Specifying Input and Output Files - 23.1

Spectrum Dataflow Designer Guide
Version
23.1
Language
English
Product name
Spectrum Technology Platform
Title
Spectrum Dataflow Designer Guide
First publish date
2007
Last updated
2024-05-09
Published on
2024-05-09T23:01:03.226155

You can call an external application from a process flow by using a Run Program activity. You can specify the file that contains the data you want to send to the external application as well as the output file you want the external application to write to.

  1. In a process flow, double-click a Run Program activity.
  2. Click the Variables tab.
  3. To specify an input file,
    1. Click the Add button under the Inputs section.
    2. In the Name field, enter a meaningful name for this file. The name can be anything you choose.
    3. In the Location field choose one of the following:
      Browse for file on the server
      Choose this option to go to the input file you want and select it.
      Reference an upstream activity's file
      Choose this option if you want to use a file assigned to an existing variable from an upstream stage.
    4. Click OK.
  4. To specify an output file,
    1. Click the Add button under the Outputs section.
    2. In the Name field, enter a meaningful name for this file. The name can be anything you choose.
    3. In the Location field choose one of the following:
      Browse for file on the server
      Choose this option if you want to go to an output file and select it.
      Temporary file managed by the server
      Choose this option if you want the output from the program to be written to a temporary file that will be automatically created and deleted as needed. This option is useful in cases where a file used only as an intermediate step in a process flow and is not needed once the process flow completes.
    4. Click OK.
  5. Click OK to close the Run Program Options window.