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19.4 How a Variable Content Document Runs on a Printer
How does a variable content document runs on a printer?
If you run a document installed on a printer directly, you send a trigger, followed by the input data, to the
printer. If you run a document into your PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool, the document may or may not be
installed in the printer, depending on the PlanetPress Suite process you created for the document. If it is not
installed in the printer, the PlanetPress Suite Workflow Tool sends the document, followed by the trigger,
followed by the input data, to the printer. If it is already installed in the printer, the PlanetPress Suite
Workflow Tool sends the trigger, followed by the input data, to the printer.
When the trigger arrives at the printer, it puts the printer in PostScript mode, gives it the name and location
of the document in the printer, and tells it to launch the document. The document launches, takes control of
the printer, initializes all its global variables and starts processing its data stream. The document then cycles
through three distinct processing phases for each data page in the data stream until it reaches the end of the
data stream, at which point it relinquishes control of the printer.
The three phases are:
• Phase 1: Data Reading (Page 307)
• Phase 2: Global Condition Resolution (Page 307)
• Phase 3: Document Page Printing (Page 307)
19.4.1 Phase 1: Data Reading
In phase 1, the document reads a complete data page and loads it in the data page buffer.
19.4.2 Phase 2: Global Condition Resolution
In phase 2, the document runs any attachments you selected to run before the document prints, and then
resolves all global conditions for the current data page.
19.4.3 Phase 3: Document Page Printing
In phase 3, the document processes each page of the document. It uses the conditions it resolved in phase 2
to determine whether to run and print the page and, if it prints the page, which objects to include in the
output. In this phase it also evaluates all local conditions as it encounters them. Thus the document evaluates
conditions at two distinct points in time. It evaluates all global conditions immediately after it fills the data
page buffer, and maintains the results in memory for reference as it merges the data page. It evaluates all
other conditions as it prints each page of the document.
When it finishes processing all pages of the document, it re-initializes, empties the buffer and reads the next
data page.
Related topics:
• Trigger (Page 303)
• Trigger Syntax (Page 304)
• Techniques for Inserting Triggers (Page 306)
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