Metadata To File

5 minute read Last updated on October 16, 2024

Metadata to File

Use the Metadata to File process node to extract metadata from incoming files and jobs and store that information in a separate file. You can output to a variety of metadata file formats to fit your own specific needs.

For each Metadata to File node you add to a workflow, you specify the following:

  • The type of file in which to store that information.
  • The format of the new metadata file’s extension.
  • Whether to output the original file.

The newly-created metadata file is often used for:

  • Record keeping .
  • Import into other systems for search purposes.
  • Routing to other nodes in a Dispatcher workflow.

Using the Metadata to File Node

To open the Metadata to File properties window, add a Metadata to File process node to a workflow and double-click on it. The following illustration shows the Metadata to File properties window.

Note: The illustration may not display all possible metadata.

Metadata to File Node

General Settings

  • Enabled - To enable this node in the current workflow, check the box at this field. By default, this box will be checked. If you uncheck this box, the workflow ignores the node and documents pass through as if the node was not present, and the node will display with a red X in the workflow. Note that a disabled node does not check for logic or error conditions.

  • Node Name - This editable field contains a default node name that appears in the workflow under the node icon. Use this field to specify a meaningful name for the node that indicates its use in the workflow.

  • Description - Enter an optional description for this node. A description can help you remember the purpose of the node in the workflow or distinguish nodes from each other.

  • Help - To access Dispatcher Online Help, click this button.

  • Save - To preserve your node definition and exit the window, click this button.

  • Cancel - To exit the window without saving any changes, click this button.

Output Settings

This area contains the following options:

  • Output the original file - To output the original file along with the newly created metadata file, check the box. To output only the metadata, uncheck this box. By default, this box will be checked.

  • Metadata file format - Choose the format of the file you want to store the metadata. You have the following options:

    • XML (Extensible Markup Language)
    • INI (Initialization)
    • CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
    • JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

  • Metadata file extension - Select the extension for the newly created metadata file. Choices are:

    • Output file extension plus metadata file extension - This option includes the output file’s extension along with the metadata file’s extension. For example, if this option is enabled and you chose to create an INI file, if the node processes a file named “123.TIFF”, the newly created metadata file would be “123.TIFF.INI”.

    • Metadata file extension only - This option includes the metadata file’s file extension only. For example, if this option is enabled and you chose to create an INI file, if the node processes a file named “123.TIFF”, the newly created metadata file would be “123.INI”.

    Note: The newly created metadata file uses the same file name as the output file.

Select Metadata to Extract

This area lists all of the metadata types available within the workflow. For example, if you have added an Advanced OCR node to the workflow with zones defined, a check box for Advanced OCR will appear. Check the box next to one or more metadata sets you want to extract to a separate file.

Options include:

Note: For more information about how to use metadata in other nodes, see Metadata Browsing.

Extracting Metadata Generated in Dispatcher Phoenix

The Collect from Dispatcher Phoenix node can import metadata from Dispatcher Phoenix workflows into Dispatcher Dispatcher ScanTrip Cloud . However, note the following:

  • At this time, only file-level and page-level metadata is passed between Dispatcher ScanTrip Cloud and Dispatcher Phoenix.

  • When sharing metadata between Dispatcher Phoenix and Dispatcher ScanTrip Cloud , metadata keys generated by one system will not be available for selection in the other system’s Metadata to File node. Instead select “Custom” at the Metadata File Format field, then create a custom Lua script to export the metadata.

  • Metadata keys generated in Dispatcher Phoenix and collected by Dispatcher ScanTrip Cloud must be manually edited in Dispatcher ScanTrip Cloud for use in workflows. Conversely, metadata keys flowing from Dispatcher ScanTrip Cloud do not need to be modified in Dispatcher Phoenix.

Structure of XML File

XML files consist of one root element named <file> with the following required attributes:

  1. name - the name of the file that this XML document is associated with.

  2. size - the number of bytes of the ‘name’ file.

  3. mtime - the number of seconds from the UNIX epoch that the ‘name’ file was modified.

The <file> element may contain one or more <meta> elements. No other XML element may exist as a direct child of <file>.

The <meta> element has two required attributes:

  1. group - A short but friendly descriptor used to separate where the variables came from.

  2. name - The variable name, either defined by the system or by the Index Form designer.

The <meta> element may have one of two possible child elements:

  • document - Contains the variable’s value.

  • page - This element contains the variable’s value as it relates to specific pages.

Structure of an INI File

The format of an INI file follows this structure:

    [file]
    name=sample-file.pdf
    size=205491
    ctime=0
    mtime=1622651543

    [group]
    metadata-variable-name1=metadata-value1
    metadata-variable-name2=metadata-value2

Note: ctime refers to the time the node took to create the file. mtime refers to the time the node took to modify the file.

Structure of a CSV File

The format of an CSV file follows this structure:

    file,name,sample-file.pdf
    file,size,205491
    file,ctime,0
    file,mtime,1622651543

    group,metadata-variable-name1,"metadata-value1"
    group,metadata-variable-name2,"metadata-value2"

Structure of JSON File

The format of JSON files follow this structure:

    {name:’’, size:0, ctime:0, mtime:0, meta: [
    {group:’’, name:’’, values: {
    Document = {doc: %VALUE%}
    Per Page = {%PAGE%: %VALUE%}
    }
    ]
    }

For example:

    {
    "name" : "pdf_form_maker1_new.pdf",
    "size" : 58750,
    "ctime" : 0,
    "mtime" : 1427808953,
    "meta" : [
    {
    "group" : "pdf",
    "name" : "editable",
    "values" : {
    "doc" : "true"
    }
    }
    ]
    }