On this Page:  Batches | Create A Batch | Schedule Batch Runs | View/ Edit Batch Data

Batches

Definition:  A “Batch” is a collection of accessible PDF files created by CommonLook Dynamic.

Navigate to the Batches screen at any time by selecting the “Batches” button in the toolbar.

The Dynamic toolbar with the Batches button highlighted.

After batches have been created and run, whether by you or by someone else and then shared with you, the Batches screen will contain a table with data pertaining to each batch.

In addition, there is a button where you can create a new batch.

The CommonLook Dynamic Batches screen displaying the table with batch data and the "Create new batch" button.

Create A Batch

Important Note:  During the “Batch Creation Phase” users will have to make certain choices regarding document layout and will need to upload data files.  The Layouts available, and instructions on how to assemble the data for the PDFs, will have already been established in the “Layout Creation Phase.”  This “Layout Creation Phase” is a joint effort between your document designers and your CommonLook team.

To create and run a batch follow these steps:

  1. Select the “Create new batch” button to open the “Create and Run Batch” screen.
    The Batches screen with the Create New Batch button highlighted.
    Helpful Tip: On the “Create and Run Batch” screen, there will be information icons to provide additional help, if needed. Hover the mouse over, or tab to, the icons as needed.
    The "Create and Run Batch screen is open, after choosing to "Create a new batch." The Information Icon is highlighted and the dialog box is open to reveal the definition of the word "Batch."
  2. On the “Create and Run Batch” screen, enter the following information as needed:
    1. Batch Name: Provide a name for the batch.
    2. Under “Generated PDF files,” select the “Add PDF file” button.
      The Create and Run Batch screen with the "Add PDF file" button highlighted.
      The “Add PDF file” dialog box will open so that you can specify the characteristics of a PDF file that is to be generated as part of the Batch.
      The Add PDF file options dialog box. The options are described in the following list.
      Add or edit the following information as needed:

      1. File Name – CommonLook will automatically enter a file name.  Edit it if you wish.  (Remember conventional file naming rules regarding characters that are/ are not allowed in file names.)
      2. Standards – By default, Dynamic will generate files that are conformant with all PDF standards including ISO 32000-1:2008, the “Original” Section 508, WCAG 2.0 AA (also known as the “Revised – 2017 Section 508”), PDF/UA 1.0 (ISO 14289), and HHS.
      3. Select Layout (Dropdown menu) – Choose the desired layout for your PDF.
        Note:  Layouts are developed with the CommonLook team prior to this phase of making the PDFs.
      4. Data Source and other configuration variables:
        1. After choosing your layout, the “Variable Name” column in the table will be populated automatically with the type of file needed to create a PDF based on the layout that you’ve chosen. (The file type will be established during the “Layout Creation Phase” with the CommonLook team.)
        2. Select the “Upload File” button to open a dialog box.  Choose the file containing the data that will be used for the content in the PDF. 
          Tip:            As in the screenshot below, if the “Variable Name” says “Excel file path” then the Upload File would be an Excel Workbook.
          The Data Source and other configuration variables menu with the option for Excel file path and the Upload file button highlighted.
      5. Select “Save” to return to the “Create and Run Batch” screen. From here, if needed, you can select the “Add PDF file” button again to add more PDFs to your batch. (Choosing “Cancel” will undo the steps you’ve taken to add a PDF and return you to the “Create and Run Batch” screen.)
    3. (Back on the “Create and Run Batch Screen) “Share With” Options – Choose other users that you’d like to share your batch with.  You can choose to share with individual people or with groups of people based on their “role.”
    4. Scheduling – Schedule when to run your batch.  Refer to the “Scheduling Batches” section below for more information.
    5. “Run Batch” – Choose this when you’re done and ready to create your PDFs.
      The Run Batch button on the Create and Run Batch screen.
    6. “Back to List” – Cancels the Batch creation and returns you to the Batches screen.  (A Warning dialog box will open asking if you’re sure you want to go back and informing you that your changes will not be saved.)

Scheduling Batches

When creating batches, it’s possible to assign scheduling so that the batch is run right away, run at a later time, or run periodically.  This would be particularly useful for users who are generating documents that reflect data within a certain timeframe—monthly bank statements, for example.

On the “Create and Run Batch” screen, once your PDFs have been added to your batch, select the desired scheduling option from the dropdown menu.  The scheduling options are described in more detail below.

Run Immediately

Choose this option to immediately run the batch, and generate the PDFs, that you have set up in the previous step.  When you select the “Run Batch” button, CommonLook Dynamic will immediately begin generating the PDFs.

The "Run Immediately" option in CommonLook Dynamic batch scheduling.

One Time Only

Choose this option to run the batch and generate the PDFs once, at a later date.  When this option is selected, you’ll be asked to enter the time zone, date, and time to run the batch.  Select the date from the calendar (using the mouse or the arrow keys on the keyboard) and then enter the time in two-digit hour, two-digit minute format.  Be sure to also indicate “am” or “pm”.  (Note:  Entering times using the 24-hour format will automatically convert them to “am” or “pm” as needed.  So, for example, the hour “13” will automatically be converted to “01” and “pm.”)

The "One Time Only" scheduling option in CommonLook Dynamic.

Daily

Choose this option to run batches and generate your PDFs everyday.  As with the “One Time Only” option, you’ll be asked to enter a time zone, start date, and start time.  Be sure, when indicating the time, to use the two-digit hour and two-digit minute format and include “am” or “pm” as needed.  (Note:  Entering times using the 24-hour format will automatically convert them to “am” or “pm” as needed.  So, for example the hour “13” will automatically be converted to “01” and “pm.”)

In addition, you may enter an expiration date after which point the batches will not be run.

The "Daily" scheduling option in CommonLook Dynamic.

Weekly

Choose this option to run batches and generate your PDFs on a weekly basis.  As with the “One Time Only” and “Daily” options, you’ll be asked to enter a time zone, start date, and start time.  Indicate what week(s) to run the batch.  Choosing “1” (the default) in this menu will cause CommonLook Dynamic to run the batch every week.  Selecting “2,” for example, will run the batch every other week.  In addition, select at least one day of the week to run your batch.

In addition, you may enter an expiration date after which point the batches will not be run.

The "Weekly" scheduling option in CommonLook Dynamic.

Monthly

Choose this option to run batches and generate your PDFs on a monthly basis.  As with the “One Time Only,” “Daily,” and “Weekly” options, you’ll be asked to enter a time zone, start date, and start time.  Select the month(s) to run the batch and then select either the day of the month to run the batch or, with the “Select Week” and “Select Day” dropdown menus, choose, for example, to run the batch on the 2nd Tuesday in the previously indicated months.

As with the other batch types, it’s possible to assign an expiration date after which the batches will no longer be run.

The "Monthly" scheduling option in CommonLook Dynamic.

Viewing/ Editing Batch Data

The batches that you’ve created, or that have been shared with you, will be displayed in the table on the “Batches” screen.  The data provided includes the Name, Creation Date, Used Layouts, Status (Scheduled, Running, or Completed), the “Type” of run (based on scheduling options), who the batch was Created by, and “Next Run” information.  (When batches are created and scheduled to run at a time other than “immediately” – “One time only,” daily, weekly, or monthly, the “Next Run” column will indicate the next time that the batch will be run and the PDFs will be generated.)

In addition, in the right column of the table, there are buttons for the following options:  Progress, Manage Runs, Edit, Delete, and Rerun.  These options are described in more detail below.

The CommonLook Dynamic Batches screen displaying the table with batch data. The Options buttons, as described below, are highlighted.

Progress (on the Batches screen)

Select the “Progress” button to view the progress of the most recent batch run (this is important to know if the batch has been run multiple times, for example).  The Progress screen will display a progress bar as well as a table with columns for the Data Entry name (the file name of the PDF), the Used Layout (the visual presentation of the PDF), the Status (Scheduled, Running, or Completed), and the option to Download.

Each PDF in a batch will be listed in its own row in the table.  Therefore, from here, it’s possible to download the PDFs individually (whereas using the “Download” button from the “Manage Runs” screen results in downloading all of the PDFs in the batch, at once, into a zipped folder).

The CommonLook Dynamic Batch Progress screen as described in the preceding paragraphs.

Manage Runs (on the Batches screen)

For individual batch data, select the “Manage Runs” button in the Batch Options.  A table will display the Run Name, Result (Scheduled, Running, or Finished), Start and End dates and times, and, in the column on the right, there are additional options to Edit the run, Download the PDFs, view run Details, and Delete the run.  These options are explained in more detail below.  (Note:  If a batch has been run multiple times, there will be a row in the table corresponding to each time the batch has been run.)

The Manage Runs Screen in CommonLook Dynamic

Edit:  Change the name of the Run.

Download:

Use the “Download” button to download the PDF(s) from a particular batch run in a zipped folder.

Note:  Batches are put into zipped folders because it’s possible to generate multiple PDFs in a batch.

Details:

The “Details” button will take you to a screen providing the Progress information for the chosen run.

Displayed on this screen will be a progress bar as well as a table with columns for the Data Entry name (the file name of the PDF), the Used Layout (the visual presentation of the PDF), the Status (Scheduled, Running, or Completed), and the option to Download.

Each PDF in a batch will be listed in its own row in the table.  Therefore, from here, it’s possible to download the PDFs individually (whereas using the “Download” button from the “Manage Runs” screen results in downloading all of the PDFs in the batch, at once, into a zipped folder).

Delete:

Choose this button to delete a particular run from a batch.

Edit (on the Batches screen)

Choose the “Edit” button to change the batch name, to share it with other users, and/or to view Batch scheduling details.

Note: You can only edit batches that you have created.

The Edit Batch screen as described in the preceding paragraph.

Delete (on the Batches screen)

Selecting the “Delete” button will delete the batch.

Note: You can only delete batches that you have created.

Rerun (on the Batches screen)

Choose this option to manually run the batch again (as opposed to scheduling it to be run multiple times).