Using assets from the Central Management component

From the client applications, you can retrieve assets from the Central Management component and use them in developing your templates and document specifications.

Before you begin

Table 1. Asset types for the Central Management component
Asset type File extension Example value Description
Data sources Not applicable http://server:port/data_provider/data.xml URLs to a data source or a data source schema, which are used to configure the document generation. Data files or data itself cannot be stored as Data source assets in the Central Management component. You can store them as Files and create a Data source URL to that file.
Document specifications .dsx C:\Users\user\Desktop\specification.dsx Links to document specifications or the document specifications themselves created in the Launcher application for configuring the output.
Files .xsd, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .png, .jpg, .gif C:\Users\user\Desktop\image.jpg Links to files or the files themselves to use as data, data source schemas, included files, or images. Archive files or links to archive files cannot be stored in the Central Management component.
Scripts .js C:\Users\user\Desktop\script.js Links to JavaScript or the JavaScript files themselves to use in the template elements.
Settings Not applicable true Remote document generation properties and preferences set for the organization. If the Override user value option is selected, the user cannot change the setting from the client applications.
Snippets .dta C:\Users\user\Desktop\snippet.dta Links to templates or templates themselves that contain sections of reusable elements that can be added to any template.
Stylesheets .css, .doc, .docx, .dot, .dotx C:\Users\user\Desktop\style.css Links to style sheets or the style sheets themselves that can apply consistent formatting to document output. If the style sheet contains macros, include the names of the macros that the style sheet contains so that report generators know which names to use in their document specifications.
Templates .dta C:\Users\user\Desktop\template.dta Links to templates or templates themselves created in the Document Studio application.
Value set Not applicable

A
B
C
D

A collection of values that you can use to specify the configuration metadata for data source schemas or for variables.
Variables Not applicable Default_value A variable that can be reused in any template.

About this task

Note: If you load an asset to use in a template or document specification and receive a no protocol error in the Console view, this message means that there is no value that is associated with the asset. For example, if you select a template asset that does not have a .dta value that is associated with it, you receive the no protocol error. Request that the asset creator enters a value for the asset.
This task includes information about using the following asset types from the Central Management component:

Data sources

Data sources are URLs to a data file or to a data source schema. If you are looking for information about loading an entire data source schema file rather than selecting a URL to a data source schema, see the Data source schema files section.

Procedure

  1. In the Document Studio application, in the Data Source Schemas view, click the Add Data Source Schema icon and click Next.
  2. Select a schema type.
  3. Click Browse and select the Load from library tab to choose a data source from the library.

Document specifications

Procedure

  1. In either the Launcher or Document Studio application, click File > Open Document Specification.
  2. Select the Load from library tab to choose a document specification from the library.

    For more information about document specifications, see Creating a document specification.

What to do next

After you edit the document specification, save the changes and:
  • In Rational® Publishing Engine 1.2, you must open the Document Studio application and click Central Management > Modify asset to upload the changed document specification.
  • In Rational Publishing Engine 1.2.0.1, you are prompted on saving the document specification to upload the changes to the Central Management component.

Files

About this task

If you uploaded a data file to the Central Management component, you cannot load the file directly into your template or document specification. After uploading the file, you can create a Data source URL asset to access the data from your template or document specification. See the Data sources section for information on using data source assets.

Image files

Procedure

To use an image file:

  1. In the Document Studio application, select the Image element.
  2. Right-click the element and click Image > Load image.
  3. Drag the element into the template content editor.
  4. Select the Load from library tab to choose an image from the library.

    For more information about Image elements, see Adding an image element.

Document files

Procedure

To include a document file:

  1. In the Document Studio application, select the Include file element.
  2. Drag the element into the template content editor.
  3. Select the Load from library tab to choose a file from the library.

    For more information about the Include file, see Adding an include file element.

Data source schema files

Procedure

  1. In the Document Studio application, in the Data Source Schemas view, click the Add Data Source Schema icon and click Next.
  2. Select a schema type.
  3. Click Browse and select the Load from library tab to choose a data source schema file from the library.

    For more information about adding data source schemas, see Adding a data source schema.

Scripts

You can physically embed a script from a Script asset that contains a link to a script or the script itself.

Procedure

  1. In the Document Studio application, drag the JavaScript code element from the Palette view into the template content editor.
  2. Double-click the element.
  3. Click Include script.
  4. Select the Load from library tab to choose a script from the library.

    For more information about using the JavaScript code element, see Adding a JavaScript code element.

Settings

Procedure

  1. In either the Launcher or Document Studio application, click Window > Preferences > RPE.
  2. If the settings are editable, you can change them. If the settings cannot be edited, the Central Management component administrator has prevented the settings from being overridden by users in the organization.

    For more information about setting preferences, see Setting preferences. For more about setting runtime and formatting flags, see Configuring runtime and formatting flags for the client applications.

Snippets

Procedure

  1. In the Document Studio application, scroll to the end of the Palette view.
  2. Drag a snippet from the Palette view into the template content editor.

    For more information about creating snippets, see Creating a snippet.

Style sheets

You can dynamically link to a style sheet so it is used in your document generation at run time.

Procedure

  1. From the Launcher application, right-click an output in the Document Specification view.
  2. Click Configure Stylesheet.
  3. Select the Load from library tab to choose a style sheet from the library.

    For more information about style sheets, see Style sheets.

Templates

Procedure

  1. In either the Launcher or Document Studio application, click File > Open Template.
  2. Select the Load from library tab to choose a template from the library.

    For more information about developing templates, see Designing document templates.

What to do next

After you edit the template, save the changes and:
  • In Rational Publishing Engine 1.2, you must click Central Management > Modify asset and upload the changed template.
  • In Rational Publishing Engine 1.2.0.1, you are prompted on saving the template to upload the changes to the Central Management component.

Value sets

Procedure

  1. In the Document Studio application, in the Outline view, right-click a variable or a data source schema.
    Restriction: New feature icon You can specify a value set for a data source schema only in version 2 templates.
  2. Click Edit configuration metadata.
  3. For the Value set field, select an option from the Central Management component.

Variables

Procedure

  1. In the Document Studio application, in the Outline view, right-click Variables and click Insert > New variable.
  2. For the Central Management component variables field, select a variable.

    For more information about creating variables, see Defining and assigning variables.


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