center column in the order you wish to run them, you can then work on setting up each job step. You can double-click the job step in the center column to bring up the Job Step Configuration window.

JobConfigScreenshot2.png

In this window you will be able to specify the path to the files necessary to run the module used in the job step you are configuring. Each module has a different set of variables it needs to have defined in order to run. Any fields with labels highlighted in red are required and any fields with the label “n/a” should not have any value as they are not used for this module. At the bottom of the window you will see a Comment field. This field is used to add a description to the job step or a reminder of what exactly the job step is doing (ex: Email the dispatch package to the technician.). In addition, you can click the edit button once you have entered in a path to that file to edit the file itself. Once you have the required information filled out, you can click on Ok to set the changes. There is also a drop down labeled “Stop On Error” that when set to Yes will stop the progression of the job at this step if it fails to run correctly and run JBCError to log what happened, if set to No then the job will continue forward with the next steps even if this step failed. The default selection is Yes and if No is selected it should be known that if later job steps rely on the output of this step, if it fails and carries on then the job will probably break down the line.

Modifying JobConfig.ini:

The JobConfig.ini file is used to set up the modules and how they populate the JMD. This is where both the command line for the module is set up as well as the notation for how the module will work as a job step. Here’s an example of what a module should look like in the JobConfig.ini file: 

module4=JTBookmark|!f Job_Name * * * * * JTBookmark * * S|!x JTBookmark * C: \JetTrac\Programs\JTBookmark\JTBookmark.exe “””@InFile.”” “”@OutFile.”” “”@MDFName.”” “”@LogFile.””” “Adds Bookmarks for Categories”|*Config file|n/a|n/a|n/ a|*Input PDF|*Output PDF|http://protechinc.com/JetTrac-Bookmark

In order to correctly set up the JobConfig.ini file you will need to know the command line for the module. The following is the layout of this line.

module#=ModuleName|!fJob_Name * * * * * ModuleName * * S|The Full !x from the JMD for the module|Label1|Label2|Label3|Label4|InputLabel|OutputLabel|URL to user guide

Here is a description of what to replace on each portion of this line:

  • The # in module# needs to be replaced by a whole number. This number just needs to be unique from the numbers you assign to each other module in the JobConfig.ini file. This number will be used to determine the order in which the modules display in JetTrac JobConfig.
  • The two locations with ModuleName simply need to have the module name as it is found in the JMD.
  • The section labeled “The Full !x from the JMD for the module” should be replaced by the full !x from the JMD for this module.
  • Label1 through Label4 are the labels for each of the fields in the Job Step Configuration window of the JobConfig GUI. Label1 is for the MDFName, Label2 is the PreambleName, Label3 is the MACRONUMBER, and Label4 is the LoadFlag. For example, if the MDFName variable for the module is the configuration .ini file, this label should be something like “Configuration .INI File”. You can add an asterisk to the beginning of a label to have it highlighted in red and marked as required in the GUI.
  • The InputLabel and the OutputLabel sections of the line are for the last two field in the Job Step Configuration page of the JobConfig GUI. These two fields should either be labeled “Input XML” or “Input PDF”, and “Output XML” or “Output PDF” respectively. This all depends on the type of input and output the specific module requires.
  • The final section of the line is the URL to the user guide for the module. This changes what will open when you double-click on the module within the right column of the JobConfig GUI.

 

Additional Notes:

Any changes made to JobConfig.ini must be saved and JobConfig must be closed and reopened to see the changes. Also, when setting up jobs using the JetTrac JobConfig GUI make sure that the JMD is not currently open.