MailForm

MailForm™ Description

MailForm is a text composition software system used for preparing printer files for high-speed variable printing systems. Essentially, MailForm merges variable data from a Variable Data File with a document description supplied in the MailForm Control File following merge parameters and formatting instructions also supplied in the latter file. The output is a printer file formatted to drive Scitex IJPDS-compatible printers (or, in future, IPDS-compatible printers).

The diagram at right illustrates the data flow in a MailForm system processing output for IPDS and Ink-Jet printers. The MailForm Control File is normally generated as an output from the MailView™ WYSIWYG front-end system (although it is possible to generate it with any ASCII text editor). The Control File specifies the page size and orientation, the fonts and graphic elements to be used, and how the text and graphics are positioned. It also defines how variable information is extracted from the Variable Data File and combined with the text to form personalized output documents. The Control File may specify complex conditional processing of the variable data input and reformatting of the data via built-in and external routines.

The MailForm software operates under Windows/NT as a client/server multi-threaded task, allowing it to operate extremely efficiently on single or multi-processor computing systems. MailForm output files may be generated on disk or can be directed to 9-track tape (1600/6250) or to 3480/3490 data cartridge.

Although the two software systems are very different, MailForm provides complete functional compatibility with the Scitex DijiComp™ mainframe system. Existing DijiComp program files may be converted to MailForm format via the SoftView MailView™ system.