Contents
This dialog specifies how ET-Updater delivers a specific piece of text to an Imagestore.
Delivery
There are two different ways of delivering the final text into an Easytext unit. The choice of this must be made in conjunction with the design of the template to receive the text.
Datasource
Datasources provide a much more flexible and smarter solution. Rather than deliver the text into the template, the text is delivered into an intermediate ‘named’ storage area, which can then act a source of text to the template. The text is held in the Imagestore indefinitely.
To get Easytext to display the text from a datasource, the template must contain the source name between vertical bars.
For example, if we deliver our weather alerts into a datasource called “EASalert”, then any Easytext template containing the string |EASalert| will have it automatically expanded. Easytext images are automatically redrawn whenever their underlying datasources change.
So, if we have an Easytext template built with Text Builder, containing the string “Urgent Weather News: |EASalert|”, and we delivered “Tornado in Timbuktu” into the EASalert datasource, then we would see “Urgent Weather News: Tornado in Timbuktu” displayed whenever the template was loaded.
Datasources were introduced into the Imagestore Software V2.11.
Imagestore Intuition uses a different format for datasources in CG templates. Instead of |EASAlert|, the required syntax is <EasAlert/>.
Text Boxes
Text can also be delivered directly into a numbered text box on a specific layer. The problem with this is that the ET-Updater has no knowledge of what image the Easytext system is displaying, so could deliver the data into a field which was not designed to be modified under automation. Datasources are therefore the preferred solution.
For this mode, both the Text Box number and the Imagestore Keying Layer must be specified. If an Easytext template is not loaded, then the text will be ignored, and if the required template is subsequently loaded, then the ET-Updater must be manually forced to re-send the data.
By selecting Use Text as Image Name, you can use ET-Updater to select different graphics into Easytext Image boxes within an Easytext Template.
Keying Layer
The keying layer is used when referring to specific text and image boxes by number. It is also used if ET-Updater is controlling the keying layer when new text arrives (On Expiry is set to Fade Keyer Off). In other circumstances, this value will be ignored.
Text Queuing
When text queuing is enabled, then the grid of text delivered from the text processor is entered, row-by-row, into a queue. Items are retrieved from the queue and sent for display at the specified rate – either at a specified time interval, or after a specified number of ‘rotations’ of a text crawl. The queue has a maximum size, and when the queue is full writing a new element will overwrite the last queued element.
SMS Message Queuing [ET-Updater Pro Only]
The SMS queuing options require that the text is split into two columns for Nickname and Message. The queued messages are processed to extract the required number of lines of messages, which are then delivered into a single data source. This mode requires that the text source (typically HTTP, ODBC or POP3) provide newly received messages just the once.
Text Expiry
This feature allows ET-Updater to control what happens after no new text has been received for a specified period.
The text datasource can be cleared – causing the old text to simply “blank out”, or the keying layer can be faded down. If the keying layer is faded down then any new text arriving will automatically cause the keying layer to be faded back up.