How to Work with Processes > Working with the Print/Aux Processes Group

Process Purpose

The "Print File" process is used to request the printing of a file through WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth or serial ports. The file, usually, a "Print" type data file, can include:

•Fixed data (ex: a label format)

•Variable data (ex: a product code, quantity, price, image)

When MCL Local Variables are used inside the format of the label, they are replaced by their content when the device sends the file to the printer.

This process can be used with all portable printers that support an ASCII file.

When you add a process, you are required to define its settings. This occurs in the process's properties window which is displayed automatically after having added the "Print File" process. This properties window is divided into two tabs - "General" and "Advanced".

If any subsequent edition is required, double-click the process to open its properties window and enter the necessary modifications.

"General" tab

Fill in the available options:

Printer
Aux Name	Select the auxiliary device profile that will print the data from the drop-down. If required, click to add another Aux profile or select the one you want to edit. See To Create an Aux Profile and/or To Edit an Aux Profile. Remember NOT to select a Serial Port Aux profile if your target device is an Android device. Serial Port type profiles are not supported if used in Android devices.
Flush Buffer Before "Print File"	Check this option to empty the device buffer before preparing and sending the file.
Print File
File	Select the data file to be printed from the drop-down (see Print Files). If required, click to edit the selected file. See Editing a Data File.
End of Line	Select the end of line character: None CR - (Carriage Return) Moves the cursor to the beginning of the same line. LF - (Line Feed) Moves the cursor to the next line, to the the same position. CR+LF - Moves the cursor to the beginning of the next line.
If Communication Error
Go to	Select a target location from the drop-down or the list, in case there is a communications error. See Detail of a window below. When defining a screen as a target destination (ex: via a “Go to” process), you CANNOT use variables to specify the name of that target screen. You must select the intended screen from the available drop-down/list.

Detail of a window:

"S:Menu" is a screen included in the same program as the process.

"R:Routine_1" is a routine included in the same program as the process.

Go to the "Advanced" tab.

"Advanced" tab

Select/enter the appropriate information:

Standard Replacement
Replace Variables	Check this option to replace the variable tags by its values when the device sends the file to the printer.
Replace Ascii	Check this option to replace XX by the ASCII character when the device sends the file to the printer.
Custom Replacement
Replace Tags	Check this option to define the replacement of custom tags. Custom tags must be defined in the content of the print file (label format). If checked, it activates the options below.
Start Sequence	Only active if the "Replace Tags" option is checked. Define the tag's start sequence (normally special characters such as @{ or $[). Enter it OR click and select a variable with that value. See Variable Usage.
End Sequence	Only active if the "Replace Tags" option is checked. Define the tag's end sequence (normally special characters such as } or ]). Enter it OR click and select a variable with that value.
Tag to Replace column	Only active if the "Replace Tags" option is checked. Select the tag ID or tag name to be replaced. Enter it OR click to select the variable that contains the tag. The tag name limit is 20 characters.
Replacement Value column	Only active if the "Replace Tags" option is checked. Enter the value that will replace the corresponding tag OR click and select a variable with that value.

Use the editing icons to the right of the table to move the rows up and down and to delete or add more rows.

Use the following recurring icons (located on the upper right corner of the properties window) to execute specific operations:

•Click to define a time out. See To Define a Time Out for a Print/Aux Process.

•Click to attach any relevant notes to this process. Click it and enter your notes in the resulting text box. These notes will be displayed in the corresponding "Actions" tab or "Process" window (in the "Notes" field) and in the "Developer Report".

After filling in the required options, click to conclude or to abort the operation.

The added process is displayed in the corresponding "Actions" tab or "Process" window.

You can use relative paths to refer the file(s) you want to use in your project. See Working with Aliases.

If you want to use a label as a target destination, you can use the "Auto-Label" mechanism. This alternative to the "Set Label" process allows you to create a label in the properties window of a process - specifically, in the fields used to define target destinations (ex: the "If Error..." type fields). See To Automatically Create a Label.

Use the right-click in MCL-Designer's input boxes to access some related options as well as the general "Cut", "Copy"; "Paste"; "Search" actions (active/inactive according to the current context).

Ex: If you right-click the "Variable" input box (included in a "Conversion's" properties window), you are provided with general editing/search actions and other more specific options such as "Variable Select" (see "Variable Select"); "Variable Insert" (see "Variable Insert"); "Insert Special Character" (see To Insert Special Characters into a Control's Text Input Field) and "Localization Select" (see Localization List).

If you right-click another input box, it may provide other possibilities.