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C H A P T E R 22

Chapter 22 Parameters, variables

and attributes

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Common parameters

Common parameters
The following parameters are available for most commands, where indicated.

Include this
To parameter Abbreviation

use a different Columbus OM -QUEUE_NAME instance -qn instance

instance
run the command as a different user -SET_USER user -su user

hide the copyright banner -NO_BANNER -nb

hide warning messages and the -NO_WARNING -nw

copyright banner
hide error messages, warning -SILENT -si
messages, and the copyright banner
display more information about using -HELP -h
the command
display more information about the -VERBOSE -v
progress of the command while it
runs

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Substitution variables
The following attributes of the queue entry currently being processed are available
to the server as substitution variables.
%%

The percentage symbol itself.

%ALIAS

Text defined by the user, as specified by the -ALIAS option. If the alias is a file,
value is the file name (not including the path).
%ALIAS_PATH

Text defined by the user, as specified by the -ALIAS option. If the alias is a file,
the value is the file’s full path.
%ATTACHMENTS

The number of attachments to an incoming email message.

%ATTEMPTS

The number of attempts that have been made to process the entry.
%BROWSE_PATH

The full path of the source document:

■ If the document has been copied into the queue, this variable contains the
path to the temporary file.
■
If the document is on the local computer and has not been copied into the
queue, this variable contains the path to it.
%CFG(text)

The value of the parameter called text from current server’s configuration file,
config.tab. The name of the current server is given by the %SERVER variable.

See also ‘Configuration files with multiple parameters with the same name’
below.
%CHAIN

The number of another entry, which must be processed before this entry.
%CHARS

The number of characters in the source document.

%CHILD_FLAG

If the entry is a child: YES. If the entry is not a child: NO.

%CHILDREN

For a master entry: How many child entries it has.

This is the total of %CHILDREN_WAIT + %CHILDREN_DONE.
%CHILDREN_DONE

For a master entry: How many of its child entries have finished processing.

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Substitution variables

This is the total of %CHILDREN_OKAY + %CHILDREN_FAIL.

%CHILDREN_FAIL

For a master entry: How many of its child entries have failed.
%CHILDREN_OKAY

For a master entry: How many of its child entries have completed.
%CHILDREN_WAIT

For a master entry: How many of its child entries are waiting to be processed.
%DATE(date_format)

The current date: see ‘Date and time formats’ on page 610 and ‘Date and time
arithmetic’ on page 611.
%DATE_CREATED(date_format)

The date and time when the entry was added to the pending queue: see ‘Date
and time formats’ on page 610 and ‘Date and time arithmetic’ on page 611.
%DESTINATION

The destination where the document is to be transmitted.

%DOC_CODE

The text encoding of the source document, one of:

None Plain text / unknown

PostScript PostScript
PCL HP’s Printer Control Language
PDF Adobe’s Portable Document Format
Benson Benson plotter language
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
Type n 3, 5, 7 and 9–31 are user-specified encodings
%DOC_ICODE

The numeric encoding of the source document, one of:

0 Plain text / unknown

1 PostScript
2 HP’s Printer Control Language
4 Adobe’s Portable Document Format
6 Benson plotter language
8 Hypertext Markup Language
3, 5, 7, 9–31 user-specified encodings
%DOCUMENT

The name of the source document, not including the path.

%DOCUMENT_PATH

The full path and name of the source document.

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%EXIT

(Used only with the dispatcher server.) The exit status of the most recent
COMMAND action.

%FIRST_DATE(date_format)

The data and time of the first attempt to process this entry: see ‘Date and time
formats’ on page 610 and ‘Date and time arithmetic’ on page 611.
%FONT

The font to be used.

%FROM_PAGE

The number of the first page of the document to be processed.

%FULL_ORIG_UID

For entries that have been transferred from another instance: the entry’s
number in the original instance. The number has zeroes in front of it to make it
7 digits long (for example: 0004321).
%FULL_UID

The entry’s number. The number has zeroes in front of it to make it 7 digits
long (for example: 0004321).
%HOPPER

The input hopper to be used.

%HOST_NAME

The destination of the job: the name of the computer that the instance is on,
and the name of the instance (for example, myhost:Print1).
To get only the host name, use %HOST_NAME(HOST).
To get only the instance name, use %HOST_NAME(INST) or
%HOST_NAME(INSTANCE).

%INSTANCE

The name of the computer that the current instance is on, and the name of the
instance (for example, myhost:Print1).
To get only the host name, use %INSTANCE(HOST).
To get only the instance name, use %INSTANCE(INST) or
%INSTANCE(INSTANCE).

%LATEST_DATE(date_format)

The date and time of the most recent attempt to process this entry: see ‘Date
and time formats’ on page 610 and ‘Date and time arithmetic’ on page 611.
%LINES

The number of lines in the source document.

%MASTER_FLAG

Yes indicates that the entry is a master entry.

No indicates that the entry is not a master entry.

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%MEDIUM

The transmission medium.

%MESSAGE

Context-specific messages. To get line number n of a message that has multiple

lines, use %MESSAGE(n).
%NAME

The value of either %ALIAS (if specified) or %DOCUMENT (otherwise).

%NAME_PATH

The value of either %ALIAS_PATH (if specified) or %DOCUMENT_PATH (otherwise).

%NEXT_DATE(date_format)

The data and time of the next attempt to process this entry: see ‘Date and time
formats’ on page 610 and ‘Date and time arithmetic’ on page 611.
%NL

A newline character (\n).

%ORIENTATION

The page orientation to be used.

%ORIG_UID

This entry was originally identified as entry number n.

%OUT_HOPPER

The output hopper to be used.

%OWNER

The entry’s owner.

%PAGE_LEN

The number of lines per page.

%PAGES

The number of pages in the source document (based on one of: %LINES /
%PAGE_LEN, a count of formfeeds, or analysis of the PCL/PostScript).

%PAGES_PRINT

The number of pages to be printed (as specified by the -FROM_PAGE and

-TO_PAGE options).

%PAPER

A destination-specific string identifying the paper_type to be used.

%PARAM1

For netmaster Action_On_Failover commands: Name of the host and

instance that is unavailable.
For netmaster Action_On_FailoverBack commands: Name of the host and
instance that was unavailable, and is now available again.
%MESSAGE contains the reason for the failover.

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See also ‘Configuring the connection to the remote hosts’ on page 114.
%PARAM2

(Available for use in the netmaster Action_On_Failover and

Action_On_FailoverBack commands.) Name of failover host and instance
that is used.
See also ‘Configuring the connection to the remote hosts’ on page 114.
%PITCH

A destination-specific string identifying the pitch to be used.

%PRESENTATION

The output presentation to be used.

%PREV_REM

Supplementary information qualifying %PREV_STATUS.

%PREV_STATUS

The value of %STATUS immediately prior to its last change.

%PRINTERHOSTNAME

The host that a printer is on. This substitution variable is used only within a
printer’s configuration table.
%PRIORITY

A number (0 – 9), to be used when resolving contention for a destination.

%PROGRAM

The program which created the queue entry.

%REMARK

More information about the entry: either the name of a file containing the
information, or the information itself.
%REMFILE(number)

The text on line number of file %REMARK.

%RETAIN_DAYS

The minimum number of days that the entry is to be retained in the completed
queue.
%SEC_GROUP

The entry’s security group.

%SECLEV

The entry’s security level, as a number.

%SECLEV_NAME

The entry’s security level, as text.

%SERVER

Name of the current server.

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Substitution variables

%SERVER_INFO

Additional server-specific information: either the name of a file containing the

information, or the information itself.
%SOURCE_HOST

The name of the computer and instance on which the entry originated (for
example, myhost:Print1).
To get only the host name, use %SOURCE_HOST(HOST).
To get only the instance name, use %SOURCE_HOST(INST) or
%SOURCE_HOST(INSTANCE).

%STATUS

The entry’s current status.

%SUPP_REM

Supplementary information qualifying %STATUS.

%TEMPFILE_

The pathname of a temporary workfile:

Variable Contents Location under %UNIQDIR%\queue

%TEMPFILE_A Attachments to ...\document\xentry_id.att

an incoming
email message
%TEMPFILE Document file ...\document\xentry_id.bd
%TEMPFILE_D

%TEMPFILE_E stderr stream ...\document\xentry_id.err

%TEMPFILE_F Document ...\document\xentry_id.req

requirements
%TEMPFILE_G Graphic image ...\document\xentry_id.gd
%TEMPFILE_I RLE index file ...\image\xentry_id.idx
%TEMPFILE_N uqnet temp file ...\document\xentry_id.net
%TEMPFILE_O stdout stream ...\document\xentry_id.out

%TEMPFILE_P RLE data file ...\image\xentry_id.rle

%TEMPFILE_Q PCL info file ...\image\xentry_id.inf

%TEMPFILE_R Remark file ...\remark\xentry_id.br

%TEMPFILE_S Server info file ...\servinfo\xentry_id.bs

%TEMPFILE_X PCL index file ...\image\xentry_id.pix

entry_id is the entry’s number with zeroes in front of it to make it 7 characters

long, for example: ...\document\x0004321.bd.
%TIME(date_format)

The current time: see ‘Date and time formats’ on page 610 and ‘Date and time
arithmetic’ on page 611.

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%TO_PAGE

The number of the last page of the source document to be sent to the
destination.
%UID

The entry’s unique identification number entry_id.

%UQVAR(name)

The value of a Columbus OM variable that is defined in a variables table.

To get a variable from Use

the standard variables table %UQVAR(name)

(%UNIQDIR%\config\uqvar.tab)
the uqvar.tab file in the current folder %UQVAR(name,)

a specific variables file %UQVAR(name,file)

Replace:
■
name with the name of the variable.
■
file with the full path and name of the variables file.

See also ‘User variables’ on page 612.

%USERID

Username of the current user.

%XREQ(text)

The value of the parameter called text in the current entry’s requirements file
(xnnnnnnn.req). See also ‘Configuration files with multiple parameters with
the same name’ below.
%XSTAT(text)

The value of the parameter called text in the current server’s xstatus.tab
file. See also ‘Configuration files with multiple parameters with the same name’
below.

Configuration files with multiple parameters with the same

name
Some of the substitution variables, for example %CFG, provide the value of a
parameter from a configuration file. Some configuration files can contain two or
more parameters with the same name. To indicate which one you want, include its
number.
For example, if a printer has two or more paper types mounted, its configuration
file contains two or more PAPER parameters. To specify that you want the first
paper type, use %CFG(PAPER,1); to specify that you want the second paper type,
use %CFG(PAPER,2), and so on. If you omit the parameter number (for example,
%CFG(PAPER), Columbus OM returns the value of the first parameter.

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Substitution variables

Date and time formats

Date and time values are returned by several Columbus OM substitution variables.
The default formats are DD MON YY and HH:MI:SS, but you can define different
formats. For example, the substitution variable %DATE might return a default format
like 17 Mar 12, while %DATE(MM/DD/YEAR) might return 03/17/2012. Queue
summary displays also present date values, and in this case you must explicitly
define the format each time.
A date_format is a combination of codes (listed below) and other characters
(anything not listed). The codes available for both substitution variables and queue
displays are:

Code Value

DD The day of the month: 01, 02, ... 31.

DAY The short day name: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat or Sun.
HH The hour: 00, 01, ... 23.
MI The minutes: 00, 01, ... 59.
MM The month number: 01, 02, ... 12.
MON The short month name: Jan, Feb, ... Dec.
SS The seconds: 00, 01, ... 59.
YEAR The year number: 2010, 2011, 2012, ...
YY The short year number: 10, 11, 12, ...

These additional codes are available only for substitution variables.

Code Value

AP AM if the appropriate time is before noon, PM otherwise.

HX The hour of the morning or afternoon: 01, 02, ... 12.

JUL The Julian day number within the year: 001, 002, ..., 365
(366).
MO The month number: 01, 02, ... 12 (an alternative to MM).
MONTH The full month name: January, February, ... December.

Examples
For an event at 4:27 in the afternoon of 17th March 2012, some possible formats
are:

DD/MM/YY 17/03/12
MM/DD/YEAR 03/17/2012
DD MONTH YEAR 17 March 2012 (substitution variables only)
DAY DDMONYY Fri 17Mar12
HH:MI 16:27
HX:MI AP 04:27 PM (substitution variables only)

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YEARMMDD HHMMSS 20120317 162749

Date and time arithmetic

To add or subtract from dates, use + (plus) or – (minus) after the variable name and
before the date_format (if supplied).

+|- number s Adjust by number seconds.

+|- number h Adjust by number hours.
+|- number d Adjust by number days.
+|- number m Adjust by number months.
+|- number y Adjust by number years.

Examples
If it is currently 4:27 in the afternoon of 17th March 2012, some possible formats
are:

%DATE+1d 18 Mar 12
%DATE+2m(MM/DD/YEAR) 05/17/2012
%DATE+3y(DD MONTH YEAR) 17 March 2015
%DATE-1d(DAY DDMONYY) Thu 16Mar12
%TIME+5h 21:27:00
%TIME-300s(HX:MI AP) 04:22 PM

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User variables

User variables
uqvar: Maintain Columbus OM variables
The uqvar command:
■ displays the value of Columbus OM variables
■
changes the value of Columbus OM variables
■ creates variable files.
The uqvar command can be used with both the standard Columbus OM variables
file (%UNIQDIR%\config\uqvar.tab), and local variables files for use with the
dispatcher server.

Syntax
uqvar [-g|-l|-s|-i] [-f [filename]] [-qn instance] [nb]

Parameters

To Use this parameter

display the value of a variable -g variable

display the value of two or more -l variable [variable]...

variables
display the value of all variables -l

set the value of a variable -s variable value

change the value of a variable by a -i variable value

specific amount
The value can be positive or negative.
delete a variable -d variable [variable]...

use a variables file other than the -f [filename]

standard file
Include the path and name of the file.
(%UNIQDIR%\config\uqvar.tab)
use the uqvar.tab file that is in the -f
current folder
change the variables that are in a -qn instance
different Columbus OM instance
display help about using the command -h

COLUMBUS OM INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION