The .EE file containing the field name definitions are usually saved in a file with the same stem name as the input file, see Field definitions files. To apply an existing .EE file instead:

1.Select Edit... from the Fields menu or press Ctrl D keys.
2.The Field dialog opens: click the File tab.
3.Type the full path of the .EE field definition file in the Field Definition File edit-box then press Enter. Or
click Browse and select an .EE file (you may need to change drive/folder).
oIf you wish to view the fields and their coordinates, click the Definitions tab.
4.You may save the field definitions file under a new name: click Save as... to display the standard 'Save As' dialog. Enter a new name then click Save.
5.You may opt to Always use these definitions by ticking the check-box.
6.Click OK.
Click to expand/collapse hidden textDefault field definitions file
1.Select Edit... from the Fields menu or press Ctrl D keys.
2.The Field dialog opens: click the File tab.
3.Type the full path of the .EE field definition file in the 'Default Field Definition File' edit-box then press Enter. Or
click Browse and select an .EE file (you may need to change drive/folder).
oIf you wish to view the fields and their coordinates, click the Definitions tab.
4.You may use this default field definition file rather than a  specific field definition (see above): click Apply.
5.Click OK.
Click to expand/collapse hidden textPersistence of fields

By default, composite and regular fields lose their existing values when the field is not present on subsequent pages. To change this so that composite fields maintain their values until they are next encountered:

1.Select Edit... from the Fields menu, or
click Ctrl D.
2.Click the File tab.
3.Tick Persistent composite fields check-box.

The change will be saved in the field definitions file.
To set up a header file

A 'header' file will be processed before the main file. It may contain font and macro definitions used by the main file, or a printable page (e.g. banner page) to be output ahead of the main file. It may be overridden by /HEADER.

1.Select Edit... from the Fields menu or press Ctrl D keys.
2.The Field dialog opens: click the File tab.
3.Type the name in the File name of header page box or
Click Browse and select the header file.
4.Tick Retain PCL state for subsequent pages if the file is to be reused – for example, when it contains a set of fonts common to numerous other pages. See also Handling fonts.
5.Click OK.

Fields from comments

This panel is used for a specialist Prefix feature only: in general usage, its edit boxes can be left blank and safely ignored.

Specialists may make use of PJL Comments, PJL JOB and PJL JOBATTR commands in a document to create fields and their values.
A field-name is created using a 'prefix' and the string to the left of the separator's (first) occurrence in the comment. The string from the right of the separator to the end of the line ('CRLF') provides the field's value.

1.Select Edit... from the Fields menu, or
click Ctrl D.
2.Click the File tab.
3.In the 'Fields from comments' panel, enter a suitable prefix in:
othe PJL field prefix edit box or
oin case of HP-GL comments in XML format, the XML field prefix edit box.
•To save the XML field prefix in the RT.INI file, click Save.
4.Enter the separator character in the PJL separator edit-box.
If the separator is not specified then a default separator is assumed and the command searched to find it.
The first default separator is "colon"; if it is not found then the command is searched again for the second default separator, "equals". The third default separator is a "space" character.
5.Click OK.
6.Select PCL document format on the 'General' page of the Configuration dialog (F8), then click Options....
7.Tick Export PJL comments.
The PJL field separator and PJL field prefix characters are reflected on this dialog and you may re-set them here if necessary. See also Preamble and PJL options.

The total length of these prefixed field-names must be no more than 63 characters. Only alphanumeric characters and underscore may be used in the prefix string. The field-values may contain any characters which can be represented in the "UTF8" symbolset. To ensure that these field-names are unique, a number is appended to any new name that duplicates an existing one.

Examples

Setting a prefix of PJL_ would mean that a PJL command such as:

@PJL COMMENT NAME=John Smith

would result in a field named PJL_NAME with value John Smith.

For HP-GL comments in XML format, a field is constructed whose name is the XML tag name prefixed by the XML field prefix and whose value is the attributes. e.g.
<TAGNAME> ATTRIBUTE1=".." .... </TAGNAME>

(To set up a prefix on the command-line, use /PJLPREFIX, to set up a separator, use /PJLSEPARATOR.)

Blue diamond bullet Notes

If you load a new fields definitions file when the existing fields have been changed, you will be prompted to 'Save field definitions' – Yes or No.

The previous version of any .EE field definitions file is saved as .~EE for backup purposes. The 'Edit' menu has an entry Undo Field Changes which will reload the .EE file or, if no changes have been made to the current file, it will reload from .~EE file.

Fields may be used in the compilation of a PDF Table of Contents.

The area defined for a field may be reused as a clip-region in an IDF document.

See also /FIELDS and /FIELDDEF Command line options.

Blue diamond bullet Tip: Select Show from the 'Fields' menu to view the position of fields and tags on the page, see Viewing data fields and tags.

Links

About exporting data

Defining fields and tags

Editing fields and tags