Reference and Troubleshooting

Command File Types

Command Files Specifications

Command files contain instructions for the print process. These instructions are expressed with Loftware commands. Commands are executed one at a time from beginning to the end of the file. The files support Unicode formatting, so you can include multi-lingual contents. Command files come in three different flavors.

CSV Command File

The commands available in CSV command files are a subset of Loftware commands. The following commands are available: LABEL, SET, PORT, PRINTER and PRINT.

CSV stands for Comma Separated Values. CSV file is a text file in which values are delimited by comma (,) character. Such text file can contain Unicode value (important for multi-language data). Each line in the CSV command file contains commands for a single label print action.

The first row in a CSV command file must contain commands and variable names. The order of commands and names is not important, but all records in the same data stream must follow the same structure. Variable name-value pairs are extracted automatically and sent to the referenced label. If the variable with the name from CSV does not exist on the label, no error message is displayed.

Sample CSV Command File

The sample presents the structural view on the fields that you can use in the CSV command file.

@Label,@Printer,@Quantity,@Skip,@IdenticalCopies,NumberOfSets,@Port,Product_ID, Product_Name
label1.nlbl, CAB A3 203 DPI, 100, , , , , 100A, Product 1
label2.nlbl, Zebra R-402, 20, , , , , 200A, Product 2

CSV Commands Specification

The commands in the first line of data must be expressed with at (@) character. The fields without @ at the beginning are names of variables. These fields are extracted with their values as name-value pairs.

@Label: Specifies the label name to be used. It's a good practice to include label path and filename. Make sure the service user can access the file. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources in Loftware Automation user guide. A required field.
@Printer: Specifies the printer to be used. It overrides the printer defined in the label. Make sure the service user can access the printer. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources. Optional field.
@Quantity: Specifies the number of labels to be printed. Possible values: numeric value, VARIABLE or UNLIMITED. For more information, see section Print Label. A required field.
@Skip: Specifies the number of labels to be skipped at the beginning of the first printed page. This feature is useful if you want to re-use the partially printed sheet of labels. Optional field.
@IdenticalCopies: Specifies the number of label copies that should be printed for each unique label. This feature is useful when printing labels with data from database or when you use counters, and you need label copies. Optional field.
@NumberOfSets: Specifies the number of times the printing process should repeat. Each label set equals a single occurrence of printing process. Optional field.
@Port: Specifies the port name for the printer. You can override the default port as specified in the printer driver. You can also use it to redirect printing to file. Optional field.
Other field names: All other fields define names of variables from the label. The field contents are saved to the variable of the same name as its value.

JOB Command File

JOB command file is a text file that contains Loftware commands. The commands execute in top-to-bottom order. The commands usually start with LABEL (to open label), then SET (to set variable value) and finally PRINT (to print label). For more information about the available commands, see section Using Custom Commands.

Sample JOB Command File

This JOB file open label2.nlbl, sets variable values and prints a single label. Because no PRINTER command is used to redirect printing, the gets printed using the printer name as defined in the label.

LABEL "label2.nlbl"
SET code="12345"
SET article="FUSILLI"
SET ean="383860026501"
SET weight="1,0 kg"
PRINT 1

XML Command File

The commands available in the XML Command files are a subset of Loftware commands. The following commands are available: LOGIN, LABEL, SET, PORT, PRINTER, SESSIONEND, SESSIONSTART and SESSIONPRINT. The syntax for these commands differs to some extent if they are used in an XML file.

Root element in the XML Command file is <Nice_Commands>. The next element that must follow is <Label>. This element specifies the label to be used.

To start printing the labels , there are two available methods: print labels normally using the element <Print_Job>, or print labels in a session using the element <Session_Print_Job>. You can also change the printer to which the labels are printed, and additionally set the variable value.

Sample XML Command File

The sample below serves as a structural overview of the elements and their attributes as you can use them in an XML command file.

<nice_commands>    <label name="label1.nlbl">        <session_print_job printer="CAB A3 203DPI" skip=0 job_name="job name 1" print_to_file="filename 1">            <session quantity="10">                <variable name="variable name 1" >variable value 1</variable>            </session>        </session_print_job>        <print_job printer="Zebra R-402" quantity="10" skip=0 identical_copies=1 number_of_sets="1" job_name="job name 2" print_to_file="filename 2">            <variable name="variable1" >1</variable>            <variable name="variable2" >2</variable> 
            <variable name="variable3" >3</variable>        </print_job>    </label></nice_commands>

XML Command File Specification

This section contains description of the XML Command file structure. There are several elements that contain attributes. Some attributes are required while the others are optional. Some attributes can occupy pre-defined values only, while for the others, you can specify custom values.

<Nice_Commands>: This is a root element.
<Label>: Specifies the label file to be opened. If the label is already opened, it does not re-open. The label file must be accessible from this computer. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources. This element can occur several times within the command file.
- Name: This attribute contains label name. You can include the path along with the label name. Required.
<Print_Job>: The element that contains data for a single label job. This element can occur several times within the command file.
- Printer:: Use this attribute to override the printer defined in the label. The printer must be accessible from this computer. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources. Optional.
- Quantity: Use this attribute to specify the number of labels to be printed. Possible values: numeric value, VARIABLE or UNLIMITED. For more information on parameters, see section Print Label. Required.
- Skip: Use this attribute to specify how many labels should be skipped at the beginning. This feature is useful if you print a sheet of labels to laser printer, but the sheet is partial already printed. For more information, see the see section Print Label. Optional.
- Job_name: Use this attribute to specify the name of your job file. The specified name is visible in the print spooler. For more information, see section Set print job name. Optional.
- Print_to_file: Use this attribute to specify the file name to which you want to save the printer commands. For more information, see section Redirect Printing to File. Optional.
- Identical_copies: Use this attribute to specify the number of copies you need for each label. For more information, see section Print Label. Op
<Session_Print_Job>: The element that contains commands and data for one or more sessions. The element can contain one or more <Session> elements. It considers session print rules. You can use this element several times within the command file. For available attributes, look up the attributes for the <Print_Job> element. All of them are valid, you just cannot use the quantity attribute. See the description of <Session> element to find out how to specify label quantity in session printing.
<Session>: The element that contains data for one session. When printing in session, all labels are encoded into a single print job and sent to the printer.
- Quantity: Use this attribute to specify the number of printed labels. Possible values: numeric value, string VARIABLE, or string UNLIMITED. For more information on parameters, see section Print Label. Required.
<Variable>: The element that sets the variable values on the label. This element can occur several times within the command file.
- Name: The attribute contains the variable name. Required.

XML Schema Definition (XSD) for XML Command File

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><xs:schema targetNamespace="http://tempuri.org/XMLSchema.xsd" elementFormDefault="qualified" xmlns="http://tempuri.org/XMLSchema.xsd" xmlns:mstns="http://tempuri.org/XMLSchema.xsd" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">    <xs:element name="nice_commands">        <xs:complexType>            <xs:sequence>                <xs:element name="label" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="1">                    <xs:complexType>                        <xs:sequence>                            <xs:element name="print_job" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">                                <xs:complexType>                                    <xs:sequence>                                        <xs:element name="database" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">                                            <xs:complexType>                                                <xs:simpleContent>                                                    <xs:extension base="xs:string">                                                        <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                                    </xs:extension>                                                </xs:simpleContent>                                            </xs:complexType>                                        </xs:element>                                        <xs:element name="table" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">                                            <xs:complexType>                                                <xs:simpleContent>                                                    <xs:extension base="xs:string">                                                        <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                                    </xs:extension>                                                </xs:simpleContent>                                            </xs:complexType>                                        </xs:element>                                        <xs:element name="variable" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">                                            <xs:complexType>                                                <xs:simpleContent>                                                    <xs:extension base="xs:string">   
                                                        <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                                    </xs:extension>                                                </xs:simpleContent>                                            </xs:complexType>                                        </xs:element>                                    </xs:sequence>                                    <xs:attribute name="quantity" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                    <xs:attribute name="printer" type="xs:string" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="skip" type="xs:integer" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="identical_copies" type="xs:integer" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="number_of_sets" type="xs:integer" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="job_name" type="xs:string" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="print_to_file" type="xs:string" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="print_to_file_append" type="xs:boolean" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="clear_variable_values" type="xs:boolean" use="optional" />                                </xs:complexType>                            </xs:element>                            <xs:element name="session_print_job" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">                                <xs:complexType>                                    <xs:sequence>                                        <xs:element name="database" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">                                            <xs:complexType>                                                <xs:simpleContent>                                                    <xs:extension base="xs:string">       
                                                        <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                                    </xs:extension>                                                </xs:simpleContent>                                            </xs:complexType>                                        </xs:element>                                        <xs:element name="table" maxOccurs="unbounded" minOccurs="0">                                            <xs:complexType>                                                <xs:simpleContent>                                                    <xs:extension base="xs:string">                                                        <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                                    </xs:extension>                                                </xs:simpleContent>                                            </xs:complexType>                                        </xs:element>                                        <xs:element name="session" minOccurs="1" maxOccurs="unbounded">                                            <xs:complexType>                                                <xs:sequence>                                                    <xs:element name="variable" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">                                                        <xs:complexType>    
                                                            <xs:simpleContent>                                                                <xs:extension base="xs:string">                                                                    <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                                                
                                                                </xs:extension>       
                                                            </xs:simpleContent>                                                        </xs:complexType>                                                    </xs:element>                                                </xs:sequence>                                                <xs:attribute name="quantity" type="xs:string" use="required" />                                            </xs:complexType>                                        </xs:element>                                    </xs:sequence>                                    <xs:attribute name="printer" type="xs:string" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="skip" type="xs:integer" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="job_name" type="xs:string" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="print_to_file" type="xs:string" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="print_to_file_append" type="xs:boolean" use="optional" />                                    <xs:attribute name="clear_variable_values" type="xs:boolean" use="optional" />                                </xs:complexType>                            </xs:element>                        </xs:sequence>                        <xs:attribute name="name" type="xs:string" use="required" />                        <xs:attribute name="close" type="xs:boolean" use="optional" />                        <xs:attribute name="clear_variable_values" type="xs:boolean" use="optional" />                    </xs:complexType>                </xs:element>            </xs:sequence>            <xs:attribute name="quit" type="xs:boolean" use="required" />        </xs:complexType>    </xs:element></xs:schema>

Oracle XML Specifications

Oracle defines the XML format so that the XML contents can be understood, parsed and printed on labels. The XML Document Type Definition (DTD) defines the XML tags that are used in an XML file. Oracle generates XML files according to this DTD, and any 3rd party software translates XML files according to this DTD.

To execute an Oracle XML command file, use the Run Oracle XML Command File action.

XML DTD

The following is the XML DTD that is used while forming an XML for both – synchronous and asynchronous XML formats. The DTD defines elements that are used in the XML file, list of their attributes, and next level elements.

<!ELEMENT labels (label)*><!ATTLIST labels _FORMAT CDATA #IMPLIED><!ATTLIST labels _JOBNAME CDATA #IMPLIED><!ATTLIST labels _QUANTITY CDATA #IMPLIED><!ATTLIST labels _PRINTERNAME CDATA #IMPLIED><!ELEMENT label (variable)*><!ATTLIST label _FORMAT CDATA #IMPLIED><!ATTLIST label _JOBNAME CDATA #IMPLIED><!ATTLIST label _QUANTITY CDATA #IMPLIED>

Sample Oracle XML

This is the Oracle XML providing data for one label (there is only one <label> element).

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?><!DOCTYPE labels SYSTEM "label.dtd"><labels _FORMAT ="Serial.nlbl" _QUANTITY="1" _PRINTERNAME="" _JOBNAME="Serial">    <label>        <variable name= "item">O Ring</variable>        <variable name= "revision">V1</variable>        <variable name= "lot">123</variable>        <variable name= "serial_number">12345</variable>        <variable name= "lot_status">123</variable>        <variable name= "serial_number_status">Active</variable>        <variable name= "organization">A1</variable>    </label></labels>

When executing this sample Oracle XML file, the label serial.nlbl is printed with the following variable values.

Variable name	Variable value
item	O Ring
revision	V1
lot	123
serial_number	12345
lot_status	123
serial_number_status	Active
organization	A1

There will be 1 printed copy of the label with spooler job name Serial. The printer name is not specified in the XML file, so the label prints to the printer as defined in the label template.

SAP AII XML Specifications

Loftware Automation can present itself as an RFID device controller, capable of encoding RFID tags and printing labels. For more information about SAP AII XML specifications, see the document SAP Auto-ID Infrastructure Device Controller Interface on SAP web page.

To execute such command file, use the Run SAP AII XML Command File action.

Sample SAP AII XML

This is the SAP AII XML providing data for one label (note that there is only one <label> element).

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><Command xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="Command.xsd">    <WriteTagData readerID="DEVICE ID">        <Item>            <FieldList format="c:\SAP Demo\SAP label.nlbl" jobName="Writer_Device20040929165746" quantity="1">            <Field name="EPC">00037000657330</Field>            <Field name="EPC_TYPE">SGTIN-96</Field>            <Field name="EPC_URN">urn:autoid:tag:sgtin:3.5.0037000.065774.8</Field>            <Field name="PRODUCT">Product</Field>            <Field name="PRODUCT_DESCRIPTION">Product description</Field>            </FieldList>        </Item>    </WriteTagData></Command>

When executing this sample SAP AI XML file, the label c:\SAP Demo\SAP label.nlbl is printed with the following variable values.

Variable name	Variable value
EPC	00037000657330
EPC_TYPE	SGTIN-96
EPC	urn:autoid:tag:sgtin:3.5.0037000.065774.8
PRODUCT	Product
PRODUCT_DESCRIPTION	Product description

There will be 1 printed copy of the label with spooler job name Writer_Device2004092916574. Printer name is not specified in the XML file, so the label will be printed using the printer that is defined in the label template.

PAS Command File

PAS command file is text file that contains Loftware LPS printing commands. The commands execute in order from top to bottom. Each PAS file must start with the *FORMAT (open label) command, and end with the *PRINTLABEL command.

PAS command file can be executed using the action Run Command File.

	Note
	If you migrated from Software to NiceLabel, you could use your existing PAS command files with NiceLabel label templates (.nlbl) *FORMAT command checks if the.nlbl file exists with the same name as .lwl.

PAS Command File Example

*FORMAT,\\127.0.0.1\labelcomputer$\labels\ML2193.lwl
*JOBNAME,PastaPallet002
*QUANTITY,1
*PRINTERNUMBER,1
Text0000,New Data
Text0001,New Data
*PRINTLABEL

	Note
	If you want to use `*PRINTERNUMBER` command, you must copy the `printr32.ini` file from LPS to `c:\Program Files\Loftware\Loftware\bin.net\Configuration`.

You can find more details about PAS commands in Loftware LPS User Guide.

Custom Commands

Using Custom Commands

Loftware commands are used in command files to control label printing. Loftware Automation executes the commands within command files in top-to-bottom order. For more details, see section Command Files Specifications.

You can use specific custom commands if they are available in your Loftware Automation product in form of an action.

Example 96. Example

It is possible to the use the SETPRINTPARAM command if you can select the Set Print Parameter action.

Loftware Commands Specification

COMMENT

;

When developing a command file, it is good practice to document your commands. This helps you decode what the script really does when you look at the code after some time. Use semicolon (;) at the beginning of the line. Everything following the semicolon is treated as comment and does not get processed.

CLEARVARIABLEVALUES

CLEARVARIABLEVALUES

This command resets variable values to their default values.

CREATEFILE

CREATEFILE <file name> [, <contents>]

This command creates a text file. Use the text file to give signal to a third party application that the print process has begun or ended, depending on the location where you put the command. Use UNC syntax for network resources. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources

DELETEFILE

DELETEFILE <file name>

Deletes the specified file. Use UNC syntax for network resources. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources.

EXPORTLABEL

EXPORTLABEL ExportFileName [, ExportVariant]

This command automates the "Export to printer" command that is available in label designer. The label is exported directly to the printer and stored in printer memory for off-line printing. The user recalls the label using printer keyboard or by sending a command file to the printer. The same functionality is available also with Store label to printer action.

	Note
	To specify the label for exporting, use the LABEL command first.

ExportFileName: This mandatory parameter defines the file name of generated printer commands.
ExportVariant: Some printers support multiple export variants. When exporting manually, the user can select the export variant in the dialog. With the EXPORTLABEL command, you have to specify which export variant you want to use. The variants are visible in the label designer after you enable the Store/Recall printing mode.

The first variant in the list has value 0. The second variant has value 1, etc.

If you do not specify any variant type, value 0 is used as default.

For more information about off-line printing, see section Using Store/Recall Printing Mode.

IGNOREERROR

IGNOREERROR <on> [,<off>]

This command specifies that the error occurring in the JOB file does not terminate the printing process if the following errors occur:

Incorrect variable name is used.
Incorrect value is sent to the variable.
Label does not exist / is not accessible.
Printer does not exist / is not accessible.

LABEL

LABEL <label name> [,<printer_name>]

This command opens the label to be printed. If the label is already loaded, it does not get re-opened. You can include the path name. Enclose the label name in double quotes if the name or path contains spaces. Use UNC syntax for network resources. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources.

The optional printer_name specifies the printer, for which the label is opened. Use this setting if you want to override the printer name that is saved in the label template. If the driver for the provided printer name is not installed or not available, the command raises an error.

MESSAGEBOX

MESSAGEBOX <message> [,<caption>]

This command logs the custom message into the trigger log. If the message contains space characters or commas, enclose the text in double quotes (").

PORT

PORT <file name> [, APPEND]

This command overrides port as defined in the printer driver and redirects printing to a file. If file path or file name contain spaces, enclose the value in double quotes ("). Use UNC syntax for network resources. For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources.

The APPEND parameter is optional. By default, the file gets overwritten. Use this parameter to append data into the existing file.

Once you use the PORT command in JOB file, it remains valid until the next PORT command, or until the end of file (whichever comes first). If you use PRINTER command after the PORT command has been executed, the PORT setting overwrites the port defined for the selected printer. If you want to use the actual port that is defined for the selected printer, you have to use another PORT command with empty value, such as PORT = "".

PRINT

PRINT <quantity> [,<skip> [,<identical label copies> [,number of label sets]]]

This command starts the printing process.

Quantity: Specifies the number of printed labels.
- <number>: The specified number of labels gets printed.
- VARIABLE: Specifies that a label variable is defined as variable quantity and that it contains the number of labels to be printed. The label determines how many labels get printed.
- UNLIMITED: If you use a database to acquire values for objects, unlimited printing prints as many labels as there are records in the database. If you do not use a database, the maximum number of labels that thermal printer internally supports gets printed.
Skip: Specifies the number of labels you want to skip on the first page. The parameter is used for printing labels on sheets of paper. If the part of the page has already been used, reuse the same sheet by shifting the starting location of the first label.
Identical label copies: Specifies how many copies of the same label must be printed.
Number of label sets. Specifies the number of times the whole printing process should repeat itself.

	Note
	Make sure the quantity values are provided as numeric value, not as a string value. Do not enclose the value in double quotes.

PRINTER

PRINTER <printer name>

This command overrides the printer as defined in the label file. If the printer name contains space characters, enclose it in double quotes (").

Use the printer name as displayed in the status line of label design application. Printer names usually match the listed names under Printers and Faxes in Control Panel, but not always. If using network printers, you might see the name displayed in syntax \\server\share.

PRINTJOBNAME

PRINTJOBNAME

This command specifies the print job name as displayed in Windows Spooler. If the name contains space characters or commas, enclose the value in double quotes (").

SESSIONEND

SESSIONEND

This command closes print stream. Also see SESSIONSTART.

	Note
	`SESSIONEND` must be sent as the only item in Send Custom Command action. If you want to send additional commands, use separate Send Custom Command actions.

SESSIONPRINT

SESSIONPRINT <quantity> [,<skip>]

This command prints the currently referenced label and adds it into the currently open session-print stream. You can use multiple SESSIONPRINT commands one after another and join the referenced labels in a single print stream. The stream does not close until you close it using SESSIONEND command. The meaning of quantity and skip parameters is the same as with NiceCommand PRINT. Also see SESSIONSTART command.

Quantity: Specifies the number of labels to be printed.
Skip: Specifies the number of labels you want to skip on the first page. The parameter is used for printing labels on sheets of paper. If the part of the page has already been used, you can reuse the same sheet by shifting the start location of the first label.

SESSIONSTART

SESSIONSTART

This command initiates the session-print type of printing.

The three session-print-related commands ( SESSIONSTART, SESSIONPRINT, SESSIONEND) are used together. When you use command PRINT, data for each label is sent to the printer in a separate print job. If you want to join label data for multiple labels into a print stream, use the session print commands. To do so, start with the SESSIONSTART command, followed by any number of SESSIONPRINT commands. The sequence ends with SESSIONEND command.

Use these commands to optimize label printing process. Printing of labels that belong to a single print job is much faster than printing labels using multiple print jobs.

Use the rules below to make sure the session print does not break:

You cannot change the label within a session.
You cannot change the printer within a session.
You must set values for all variables from the label within a session, even if some of the variables have empty values.

SET

SET <name>=<value> [,<step> [,<number or repetitions>]]

This command assigns the variable name with value. The variable must be defined on the label, or an error is raised. If the variable isn't on the label, an error occurs. Step and number of repetitions are parameters for counter variables. These parameters specify the counter increment value and the number printed labels before the counter changes value.

If a value contains spaces or comma characters, enclose the text in double quotes ("). Also see TEXTQUALIFIER.

If you want to assign a multi-line value, use \r\n to encode a newline character. \r is replaced with CR (Carriage Return) and \n is replaced with LF (Line Feed).

Be careful when setting values to variables that provide data for pictures on the label, as backslash characters might be replaced with other characters.

Example 97. Example

If you assign a value "c:\My Pictures\raw.jpg" to the variable, the "\r" is replaced with CR character.

SETPRINTPARAM

SETPRINTPARAM <paramname> = <value>

This command allows you to fine-tune the printer settings just before printing. The supported parameter for printer settings ( paramname) are:

PAPERBIN: Specifies the tray that contains label media. If the printer is equipped with more than one paper / label tray, you can control which one is used for printing. The name of the tray should be acquired from the printer driver.
PRINTSPEED: Specifies the printing speed. The acceptable values vary from one printer to the other. See printer's manuals for exact range of values.
PRINTDARKNESS: Specifies the printing darkness / contrast. The acceptable values vary from one printer to another. See printer manuals for exact range of values.
PRINTOFFSETX: Specifies the left offset for all printing objects. The value for parameter must be numeric, positive or negative, in dots.
PRINTOFFSETY: Specifies the top offset for all printing objects. The value for parameter must be numeric, positive or negative, in dots.

PRINTERSETTINGS: Specifies the custom printer settings to be applied to the print job. The parameter requires the entire DEVMODE for the target printer, provided in a Base64-encoded string. The DEVMODE contains all parameters from the printer driver at once (speed, darkness, offsets and other). For more information, see section Understanding printer settings and DEVMODE.

	Note
	The Base64-encoded string must be provided inside double quotes (").

TEXTQUALIFIER

TEXTQUALIFIER <character>

Text-qualifier is the character that embeds data value that is assigned to a variable. Whenever a data value includes space characters, it must be included with text-qualifiers. The default text qualifier is a double quote character ("). Because double quote character is used as shortcut for inch unit of measure, it is sometimes difficult to pass the data with inch marks in the JOB files. You can use two double quotes to encode one double quote, or use TEXTQUALIFIER.

Example

TEXTQUALIFIER %

SET Variable = %EPAK 12"X10 7/32"%

Access to Network Shared Resources

This section defines best practice steps for using network shared resources.

User privileges for service mode. The execution component of Loftware Automation runs in service mode under a specified user account inheriting access privileges of that account. For Loftware Automation to be able to open label files and user printer drivers, the associated user account must have granted the same privileges. For more information, see section Running in Service Mode.
UNC notation for network shares. When accessing the file on a network drive, make sure you are using the UNC syntax (Universal Naming Convention), and not the mapped drive letters. UNC is a naming convention that specifies and maps network drives. Loftware Automation tries to replace the drive-letter syntax with UNC syntax automatically.

Example 98. Example

If a file is accessible as G:\Labels\label.nlbl, refer to it in UNC notation as \\server\share\Labels\label.nlbl (where G: drive is mapped to \\server\share).

Notation for accessing files in Control Center. If you open a file in Document Storage within Control Center, you can use HTTP notation such as http://servername:8080/label.nlbl, or WebDAV notation such as \\servername@8080\DavWWWRoot\label.nlbl.

Additional notes:

User account under which the Loftware Automation service runs is also used to get files from Document Storage. This user must be configured in Control Center Configuration. This makes sure the user has access to the Document Storage files.
WebDAV access can only be used with Windows user authentication type in Control Center.

	Note
	The Document Storage is available with products LMS Enterprise and LMS Pro.

Printer drivers availability. To print labels to network shared printer, you will have to make the printer driver available on the server where Loftware Automation is installed on. Make sure the user account that Loftware Automation Service runs under has access to the printer driver. If the network printer was just installed on the machine, Loftware Automation might not see it until your restart the Service. To allow automatic notification of new network printer drivers, you have to enable the appropriate inbound rule in the Windows firewall. For more information, see the Knowledge Base article.

Losing your Label Cloud connection

If your Automation Manager is signed in to the Label Cloud, and you lose the internet connection, you must reestablish the connection in up to five days. Without reconnecting with your Label Cloud, Automation Manager closes automatically.

After losing the internet connection, and if your computer stays offline, a warning appears in 5 days. Automation Manager closes 5 minutes after you see the warning.

After you reestablish the internet connection, open Automation Builder or Automation Manager and sign in to Label Cloud. This makes your copy active again.

	Warning
	Save your work to an offline location (your computer) to prevent losing any changes.

Printing to Cloud Printers

	Note
	Available with Loftware Cloud Business or higher editions.

You want to print your labels to your Cloud Printers that are enabled in your Control Center, but you don’t see Cloud Printers in your Automation Builder.

Cloud printers are accessible through Cloud Print API defined in your Developer Portal. See more about managing Cloud Printers on Loftware Help Portal.

To print your labels to Cloud Printers, run the action HTTP Request action in Automation.

In Connection Settings > Destination (IP address:port) enter your Cloud Printer address.
In the Requested method drop-down menu, select POST.
In Content > Data enter your JSON payload that defines your label file name and location, printing quantity, printer settings, and variable data. See more about JSON payload structure for Cloud Printers in Cloud Print API topic.
In Content > Type select application/json.

JSON Payload example:

Copy

{
  "deviceType": "CloudPrinter",
  "deviceId": {
    "printerName": "Warehouse_012B"
  },
  "filePath": "/PastaExport/PalletDRI.nlbl",
  "fileRevision": "",
  "labelName": "",
  "quantity": "1",
  "dataSources": [
    {
      "Country": "Italy",
      "Exp_date": "071229",
      "Prod_code": "77SOD239"
    }
  ]
}

Document Storage and Versioning of Configuration Files

Document Storage is a functionality of Loftware Control Center. It enables the Loftware Control Center to perform as a shared file repository on the server, in which users can store their files, retrieve them, and control their revisions.

Document Storage contextual tab enables you to perform document storage actions straight from Automation Builder. This makes accessing and opening the Automation file in Loftware Control Center unnecessary.

	Note
	This contextual tab requires connection with Loftware Control Center. LMS Enterprise license is mandatory for such configurations.

Revisioning group allows you to perform the available document storage actions:

Check Out: Checks out the file from Loftware Control Center document storage and makes it available for editing. The checked-out file is marked and locked for editing for any other user. All other users will see the current revision of the file, while the author already works on a new draft.

	Note
	After opening a document from the document storage (File > Open > Document Storage), the editing commands remain disabled until you check out the document.

Check In: Checks the file to Loftware Control Center document storage after the editing is done. When you check in the file, its revision number increments by one. The entered comment is added to file log.

Discard Checkout: Discards checkout of the current file and gives other users full access to the file.

	Warning
	If you click Discard Checkout, all changes since the last file checkout will be lost.

Document Storage: Opens document storage location of the connected Loftware Control Center.

Accessing Databases

Whenever Loftware Automation needs to get data from a database, make sure that the necessary database driver is installed on the Windows system. Database drivers are provided by the company developing the database software. The driver that you install must match the bitness of your Windows system. Loftware software always runs in the bitness of your Windows system.

32-bit Windows

If you have 32-bit Windows, you can only install 32-bit database drivers. The same database driver is be used to configure the trigger in Automation Builder and to execute trigger execution in Loftware Automation Service. All Loftware Automation components run as 32-bit applications.

64-bit Windows

If you have 64-bit Windows, you can install 64-bit or 32-bit database drivers. The applications that are running in 64-bit use 64-bit database drivers. The applications that are running in 32-bit use 32-bit database drivers.

By default, Automation Service runs as 64-bit process. As such, it uses 64-bit database drivers to make a database connection. If 64-bit database drivers are not available on the system on which Automation Service is running, the database connection task offloads to the Loftware Proxy process. This process always runs as 32-bit process.

Automatic Font Replacement

You might design your label templates to print text objects using internal printer fonts. These are the fonts that are stored in your printer's memory. If you try to print such labels to a different kind or printer, the selected internal fonts might not be available. The new printer probably supports an entirely different set of internal fonts. The font layout might be similar in such case, but is available under a different name.

Font mismatch might also occur if the Truetype font that you are using on your labels is not installed on the computer on which you run Designer to design and print labels.

You can configure Designer to automatically replace the fonts used on the label with compatible fonts. I such case, Designer maps and replaces the fonts using their names. If the original font is not available, Designer uses the first available replacement font defined in the mapping table.

If there are no suitable replacement fonts, Designer uses the Arial Truetype font.

	Note
	After configuring font replacement, mapping rules execute when you change the printer for your label.

Configuring the Font Mapping

Open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder:

%PROGRAMDATA%\Loftware\Loftware
Copy fontmapping.def file to fontmapping.local.def.
Open the fontmapping.local.def file in your favorite text XML editor.
Inside the FontMappings element, create a new element with a custom name.

Inside the new element, create at least two elements named as Mapping.

Value of the first element named Mapping must contain the name of the original font.

Value of the second element named Mapping must contain the name of the replacement font.

	Note
	Additional Mapping elements with new font names are allowed. If the first replacement font is not available, Designer tries the next one. If no replacement fonts are available, Arial Truetype is used instead.

	Note
	The file fontmapping.local.def is your file and is preserved during the upgrades. On the other hand, fontmapping.def belongs to Loftware and is overwritten during the upgrades. Do not modify the fontmapping.def file.

Sample Mapping Configuration

In the example below, two font mappings are defined.

The first mapping converts any Avery font into a matching Novexx font. For example, Avery YT100 font gets replaced with Novexx YT100, Avery 1 font gets replaced with Novexx 1. If the Novexx font is not available, Arial Truetype font is used instead.
The second mapping converts Avery YT100 font into Novexx YT104. If that font is not available, then Zebra 0 font is used. If this font is also not available, Arial Truetype is used instead.
The second mapping overrides the first one.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><FontMappings>    <AveryNovexx>        <Mapping>Avery</Mapping>        <Mapping>Novexx</Mapping>    </AveryNovexx>    <TextReplacement>        <Mapping>Avery YT100</Mapping>        <Mapping>Novexx YT104</Mapping>        <Mapping>Zebra 0</Mapping>    </TextReplacement></FontMappings>

Automating Reports

Combine your business system data with labels containing Reports. Create reports in Loftware Designer and fill your reports with data from your business systems in LoftwareAutomation.

Your completed reports use your business system data to print. NiceLabel Automation:

Receives your business system data.
Parses your data with a data filter.
Populates your Report with parsed data.
Executes printing for your new populated reports with a trigger.

Creating temporary databases

You need to design your Reports before you automate them. To design reports, you need to connect them to a database.

If you use data from external business systems for reports, you have no database to work with. To work correctly, report data needs a hierarchical structure with clearly defined elements.

Create a temporary database with data from your business system (Usually XML or JSON data). With your temporary database, design and configure your reports. Your temporary database is only for setup. Configured reports print using Automation triggers, not your temporary database.

Data from your business system with no hierarchy.

Data with hierarchy you can use to print reports.

Sample XML data you need to design reports (unparsed).

For you temporary database, create a CSV text database file. You have multiple options:

Manually convert your data structure to a CSV text file:

Manually creating temporary CSV text databases.

Use a common XML to Excel or XML to CSV conversion tool and manually format your data in a spreadsheet.
Use an Automation data filter to automatically parse your data into a CSV text database.

Designing automated Reports

Open Designer to create your Report with your temporary CSV text database:

Connect your temporary CSV text database to your Report.

Design your report using your CSV text data as variables for objects in in your Repeater Definition.

	Note
	Match your variable names with data names in your data filter to map your data correctly.

Designing reports with your temporary CSV text database.

Creating data filters

Create a data filter in Automation to use in your report (Refer to your included example trigger for more information on creating XML filters):

Configuring your XML data filter.

Tips for creating data filters for reports:

You can use Structure Import Wizard to import your data structure.
Name your elements in data blocks of repeatable elements.
Set your elements as assignment areas or set sub-items as variables.

Creating triggers for your new data filter

	Note
	For your trigger to work, your data source names in Designer must match the data block field names in your data filter.

Include a Use Data Filter action to apply your data filter.

Enable Collect records for report to collect all records in a table Automation uses to open your report labels.

	Note
	Use the same data structure names in your reports, triggers, and filters.

Include a Print Label action.

Enable All (unlimited quantity).

Run your trigger. Your report now automatically updates with new data and prints with your trigger.

Changing Multi-threaded Printing Defaults

Every Loftware Automation product can take advantage of multiple processor cores – each core runs a print process independently. Half of the number of cores is used for processing concurrent normal threads, and the remaining half for processing concurrent session-print threads.

	Note
	Under normal circumstances, you never have to change the default settings. Make sure you know what you are doing when changing these defaults.

To modify the number of the concurrent print threads, do the following:

Open file product.config in text editor.

The file is located here:

%PROGRAMDATA%\Loftware\Loftware\product.config

Change the values for elements MaxConcurrentPrintProcesses and MaxConcurrentSessionPrintProcesses.

<configuration>    <IntegrationService>        <MaxConcurrentPrintProcesses>1</MaxConcurrentPrintProcesses>        <MaxConcurrentSessionPrintProcesses>1</MaxConcurrentSessionPrintProcesses>    </IntegrationService></configuration>

Save the file. Loftware Automation automatically updates the service with the new number of print threads.

Compatibility with NiceWatch Products

Loftware Automation allows you to load trigger configurations that were built using legacy NiceWatch products. In the majority of cases, you can run NiceWatch configuration using Loftware Automation without any modifications.

Loftware Automation products are using a new .NET based print engine optimized for performance and low memory footprint. The new print engine does not support each label design option that is available in the label designer. Each new release of Loftware Automation is closing the gap, but you might still come across certain unavailable features.

Resolving Incompatibility Issues

Loftware Automation warns you if you try to print existing label templates that contain design features which are not supported with the new print engine.

If there are incompatibilities with NiceWatch configuration file or label templates, Automation notifies you about:

Compatibility with trigger configuration: While opening the NiceWatch configuration (.MIS file), Loftware Automation checks it against the supported features. Not all features from NiceWatch are available in Loftware Automation. While some are not available at all, some of them are configured differently. If the MIS file contains unsupported features, you will see them listed. Automation removes these features from the configuration.

If you come across such a case, open the .MIS file in Automation Builder and resolve the incompatibility issues. You will have to use the available Loftware Automation features to re-create the removed configuration items.
Compatibility with label templates: If your existing label templates contain unsupported print engine features as provided by Loftware Automation, you will see error messages in the Log pane. This information is visible in the Automation Builder (when designing triggers) or in Automation Manager (when running the triggers).

In this case, you have to open the label file in label designer and remove unsupported features from the label.

	Note
	For more information about incompatibility issues with NiceWatch and label designers, see Loftware Automation Compatibility with NiceLabel Designers V6 and NiceWatch V5.

Opening NiceWatch Configuration for Editing

Open the existing NiceWatch configuration (.MIS file) in Automation Builder and edit it in Automation Builder. You can save the configuration as a .MISX file only.

To edit the NiceWatch configuration, do the following:

Start Automation Builder.
Go to File > Open NiceWatch File.
In the Open dialog box, browse for the NiceWatch configuration file (.MIS file).
Click OK.
If the configuration contains unsupported features, they are displayed in a list. Automation removes them from the configuration.

Opening NiceWatch Configuration for Execution

You can open NiceWatch configuration (.MIS file) in Automation Manager without conversion to the Loftware Automation file format (.MISX file). If the triggers from NiceWatch are compatible with Loftware Automation, you can start using them right away.

To open and deploy NiceWatch configuration, do the following:

Start Automation Manager.
Click +Add button.
In Open dialog box, change the file type into NiceWatch Configuration.
Browse for the NiceWatch configuration file (.MIS file).
Click OK.
Automation Manager will display the trigger from the selected configuration. To start the trigger, select it and click Start.

	Note
	If there are compatibility issues with NiceWatch configuration, open it in Automation Builder and reconfigure it.

Controlling Automation Service with Command-line Parameters

Read this section to learn how to use command prompt to:

Start or stop Automation services.
Control which configurations are loaded.
Control which triggers are active.

	Note
	Make sure you are running Command Prompt in elevated mode (with administrative permissions). Right-click `cmd.exe` and select Run as Administrator.

Starting and Stopping the Services

To start both services, use the following commands:

net start LoftwareProxyService

net start LoftwareAutomationService

If you want to open configuration file when the Service is started, use:

net start LoftwareAutomationService [Configuration]

For example:

net start LoftwareAutomationService "c:\Project\configuration.MISX"

To stop services, use the following commands:

net stop LoftwareProxyService

net stop LoftwareAutomationService

Managing the Configurations and Triggers

Loftware Automation service can be controlled using Automation Manager command-line parameters. Use the following general syntax:

LoftwareAutomationManager.exe COMMAND Configuration [TriggerName] [/SHOWUI]

	Note
	Include full path to the configuration name. Do not use the file name alone.

To ADD configuration

The provided configuration gets loaded into service. No trigger is started. If you include the /SHOWUI parameter, Automation Manager UI is started.

LoftwareAutomationManager.exe ADD c:\Project\configuration.MISX /SHOWUI

To RELOAD configuration

The provided configuration gets reloaded into service. The running status of all triggers is preserved. Reloading the configuration forces the refresh of all files cached for this configuration. For more information, see section Caching Files. If you include the /SHOWUI parameter, Automation Manager UI is started.

LoftwareAutomationManager.exe RELOAD c:\Project\configuration.MISX /SHOWUI

To REMOVE configuration

The provided configuration and all of its triggers are unloaded from service.

LoftwareAutomationManager.exe REMOVE c:\Project\configuration.MISX

To START a trigger

The referenced trigger is started in the already loaded configuration.

LoftwareAutomationManager.exe START c:\Project\configuration.MISX CSVTrigger

To STOP a trigger

The referenced trigger is stopped in the already loaded configuration.

LoftwareAutomationManager.exe STOP c:\Project\configuration.MISX CSVTrigger

Status Codes

Status codes provide feedback about the command-line execution. To enable the status codes return, use the following command-line syntax:

start /wait LoftwareAutomationManager.exe COMMAND Configuration [TriggerName] [/SHOWUI]

The status codes are captured in the errorlevel system variable. To see the status code, execute the following command:

echo %errorlevel%

List of status codes:

Status Code	Description
0	No error occurred
100	Configuration file name not found
101	Configuration cannot be loaded
200	Trigger not found
201	Trigger cannot start

Providing User Credentials for Application Authentication

If you have configured the LMS Enterprise or LMS Pro system to use Application Authentication (not Windows Authentication), you have to provide user credentials with sufficient permissions to manage the configurations and triggers.

There are two command-line parameters you can use:

-USER:[username]. Where [username] is a placeholder for the actual user name.
-PASSWORD:[password]. Where [password] is a placeholder for the actual password.

Database Connection String Replacement

Configuration file for Automation Service can include database connection string replacement commands.

You can configure the service to replace certain parts of a connection string while the trigger is running. This enables a single instance of Automation to run the same configuration, but actually use a different database server for database related functionality. This allows the user to configure triggers in development environments and run them in production environments without any changes in the configuration.

Connection string replacement logic is defined in the DatabaseConnections.Config file that is located in the Automation system folder.

Open the Automation system folder %PROGRAMDATA%\Loftware\Loftware
Create a file with the name DatabaseConnections.config.
Open the newly created file DatabaseConnections.config in a text editor and enter the sample content:
```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><DatabaseConnectionReplacements>    <Replacement>        <From>Data Source=mySQLServer</From>        <To>Data Source=NEW_mySQLServer</To>    </Replacement>    <Replacement>        <From>Initial Catalog=myDatabase</From>        <To>Initial Catalog=NEW_myDatabase</To>    </Replacement></DatabaseConnectionReplacements>
```
This sample XML is an example, where an existing trigger contains a connection to the Microsoft SQL server named mySQLServer and the database named myDatabase. You want to update the connection string to use the database NEW_myDatabase on the server NEW_mySQLServer.

Two replacement elements have to be defined – one to change the server name and one to change the database name.

Check the existing connection string in your labels, then change the <Replacement> content with the correct values.

Configuration file defines from-to pairs using its XML structure. The <Replacement> element contains one <From> and one <To> element. During trigger execution, the "from" string is replaced with the "to" string. You can define as many <Replacement> elements as necessary.

	Note
	Some connection strings use Server=servername while others use Data Source=servername. If you use the same database, you don't have to enter database names.

Edit your product.config file that is located in %PROGRAMDATA%\Loftware\Loftware. Add the element /Common/General/UseLocalReplacementStrings and assign value True:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><configuration>    <Common>        <General>        ...
            <UseLocalReplacementStrings>True</UseLocalReplacementStrings>        </General>    </Common>...
</configuration>

Restart both Automation services after adding or editing the config files.
Repeat steps 1-6 on all computers that run Automation configurations where you want to replace database connection strings.

	Note
	Database connection string replacement does not change connection strings in your label files. This procedure just overrides connection strings when printing from Automation.

Entering Special Characters (Control Codes)

Special characters or control codes are binary characters that are not represented on the keyboard. You cannot type them the way normal characters are because they must be encoded using a special syntax. You would need to use such characters when communicating with serial-port devices, receiving data on TCP/IP port, or when working with binary files, such as print files.

There are two methods of entering special characters:

Enter the characters manually using one of the described syntax examples:
- Use syntax <special_character_acronim>, such as <FF> for FormFeed, or <CR> for CarriageReturn, or <CR><LF> for newline.
- Use syntax <#hex_code>, such as <#0D> (decimal 13) for CarriageReturn or <#00> for null character.
For more information, see section List of Control Codes.
Insert the listed characters. Objects that support special characters as their content have an arrow button on their right side. The button contains a shortcut to all of the available special characters. When you select a character in the list, it is added to the content. For more information, see section Using Compound Values.

List of Control Codes

ASCII Code	Abbreviation	Description
1	SOH	Start of Heading
2	STX	Start of Text
3	ETX	End of Text
4	EOT	End of Transmission
5	ENQ	Inquiry
6	ACK	Acknowledgment
7	BEL	Bell
8	BS	Back Space
9	HT	Horizontal Tab
10	LF	Line Feed
11	VT	Vertical Tab
12	FF	Form Feed
13	CR	Carriage Return
14	SO	Shift Out
15	SI	Shift In
16	DLE	Data Link Escape
17	DC1	XON - Device Control 1
18	DC2	Device Control 2
19	DC3	XOFF - Device Control 3
20	DC4	Device Control 4
21	NAK	Negative Acknowledgment
22	SYN	Synchronous Idle
23	ETB	End Transmission Block
24	CAN	Cancel
25	EM	End of Medium
26	SUB	Substitute
27	ESC	Escape
28	FS	File Separator
29	GS	Group Separator
30	RS	Record Separator
31	US	Unit Separator
188	FNC1	Function Code 1
189	FNC2	Function Code 2
190	FNC3	Function Code 3
191	FNC4	Function Code 4

Licensing and Printer Usage

Depending on the license type, your Loftware product might be limited to a number of printers you can use simultaneously. In case of a multi-user license Loftware keeps track of the number and names of different printers you have used for printing on all Loftware clients in your environment. The unique printer identifier is a combination of printer driver name (not printer name), printer location and port.

"To use a printer" means that one of the below listed actions has been taken within the Automation configuration:

Each of these actions signalizes that a printer has been used. The associated printer is added to the list of used printers and remains listed for 7 days since last usage. To remove a printer from the list, do not use it for a period of 7 days and it will be removed automatically. The software displays the Last Used information so you know when the 7-day period passes for each printer. You can bind a printer seat to a specific printer by clicking the Reserved check box. Reservation ensures printer availability at all times – even if a printer has been idle for more than 7 days.

	Warning
	If you exceed the number of seats defined by your license, the software enters the 30-day grace period. While in this mode, the number or allowed printers is temporarily increased to twice the number of printers allowed by license.

Grace period provides plenty of time to resolve licensing issues without any printing downtime or loss of ability to design labels. Exceeded number of allowed printers is usually an effect of printer replacement in your environment. It happens if old and new printers are used simultaneously, or if you add new printers. If you do not resolve license violation within the 30-day grace period, the number of available printers is reduced to the number of purchased seats starting with the last used printer on the list.

	Tip
	To learn more about Loftware licensing, read the dedicated document – Loftware Licensing.

Running in Service Mode

Loftware Automation runs as a Windows service and is designed not to require any user intervention while processing data and executing actions. The service is configured to start when the operating system is booted and runs in the background for as long as Windows is running. Loftware Automation remembers the list of all loaded configurations and active triggers. The last-known state is automatically restored when the server restarts.

The service runs with privileges of the user account selected during the installation. The service inherits all access permissions of that user account, including access to network shared resources, such as network drives, and printer drivers. Use the account of an existing user with sufficient privileges, or even better, create a dedicated account just for Loftware Automation.

You can manage the service by launching the Services from Windows Control Panel. In a modern Windows operating system, you can also manage the services using Services tab in Windows Task Manager. You would use Services to execute tasks such as:

Starting and stopping the service.
Changing the account under which the service logs on.

Good Practices Configuring the User Account for Service

While being possible, it is considered a bad practice to run the service under the Local System Account. This is a predefined local Windows account with extensive privileges on the local computer, but is usually without privileges to access network resources. Loftware Automation requires full access to the account's %temp% folder, which might not be available for Local System Account.
If creating a new user account for Loftware Automation service, make sure that you log in Windows with this new user for at least once. This makes sure that the user account is fully created. E.g., when you log in, the temporary %temp% folder is created.
Disable the requirement to occasionally change password for this user account.
Make sure the account has permissions to Log on as service.
Run the Service in x64 (64-bit) mode.

Accessing Resources

Loftware Automation inherits all privileges from the Windows user account under which the service runs. The service executes all actions under that account name. Label can be opened if the account has permissions to access the file. Label can be printed if the account has access to the printer driver.

If using revision control system and approval steps inside Document Storage in Control Center, you have to make the service's user account a member of the 'Print-Only' profile, such as Operator. When done, configure access permissions for the specific folder to read-only mode or profile Operator. This makes sure that Loftware Automation only uses the approved labels, not drafts.

For more information, see section Access to Network Shared Resources.

Service Mode: 32-bit vs 64-bit

Loftware Automation can run on 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) systems natively. The execution mode is auto-determined by the Windows operating system. Loftware Automation runs in 64-bit mode on 64-bit Windows, and in 32-bit mode on 32-bit Windows.

Printing: There are benefits of running Automation as a 64-bit process, such as direct communication with the 64-bit printer Spooler service on 64-bit Windows. This eliminates the well-known issue caused by the SPLWOW64.EXE, which is a 'middleware' that enables 32-bit applications to use the 64-bit printer spooler service.
Database access: While running as a 64-bit process, Loftware Automation Service requires the 64-bit version of database drivers to be able to access the data. For more information, see section Accessing Databases.

	Note
	If you don't have 64-bit database drivers for your database, you cannot use Loftware Automation in 64-bit mode. You have to install it on a 32-bit system, or force it to run in 32-bit mode.

Forcing x86 Operation Mode on Windows x64

There might be reasons to run Loftware Automation as a 32-bit application on 64-bit Windows.

To force Loftware Automation into x86 mode on Windows x64, do the following:

Select Start > Run.
Type in regedit and press Enter.
Navigate to the key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\LoftwareAutomationService

Change the file name to LoftwareAutomationService.x86.exe, while keeping the existing path.
Restart Loftware Automation service.

	Warning
	It is not recommended to change the Loftware Automation service mode. If you decide to change it anyway, make sure you perform an extensive trigger testing before deploying the configuration in production environment.

Search Order for Requested Files

When loading a specified label or image file, Loftware Automation tries to locate the requested file on multiple predefined locations.

Loftware Automation locates the file in the following order:

Check if the file exists on the location as specified by the action.
Check if the file exists in the same folder as the configuration file (.MISX).
Check if the label file exists in .\Labels folder (for graphic files check .\Graphics folder).
Check if the label file exists in ..\Labels folder (for graphic files check ..\Graphics folder).
Check if the file exists in the global Labels folder (Graphics folder for graphics files) as configured in the options.

If the file is not found on any of these locations, the action fails and the error is raised.

Securing Access to your Triggers

Certain deployments require secured access to the triggers. Loftware Automation allows you to enable security measures that grant trigger access only to trustworthy network devices. Security configuration depends on the trigger type. Some of the trigger types allow configuration of security access by design. For all triggers that are based on TCP/IP protocol, you can further define all details within the Windows Firewall.

Configuring Firewall

When using TCP/IP based triggers, such as TCP/IP Server Trigger, HTTP Server Trigger or Web Service Trigger make sure you allow external applications to connect to the triggers. Each trigger runs within Loftware Automation service, to which access is governed by Windows Firewall.

	Note
	By default, the Windows Firewall is configured to allow all inbound connections to the Loftware Automation service. This makes it easier for you to configure and test triggers, but can be susceptible to unauthorized access.

If the Loftware Automation deployment in your company is a subject to strict security regulations, you must update the firewall rules according to them.

For example:

You can fine-tune the firewall to accept incoming traffic from well-known sources only.
You can allow inbound data only on pre-defined ports.
You can allow connection only from certain users.
You can define on which interfaces your will accept incoming connection.

To make changes in the Windows Firewall, open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security management console from Control Panel > System And Security -> Windows Firewall > Advanced Settings.

	Note
	If Loftware Automation is linked to Loftware Control Center products, make sure you enable inbound connection on port 56415/TCP. If you close this port, you won't be able to manage Loftware Automation from Control Center.

Allowing Access Based on the File Access Permissions

File trigger executes upon the time-stamp-change event in the monitored file or files. You must place the trigger files in a folder, which the Loftware Automation service can access. The user account running the Service must be able to access the files. Simultaneously, access permissions to the location also determine, which user and/or application can save the trigger file. You should set up access permissions in a way that only authorized users can save the files.

Allowing Access Based on the IP Address & Hostname

You can protect access to TCP/IP Server trigger with two lists of IP addresses and host names.

The first list 'Allow connections from the following hosts' contains IP addresses or host names of devices that can send data to the trigger. If a device has its IP address listed here, it is allowed to send data to the trigger.
The second list 'Deny connections from the following hosts' contains IP addresses or host names of devices that are not allowed to send data. If a device has its IP address listed here, it is not allowed to send data to the trigger.

Allowing Access Based on User names & Passwords

You can protect access to HTTP Server trigger by enabling the user authentication. When enabled, each HTTP request sent to the HTTP Server trigger must include the 'user name & password' combination that matches the defined combination.

Allowing Access Based on Application Group Membership

You can protect access to HTTP Server trigger adding users to an application group in Control Center. With this option enabled, only authenticated members of this group are allowed to access the trigger.

Session Printing

Session printing enables printing of multiple labels using a single print job. If session printing is enabled, the printer receives, processes and prints all labels in the print job at once. As a result, printing speed increases due to continuous process of bundled label printing.

	Tip
	Session printing serves as an alternative to the normally used non-session printing, during which each label is sent to a printer as a separate print job.

	Note
	Automation activates session printing automatically based on the configuration of actions.

How does session printing start?

Session printing automatically starts if For Loop, For Every Record or For Each Line actions are present in the workflow. In such case, the nested Print Label action automatically enables session printing. This means that print actions for all items in the loop are included in a single print job.

How does session printing end?

Each session printing ends either with a finished loop or with Print Label action combined with at least one of the following conditions:

Printer changes. If you select another printer using the Set Printer action, session printing ends.
Printer port changes. If you redirect the print job to a file using the Redirect Printing to File action, session printing ends.
Label changes. If you select another label to be printed using Open Label action, session printing ends.

Custom command that ends session printing is sent. If you send SESSIONEND command using the Send Custom Command action, session printing ends.

	Note
	In this case, `SESSIONEND` must be sent as the only item in Send Custom Command action. If you would like to send additional commands, use separate Send Custom Command actions.

	Note
	More complex configurations might have multiple loops nested within each other. In such case, session printing ends when the outermost parent loop exits.

Tips and Tricks for Using Variables in Actions

If using variables in Loftware Automation actions, follow these recommendations.

Enclose variables in parentheses. If you have variables with spaces in their names and refer to variables in actions, such as Execute SQL Statement or Execute Script, enclose the variables in parentheses, as in (Product Name). Also use parentheses if variable names are the same as reserved names, e.g. in the SQL Statement.
Place colon in front of the variable name. To refer to variables in Execute SQL Statement action or in Database Trigger, you have to place a colon (:) in front of the variable name, such as :(Product ID). The SQL parser understands it as 'variable value'.

SELECT * FROM MyTable WHERE ID = :(ProductID)
Convert values to integer for computation. If you want to execute a numeric calculation with variables, make sure that you convert variable values to integers. Defining variables to be numeric only limits the acceptable characters for defining the value, but doesn't change the variable type. Loftware Automation treats all variables of string type. In VBScript, you would use the function CInt().
Set default / start up values for scripts. When using variables in actions, make sure these variables have some default value assigned, or the script checking might fail. You can define default values in variable properties, or in a script (and remove them after testing the script).

Tracing Mode

By default, Loftware Automation logs events into log database. This includes higher-level information gathering, such as:

action execution logging
filter execution logging
logging of trigger status updates

For more information, see section Event Logging Options.

However, default logging doesn't keep track of the deep under-the-hood executions. If troubleshooting is needed on the lower-level of the code execution, you must enable tracing mode. In this mode, Loftware Automation logs details about all internal executions that take place during trigger processing. Tracing mode should only be enabled during troubleshooting to collect logs and then disabled to resume normal operation.

	Warning
	Tracing mode slows down processing. It should only be used when instructed so by Loftware technical support team.

Enabling the tracing mode

To enable the tracing mode, do the following:

Navigate to the Loftware Automation System folder.

%PROGRAMDATA%\Loftware\Loftware
Create backup copy of product.config file.
Open product.config file in text editor. The file has an XML structure.

Add the element Common/Diagnostics/Tracing/Enabled and assign value True to it.

The file should have the following contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><configuration>    <Common>        <Diagnostics>            <Tracing>                <Enabled>True</Enabled>                <Folder>c:\Troubleshooting\TracingLogs</Folder>            </Tracing>        </Diagnostics>    </Common>...
</configuration>

After you save the file, Loftware Automation Service automatically applies the setting.
By default, tracing files (*.LOG file extension) appear in the same System folder.

To override the log folder, use product.config file. Specify the custom log folder in the Folder element. This element is optional.
To confirm that tracing mode is enabled, start the Automation Manager. With tracing mode enabled, it displays text Tracing has been enabled in the notification pane above the trigger list.

After you reproduce the issue with enabled tracing, disable tracing in product.config file or restore your original product.config file.

            <Tracing>                <Enabled>False</Enabled>

Understanding Printer Settings and DEVMODE

	Note
	DEVMODE data structure is part of the GDI Print API structure in Windows. This section includes highly technical content, relevant only for specific requirements.

Whenever you print labels with Loftware software (or any document in Windows applications for that matter), the printing application reads printer settings as defined in the printer driver and applies them to the print job. The same label can be printed using different printers just by selecting another printer driver. Each time, printer settings of a newly selected printer apply to the label.

Printing a text document using two different laser printers usually produces the same or at least a comparable result. Printing labels using two different label printers can produce very inconsistent results. To produce comparable results, the same label file might require additional printer driver settings, such as adjustment of offsets, speed, and temperature of printing. Loftware also applies printer settings to every printout. By default, printer settings are saved inside the label file for the selected printer.

What is DEVMODE?

DEVMODE is a Windows structure that holds printer settings (initialization and environment information about a printer). It contains two parts: public and private. Public part contains data that is common to all printers. Private part contains data that is specific to a particular printer. Private part can be of variable length and contains all specific manufacturer related settings.

Public part: This part encodes general settings that are exposed in the printer driver model, such as printer name, driver version, paper size, orientation, color, duplex, and similar. Public part remains unchanged any printer driver and does not support specifics related to label printers (thermal printers, industrial ink jet printers, laser engraving machines).
Private part: This part encodes settings that are not available in the public part. Loftware printer drivers use this part to store the printer model-specific data, such as printing speed, temperature setting, offsets, print mode, media type, sensors, cutters, graphics encoding, RFID support, and similar. Data structure within the private part of DEVMODE is a stream of binary data defined by driver developers.

DEVMODE Changing

DEVMODE data structure is stored in Windows registry. There are two copies of the structure: default printer settings and user-specific printer settings. You can alter the DEVMODE (printer settings) by changing the parameters in the printer driver. The first two options are Windows related, while the third option is available with Loftware software.

Default printer settings: These settings are defined in Printer properties > Advanced tab > Printing Defaults.
User specific settings: These settings are stored separately for each user in the user's HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry key. By default, user specific settings are inherited from the printer’s default settings. The user specific settings are defined in Printer properties > Preferences. All modifications here only affect the current user.
Label specific settings: Label author that uses Loftware software can embed the DEVMODE into the label. This makes printer settings portable. If the label is copied to another computer, printer settings travel with it. To embed printer settings into the label, enable the option Use custom printer settings saved in the label using Document Properties in Designer Pro. You can change the in-label printers settings by selecting Printer panel in Document Properties.

Applying custom DEVMODE to printout

In Loftware Automation, you can open a label file and apply a custom DEVMODE to it. When printing a label, its design is taken from the .NLBL file, and the DEVMODE applies the specific printer-related formatting. This allows you to have a single label master. In such case, label printout remains the same no matter which printer you use for printing because optimal settings for that printer are applied.

To apply a custom DEVMODE to a label, you can use two options:

Using an action, more specifically parameter Printer settings.
JOB command file, more specifically command SETPRINTPARAM with parameter PRINTERSETTINGS. For more information, see section Using Custom Commands.

Using the Same User Account to Configure and Run Triggers

Loftware Automation Service always runs under credentials of the user account configured for the service. However, Automation Builder always runs under credentials of the currently logged-in user. The credentials of service account and currently logged-in account might be different.

While you can preview the trigger in Automation Builder without any issues, the Service might report an error message caused by credentials mismatch. While the currently logged-in user has permissions to access folders and printers, the user account that the Service uses might not.

You can test the execution of triggers in Automation Builder using the same credentials as Service does. To do so, run Automation Builder under the same user account as defined for the Service.

To run Automation Builder under a different user account, do the following:

Press and hold Shift key, then right click the Automation Builder icon.
Select Run as different user.
Enter the credentials for the same user, as used in Loftware Automation Service.
Click OK.

If you plan to frequently run Automation Builder under credentials of the other user account, see the Windows-provided command-line utility RUNAS. Use the switches /user to specify the user account, and /savecred. The latter allows you to enter the password only once, and then it is remembered for the next time.