One of the major challenges faced when merging AFP or Mixed Mode data is the consolidation and collecting of the AFP resources required to correctly process the resulting output file. Often different resources have identical names or are referenced in other resources. Compart has recognized these issues and has redesigned the resource management within the AFP filter to handle such complex tasks.

The new functions, activated in DocBridge Mill release 200910, elegantly resolve these issues as follows:

• A byte level comparison is performed on identically named resources: Duplicate resources are removed. Differing resources and their references are renamed automatically.
• Nested resource references are resolved and the resources imbedded in the resulting self-contained output file.
• Simple medium maps are compared and the duplicate items are removed.
• The output file size is optimized by removing resources, including medium maps not used in the output.

From DocBridge Mill release 200910 onwards, all missing AFP resource types will result in an error condition by default. For flexibility and backward compatibility, the AFP filter resource manager enables the user to configure the action to be taken for missing resources based on the resource type.

The available actions are:

• TreatAsWarning – a warning message is issued and processing continues.
• TreatAsError – an error message is issued and processing is aborted.
• IgnoreObject – the missing resource is ignored and processing continues.

Below is an extract of the AFP filter profile (mffafp.pro) with custom and compatibility rules defined. Only one rule can be active at a time:

<useresourcemanager value="TRUE">
  <trace enable="FALSE" level="8" />
  <!-- setting for merging n afp input spools to m afp output spools -->
  <rules active="TRUE">
    <objectmissing type="pagesegment" scope="input"
    action="IgnoreObject" />
    <objectmissing type="overlay" scope="input" action="TreatAsError" />
    <objectmissing type="object" scope="input" action="TreatAsWarning" />
    <objectmissing type="mediummap" scope="input" action="TreatAsError" />
  </rules>
  <!-- compatibilty mode -->
  <rules active="FALSE">
    <objectmissing type="pagesegment" scope="input"
    action="TreatAsWarning" />
    <objectmissing type="overlay" scope="input" action="TreatAsWarning" />
    <objectmissing type="object" scope="input" action="TreatAsWarning" />
  </rules>
</useresourcemanager>

 

The AFP filter resource management function should not be confused with the Compart product AFP Resource Manager, a standalone product that can be used to compose ACIF compatible resource libraries out of external resources or existing resource libraries.