KB85663280: Automation Engine - How to create XML files for Dynamic Step & Repeat Tasks

Description

Automation Engine 12.2 introduced "Step & Repeat Tabular (Dynamic)" and "Step & Repeat Template based (Dynamic)" tasks.

These tasks are able to handle multiple input files at once and assign them to individual step and repeat grids. Input files are paired with grids based on a simple rule: the first grid is filled by the first input file, the second grid is filled by the second input file and so on.

This rule works fine for the majority of use cases but cannot handle the following cases:

• Use multiple files to fill single step and repeat grid
• Specify page range for multi-page input file to be used in your job
• Specify how many times you want to repeat the pages

The XML input file format was specified in order to address issues mentioned above. The XML file format allows specifying a run list which will be used for one step and repeat grid. The XML file will be paired with the grid using the simple rule described above.

It is possible to specify the following:

• Point to multiple single or multi-page files
• Page range for each file
• Number of repeats for each file

XML File Format Specification

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<RunList version="1.0">
   <RunListItem>
      <FileName>file://aeserver/ExampleJobContainer/ExampleJob/multi-page.pdf</FileName>
      <FirstPage>1</FirstPage>
      <LastPage>100</LastPage>
      <Repeats>1</Repeats>
   </RunListItem>
   <RunListItem>
      ...
   </RunListItem>
</RunList>

Examples

Fill the grid with single page files

The step and repeat grid will be filled completely by referenced single page PDF files.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<RunList version="1.0">
   <RunListItem>
      <FileName>file://aeserver/ExampleJobContainer/ExampleJob/single-page.pdf</FileName>
      <FirstPage>1</FirstPage>
      <LastPage>1</LastPage>
      <Repeats>-1</Repeats>
   </RunListItem>   
</RunList>

Use page range from multi-page files

Use pages from 1 to 333 from a multi-page PDF file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<RunList version="1.0">
   <RunListItem>
      <FileName>file://aeserver/ExampleJobContainer/ExampleJob/multi-page.pdf.pdf</FileName>
      <FirstPage>1</FirstPage>
      <LastPage>333</LastPage>
      <Repeats>1</Repeats>
   </RunListItem>   
</RunList>

Links to multiple input files

Repeat the content of single page file 100 times and then print pages 1 to 333 from a multi-page file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<RunList version="1.0">
   <RunListItem>
      <FileName>file://aeserver/ExampleJobContainer/ExampleJob/single-page.pdf</FileName>
      <FirstPage>1</FirstPage>
      <LastPage>1</LastPage>
      <Repeats>100</Repeats>
   </RunListItem>
   <RunListItem>
      <FileName>file://aeserver/ExampleJobContainer/ExampleJob/multi-page.pdf.pdf</FileName>
      <FirstPage>1</FirstPage>
      <LastPage>333</LastPage>
      <Repeats>1</Repeats>
   </RunListItem> 
</RunList>