Changing rule without opening file

[strido]

It seems we're about to undertake a fairly large server migration.

 

My graphic rules currently point to an static address that the server uses, and that address is going to change. In an attempt to make my life easier, I tried to write some code (ColdFusion) that unzips a template, modifies the .def file, which has the rules in it, and re-zips the file.

 

However, when I re-open the template and double-check the rules, they still reflect the old server address, even though the .def file has the new address in it.

 

I'm going to need to modify roughly 300 templates to accommodate this change, which is why it was suggested I go the coding route. Based on this info, is there a step I may be missing? Or am I doomed to do this all manually?

[Dan Korn]

If you're using FusionPro VDP Producer API (FP Server), then you can simply set the SearchPath entry in the CFG file, or the JobOptions object in the Web Service API, to point to the new location of the graphics, and FusionPro will find them, without having to modify any of the templates, or the DEF file.

 

However, whether you're using Producer API or not, I always recommend using the Search Path setting on the Advanced tab of the Composition Settings dialog (which corresponds to the aforementioned SearchPath CFG setting), instead of hard-coding paths into JavaScript rules.

[Dan Korn]

Also, modifying the DEF file is fine, but if you want the PDF template document to pick up the changes to the DEF file, then you need to open up the template in Acrobat, then open the Data Source Definition Wizard (from the Acrobat menu, FusionPro -> Data Definition -> Wizard), select "Import a data source from another document," and browse to the modified DEF file. You'll need to do this for each PDF template document.