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Procedure documentationManaging Job Output Formats Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

Jobs produce different kinds of output, the file type can range from plain text files to PDF or ZIP files. To allow the browser to use the correct application to open the output file, a MIME type needs to be specified. Formats can be attached to job definitions and job chains to specify the output format and MIME type.

A format describes file content types, such as text or Postscript. A format can be assigned to a job definition's output or log format, thus defining the extension and MIME (Multimedia Internet Mail Extensions) type to use for the job files. The application used to view a job file depends on your browser, and your browser settings.

Formats are part of the Definitions section in the navigation bar. The following standard formats are provided with SAP CPS:

Format

Explanation

Extension

MIME type

CSV

Comma-separated Values files

csv

text/csv

CronacleArchive

Cronacle Archive files

car

application/x-vnd.redwood.car

HTMLText

HyperText Markup Language files

html

text/html

JavaArchive

Java archive files

jar

application/java-archive

PlainText

Plain Text or text files with no formatting

txt

text/plain

PortableDocumentFormat

Portable Document Format files

pdf

application/pdf

TextLog

Text Log files

log

text/plain

XMLText

eXtensible Markup Language files

xml

text/xml

Feel free to add any formats that your jobs generate.

Actions

Formats support the following actions:

Action

Description

Export

Export the format into a CAR file

Edit

Edit the format

Edit Security

Edit the security of the format

Delete

Delete the format

Duplicate

Make a copy of the format to create a similar one

Expand All

Expand all formats in the current filter

New

Create a new format

Filter > New Filter

Create a new format filter

Filter > Edit Filter

Edit current format filter

Filter > Delete

Delete current format filter
Mapping of files to formats

The system's process server agents will try to assign a format to every job file created by the jobs. For some files the system knows exactly what the content is as it has generated them itself, for instance the agent log file. For others, it maps the extension of the job's filename to the list of possible formats. If that fails it uses the Default Output Format and Default Log Format attributes of the Job Definition. If those are not set it uses PlainText or TextLog. The difference between PlainText and TextLog files is small at the moment, but a future version of SAP CPS will allow smart browsing through TextLog files.

System jobs

For System jobs, the job output is in PlainText format. The agent's error messages are in TextLog format.

SAP jobs

For SAP jobs the job log, the application logs and the job statistics log is in TextLog format. The default format of the spool files is PlainText. If the SAP system supports new XBP functionality for retrieving spool as PDF (see SAP note 1280850), then the spool output of type OTF (SAP Script) is automatically converted into PDF, other types of spool will be retrieved as PlainText. If the Default Output Format of the SAP job definition is set to PortableDocumentFormat, then all spool files will be in PDF.

Operating system jobs

For Operating System jobs run by the Platform Agent, the job agent log (stdlog.log) is in TextLog format. The job's standard error stream (stderr.log) is in the job definition's Default Log Format, or if that is not set in TextLog format. The job's standard output stream (stdout.log) is in the job definition's Default Out Format, or else in Text format. Other files are mapped according to their extension. If this fails, the format is set to the job definition's Default Out Format, or else to Text format.

Finding Formats

You can search for formats using filters and the Search Formats box on the Formats tab. This box is known as the intelliSearch box and located under your username on the top right-hand side of the user interface. Filters allow you to specify a list of objects with static criteria. IntelliSearch allows you to specify complex queries in a simple way using prefixes. Prefixes are used to specify which property you are searching in and have short and long syntaxes. For example, if you want to display all formats with the term W3C in the comment, you would use the search criteria as follows:

c:W3C

You can search more than one property, as follows:

c:W3C n:XML

Note Note

No spaces should be entered before or after the colon (:).

End of the note.

See the Advanced Object Search for more information.

The following table illustrates the available prefixes for formats:

Prefixes

Description

n, name

searches the name property

c, com, comment

searches the comment property

d, desc, description

searches the description property

a, app, application

searches the application property
Deleting Formats

You can only delete formats when no other objects relate to them. For example, if there are still jobs or job definitions that reference the format, the format cannot be deleted until all references have been deleted. You can see all references to the format in Related Objects in the lower detail pane and on the show page.

The table in related objects contains three columns:

  • Type - the type of object, like Job Definition for a job definition, with a link to it

  • Related Object - the name of the object with a link to it

  • Used As - objects can sometimes be used as different object types

For example, formats that are used in job job definitions, will have the call-reference in Related Objects. The type will be Job Definition, for examnple and the Related Object will be the name of the job definition.

Note Note

When a job definition is displayed with a timestamp in the name, this indicates that there still is a job that refers to the format. You might have changed the job definition, but as long as that job is in the system you will not be able to delete the format.

End of the note.
Security

Privilege

Description

Format.Create

Create formats

Format.Delete

Delete formats

Format.Edit

Edit formats

Format.View

Access formats

You can grant privileges on two levels, Access and Admin; a privilege granted on Admin level allows the grantee to grant the privilege to other users. These privileges can be granted system-wide, per partition or isolation group.

If you have the security module, which requires the Module.Security license key, you have an additional Security tab on the format. It allows you to specify which users can access, edit, and delete the format.

Procedure

  1. Choose   Definitions → Formats  .

  2. Choose Refresh to see all existing formats.

  3. Choose New to create a format.

  4. Fill in the details, refer to the section below.

  5. Choose Save and Close to save the format.

Format

  • Name - The name of the format.

  • Application - The name of the application used to group this object.

  • Description - The description of the format.

  • Comment - A comment about the format.

  • Extension - The extension of files that use this format.

  • MIME Type - The MIME type to use when sending this file to a web browser.

Example

  1. Choose   Definitions → Formats   in the Navigation bar.

  2. Choose New and fill in the values below.

  3. Choose Save & Close to save the new format and close the edit window.

Name: ZIP

Description: Compressed ZIP File

Comment: Compressed ZIP file containing other files

Extension: zip

Mime Type: application/zip

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