What are "superfiles"?
With the release of AnzioWin 15, there is a new concept that underlies many of the new features in AnzioWin. Most any operation in AnzioWin that deals with a file, can work with "superfiles", handles to input/output devices that can come from a number of sources. This is a short introduction to their use.
URI's ("universal resource indicator") and URL's ("universal resource locator") are known throughout the Internet community and you use them whenever you browse a web site. "superfiles" are similar in appearance to these strings and many represent actual standard definitions for accessing files or host systems.
AnzioWin startup with "superfiles"
It is possible to start AnzioWin up with a command line parameter that specifies the connection method and various parameters for the connection method. These can be done by simply including the URI after the executable name in a desktop shortcut, when you are typing the command from the Windows "Run" dialog, when starting Anzio from a script or when you are working from a DOS-type command prompt. Here are some examples:
anzio32.exe telnet://hostname
anzio32.exe telnet://
anzio32.exe telnet://username@hostname
anzio32.exe telnet://username:password@hostname
anzio32.exe telnet://username:password@hostname:port
anzio32.exe modem://phonenumber
anzio32.exe modem://username@phonenumber
anzio32.exe modem://username:password@phonenumber
anzio32.exe rlogin://somehost.com
anzio32.exe rlogin://username@somehost.com
anzio32.exe rlogin://username:password@somehost.com
anzio32.exe ssh://somehost.com
anzio32.exe ssh://username@somehost.com
anzio32.exe ssh://username:password@somehost.com
anzio32.exe serial://serialsettings
Using "superfiles" inside Anzio
There are a great number of locations throughout AnzioWin where external PC files come into play, such as file transfer, playing sound, capture, printing, and many others. Where ever a file name may be entered, a "superfile" file name may be entered instead. A "superfile" file name is very similar to the concept of a web page URL (Universal Resource Locator), the http://something that appears in the Address line of your browser. "Superfile" file names correspond to a URI (Universal Resource Indicator) and expands upon this standards approach to referencing remote input and output resources. This is a concept that underlies many new features. Many operations that used to deal with files can now optionally use a "superfile" URI. We already had this to a degree. For instance, you could issue the Anzio command:
COPY ftp://somefile@somehost.com mylocalfile
to fetch the file from an FTP location and store it on disk. Or you could do
COPY mylocalfile WPRN
where "WPRN" is a special name that corresponds to Anzio's built-in print handler.
Now we have added many new kinds, to handle faxing, scanning, speech, and many of the other features described below. Some can be input files and some can be output files. With the exception of "WPRN", which is in that form for compatibility with earlier usage, all superfile designations have a type identifier followed by "://", as in the first example above. The identifier is not case sensitive.
Following are the file name formats currently available, whether they are usable for input or output, and general notes. Additional "superfile" support will continue to be added in future releases.
| Name format | In | Out | Notes |
| WPRN | no | yes | Anzio's built in print handler |
| FTP://filename | yes | no | Fetched from an FTP server |
|
HTTP://filename@sitename.com HTTPS://filename@sitename.com |
yes | no | Fetched from a web server |
| SCAN:// | yes | no | A bitmap pulled from a scanner (or other TWAIN source) |
| PDF:// | no | yes |
A print file created as a PDF, named Printwiz_output.PDF |
| PDF://filename.pdf | no | yes | A print file created as a PDF, with the given name |
| FAX32://555-1234 | no | yes | A fax generated with the Fax32 system available on Windows 2000, XP and 2003, sent to the indicated phone number |
| EMF:// | no | yes | An enhanced Windows metafile containing a print job, named Printwiz_output.emf |
| EMF://filename.emf | no | yes | An enhanced Windows metafile containing a print job, with the indicated name |
| SCREENBMP:// | yes | no | A bitmap image of Anzio's window |
| SPEAK:// | no | yes | Text-to-speech |
anything else without "://" in it is a standard local file. For instance, you could use the Anzio command
ZSEND scan://
to scan and upload (via Zmodem) a file.
Superfile Parameters
Associated with many of the superfile names above are also variable and optional parameters that help control how these input or output names will behave.
There is usually a first parameter entered before any others that references a setting for the action for the superfile type, i.e. the file name to write to or the fax number to fax to. Optional parameters are entered after this, separated by question marks. As an example:
PDF://MyFileName.pdf?author=AnzioWin?email=myemail@somewhere.com?emailsubject=test
Below is a list of possible parameters for several of these file types. Note that a more complete list may be found in the current version's ReadMe.TXT file (shipped with the product) or in the current AnzioWin manual.
| Superfile Type | Parameter | Notes | |
| SCAN:// |
|
An optional file name to write to (otherwise a temporary file name is created and used). | |
| ?pages=<> | This would be the number of pages to scan. The default is 1 on a flatbed scanner or the number of sheets in the auto-sheet-feeder. However for a flatbed scanner, you can use this to create a multiple-page file. | ||
| ?resolution=<> | Scan resolution. Default is determined by the current settings for the scan software. | ||
|
?format=mono ?format=gray ?format=color |
Sets the output format of the file created. Default is color. | ||
|
?show=true |
Shows the image after the file has been created. | ||
|
?duplex=off ?duplex=manual ?duplex=reverse ?duplex=auto |
For duplex auto-sheet-feeder scanners, you can set the duplex of the scanner. | ||
|
?feeder=true ?feeder=false |
Turn on or off the auto-sheet-feeder. | ||
|
?bottom=<> |
Set the area of the scanned page to save to the file. | ||
| FAX32:// |
|
The fax number to fax to. | |
| ?coverpage=<> | Set the fax cover page file name. | ||
| ?to=<> | Set the name of the person to whom you are faxing. | ||
| ?fromnumber=<> | Set the fax from number. | ||
| ?note=<> |
Set the message body of the cover page. A vertical bar, |, represents a carriage return. |
||
| ?subject=<> | Set the subject line for a cover page. | ||
| ?fromname=<> | Set the fax from name. | ||
| ?docname=<> | Set a fax document name. | ||
| PDF:// |
|
Set the output name of the PDF. | |
|
?view ?view=off |
After the PDF is created, view the file content in the local PDF viewing software, such as Acrobat Reader. | ||
| ?user=<> | Set the PDF "user" property. | ||
| ?owner=<> | Set the PDF "owner" property. | ||
| ?permissions=<> |
Set the PDF "permissions" property. This can be a string of any combination of the following:
P print |
||
| ?title=<> |
Set the PDF "title" property. |
||
| ?subject=<> | Set the PDF "subject" property. | ||
| ?author=<> | Set the PD F"author" property. | ||
| ?keywords=<> | Set the PDF "keywords" search property as a comma-separated list. | ||
| ?email=<> | The "to" email address to email the PDF to once it is created. | ||
| ?emailname=<> | The recipient name. | ||
| ?emailcc=<> | A carbon-copy list of additional emails to send to. | ||
| ?emailbcc=<> | A blind carbon-copy list of additional emails to send to. | ||
| ?emailsubject=<> | The subject of the email. | ||
| ?emailnotes=<> | The message body of the email. This can be as text or as HTML, depending on the HTML flag. This can also be an external file name of a text or HTML file to insert. For text, a vertical bar, |, represents a carriage return. | ||
| ?emailfrom=<> |
The from name of the sender. |
||
| ?emailfromaddress=<> | The from email address of the sender. | ||
| ?emailattachments=<> | A comma-separated list of additional files that should be included as attachments. For some email types this needs to include the full path names. | ||
|
?confirm ?confirm=off |
Bring up an email confirmation dialog box in order to change or cancel the email prior to sending it blindly. | ||
|
?html ?html=off |
Set the body type of the message. | ||
| TIF:// |
|
The file name of the TIFF file to create. | |
| ?density=<> | Set the density of the TIFF. | ||
|
?format=color ?format=gray ?format=mono |
Set the color format of the TIFF. | ||
|
?width=<> ?height=<> |
Set the width and height of the TIFF image. | ||
|
?view ?view=off |
View the TIFF file once it is generated. | ||
|
?compression=none |
Set the images compression type. | ||
| ?email=<> | The "to" email address to email the TIFF to once it is created. | ||
| ?emailname=<> | The name of the recipient. | ||
| ?emailfrom=<> | The name of the sender. | ||
| ?emailfromaddress=<> | The email address of the sender. | ||
| ?emailcc=<> | A carbon-copy list of additional emails to send to. | ||
| ?emailbcc=<> | A blind carbon-copy list of additional emails to send to. | ||
| ?emailsubject=<> | The email subject. | ||
| ?emailnotes=<> | The message body of the email. This can be as text or as HTML, depending on the HTML flag. This can also be an external file name of a text or HTML file to insert. For text, a vertical bar, |, represents a carriage return. | ||
| ?emailattachments=<> | A comma-separated list of additional files that should be included as attachments. For some email types this needs to include the full path names. | ||
|
?confirm ?confirm=off |
Bring up an email confirmation dialog box in order to change or cancel the email prior to sending it blindly. | ||
|
?html ?html=off |
Set the body type of the message. |
Additional superfile names may have additional parameters. Check the current documentation for more information.