Problem with JDF and special characters in file names

[Chain]

Thanks! This sounds like it can work. I am busy right now, but will definitely test this and report back once I do.

[StefanT-Xerox]

To replace the Norwegian characters (and other characters that might cause the issue) try the attached. You can import the workflow using at least version 5.4.1. The workflow has two components that you can place in your workflow just before your Print component.

First there is a Save component that will save the workflow XPIF job ticket to C:\Temp\ with the variable $FFwfJob.Id$.

Secondly there is an External Process using a batch file that will replace the job name in the XPIF allowing only a-z,A-Z and digits (\d) using a regular expression and replace all other characters with an underscore like this:

$newname = $jobname -replace '[^a-zA-Z\d]','_'

The batch file runs the PowerShell script using the parameters:

"$FFwfJob.Id$" "$FFwfJob.jobName$" "$FFxpf$"

Depending on which drive your FreeFlow Core data is installed you might need to change the drive letter in the batch file:

<drive letter>:\Xerox\FreeFlow\Core\00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000\Data\Scripts\replacejobnamencharacters.ps1

Stefan

[PerF-Xerox]

Yes, there is no way to find and replace special characters as default. It might possible using scripting as you suggest but I’m not sure. Special characters usually work well both on FF Core and Fiery. It might be something with the use of JDF. 

If you report this to the local Xerox support they can take out logs from both the Fiery and the FF Core system. Then we can find out what is going on and see if that is a feature request or something that should be fixed.

[Chain]

If I'm not mistaken, $FFwfJob.jobName.substring(0,4)$ would result in a string containing the first 4 characters. I'm looking in the help files now, and there doesn't seem to be any way to target specific characters. Maybe an external script would be needed. I don't really know how to do that, and doubling the amount of workflows for the printer in our already way-too-long list just to edit the job names is not really tempting.

Seems it will be less hassle to ask everyone submitting jobs to manually rename files before submitting.

This is definitely a feature request tho. Maybe have some node that allows using GREP to to search/replace on strings like the job name.

[DavidU54339-XRX]

To change the jobname, you can use 2 Workflows. The 1st Workflow contains only a Save node. Within the Save node use substringing to change the job name -- for example $FFwfJob.jobName.substring(0,4)$. The Save folder needs also be a Hotfolder location. The Hotfolder WF would do the processing required for the job.

[Chain]

Xerox FreeFlow Core version 5.4.1.
Fiery Command WorkStation 6.4.0.55 (connected to a Konica Minolta press).

Jobs are sent on port 8010 (JDF). The only option as far as I'm aware, except perhaps using hotfolders.

Files that contain the common Norwegian characters æøåÆØÅ (and i presume many other special characters) end up in Command WorkStation with the error "This job has runlist errors".

Screenshot attached of me sending a file with the name "Document with øæå in filename.pdf". If i open up JDF Settings it shows under Path a warning and "cid:Document with ?n filename.pdf".
It is clear it is failing somewhere due to those characters.

https://i.imgur.com/cIgKaWj.png - the job in FreeFlow Core shortly after submitting

https://i.imgur.com/nhu4OAY.jpg - the job and error message on Fiery

https://i.imgur.com/gWnOKHJ.jpg - the JDF settings showing the problem seemingly being related to æøå

I cannot tell if the text encoding problem happens when FreeFlow Core sends the file, or if it is Fiery that messes up after/when receiving it. I am sending this question to Fiery as well just in case. ;)

Any ideas?

A 2nd question: As I suspect it might take a while to figure out and especially for a bugfix/update to be made and rolled out (if at all), then is there a way to get FreeFlow Core to remove special characters from the Job Name? I know I can completely override it to something fixed, but I'd like to still see the filename to be able to tell jobs apart.