Generally used in conjunction with the Load a Component procedure, Output from Project (implemented with a rule) and Document Output from a Project (implemented with the Document Template) are valuable actions for retrieving output from a project and including it in a different project. This is extremely useful for creating configurable collates, DuplexPackSlip® labels or other “merged” outbound shipping documents:

Manhattan: WMi Configurable Collate
Video Series: Creating a Two-Sided Label w/ a Reference Number

It’s also helpful for parsing information with one project and sending it to another project:

Getting a shipping label from XML

Tutorial: DuplexPackSlip® Label

Follow along: Download Sample Files

To create a DuplexPackSlip® label, some kind of information is needed to link the shipping label with a packing list, so these data streams can be merged into one label. Often, this process is completed using a reference number.

Requirements

• A packing list project with some kind of information, such as file name, that can be linked with the shipping label.
• A shipping label project with the following items:
– Portrait orientation
– Printer control set to duplex
– Two forms set to front and back in Properties > General > Paper Side
– A pre-condition Load Component procedure to set the data for the packing list
– An Output from Project rule to place the packing list. If necessary, rotate the packing list (if using a landscape packing list, for example)

Highlights

In our example, a reference number is included in the shipping label data stream. It is picked up by a variable.

This number is the same as the file name of the packing slip input. A condition is placed to determine if the file name exists.

A pre-condition Load a Component procedure is added to set the data for the packing list. This is accessed by right-clicking the form and selecting Add Pre-condition Procedure > Load a Component. Note that the “File using the procedure variable” is the option used in this situation.

The Output from Project rule is implemented by right clicking the form and selecting Add Rule > Output from Project. From the Project field, the packing slip project is selected. Check the “Input is from a component of a composite data file” option and enter the component name. This must match the component name in the Load a Component procedure.