About extracting data
Contents
EscapeE allows you to mark out and define data fields on the pages and then extract the text at these positions into a file of CSV values with field names in the first record or into an XML file. These files can be imported into a database or fed to the RedTitan® Dynamic Document Formatter
. You can also export the fields as plain text. When outputting XML, you can opt to create XSL and CSS stylesheets.
Note that in order to extract meaningful text it may be necessary to select the correct symbolset, see To change the symbolset. If the document was created by a driver which assigns arbitrary codes to the characters, then it will be necessary to match the downloaded characters to those in the character recognition database 
EEfonts.
Alternatively, when using the image export formats, data fields can be extracted simultaneously into CSV, XML or text format. In this case the file is not given the extension CSV, XML, etc, but a .LOG file is created instead.
It is possible to request one log file per output file. The output can be split into several files whenever a specified field (or tag) is encountered or when a field changes. In this case the output file name can be derived wholly or in part from the contents of a field; see Filenames and wild-cards.
Data fields can be defined as being located either at an absolute position relative to the page (see Defining fields and tags) or at some offset relative to a 'tag'. A tag is a special type of field that is identified by its content; it may be a text string, a graphic or part of a graphic that is matched against items in a specified area of the page, see About fields and tags.
Fields may be defined to store data calculated from other fields or parts of other fields: these are Composite fields. They do not need to occupy an area of a page — they are typically used to store the results of a condition applied to another field. For example, EscapeE can check for the presence or absence of a string, whether a field value has changed, set up counters and prompt the User to input data.
The 'Searching', 'Action' and 'Advanced' options let you refine how the fields are detected and used. These may force the printer to use a specific paper tray, page side and output bin. If you are exporting proportionally spaced text into fixed pitch plain text, EscapeE can strip or add spaces and control the way text is aligned.
Special plugins are available which allow you, for example, to change a field to a barcode, change the font of a field, handle dynamic images etc: see Using plugins.
Page numbers can be added when exporting, see Creating page numbers.
Data extraction can be automated.
Links