List of RPM Transforms

Every transform RPM offers, grouped by what it does, each linking to its own page. If you have not met transforms yet, start with what they are and how a queue runs them.

Where most people start

Six transforms account for most of what people arrive here to do:

Text to PDF — The job RPM is asked to do most often: plain text from a host becomes a PDF, with fonts, paper size and document metadata under your control. Hand it plain text and RPM supplies the text markup step itself.
PCL to PDF Elite only — Converts print-ready PCL 5 and PCL XL to PDF, with passwords, permissions and the option to merge into an existing document.
PCL Resource Mapping Elite only — Overrides input tray, output bin and copy count by name rather than byte code – the key to running multiple colored stocks off one job.
Data Extraction Elite only — Pulls values out of the print job itself, so an archive filename, an email address or a destination queue can come from the job’s own contents.
Watermark PDF Elite only — Lays an image behind a PDF you create, placed and tracked through RPM’s overlay manager.
SCS — Reads SCS from an IBM host, so the same job can print to a Windows printer or become a PDF.

The full set follows, in five groups.

Reading host formats

These take a format you did not choose — whatever your host emits — and turn it into something the rest of the chain can work with. Several produce text markup, RPM’s own description of a laid-out page, which is what the next group consumes.

Text to Text Markup

Converts plain text, with a number of highlighting styles, into RPM’s text markup. Enables PDF or PCL output via RPM’s text print action. Convert text to text markup

SCS

Reads and utilizes SCS format from your IBM host system. Produces RPM’s text markup so you can print on a Windows printer or create PDFs. SCS to text markup

ASA

Converts ASA input to RPM’s text markup format. Enables text print or PDF output in just a few steps. ASA to text markup

First Character Forms Control (FCFC)

Converts FCFC into plain text by expanding lines as indicated. Output can feed into Text to Text Markup or other transforms. Convert FCFC format

Computer Output Reduction (COR)

Familiar to System i (AS/400) users for normalizing printed output. Works with RPM’s text markup as both input and output. Computer output reduction

Code Page Conversion

Translates input data using a code page. Includes built-in Unicode code pages and your installed Windows code pages. Code page

Unix to DOS

Converts plain text with line feed terminators to use carriage-return / line-feed. Eliminates the stair-step printed output effect. Remove stair-step

Remove PCL

Removes PCL commands from the input, leaving plain text with some formatting intact. Works with PCL 5. Remove PCL commands

Producing output

PCL to PDF works straight from print-ready HP output. The rest build from text markup, so they usually sit after one of the transforms above.

PCL to PDFElite

Converts PCL 5 and PCL XL to PDF. Also set passwords, permissions, etc. PCL to PDF

PCL to Image FormatElite

Converts PCL files to image formats. Outputs include PostScript, JPEG, and TIFF. PCL to PostScript & image formats

PDF

Converts RPM’s text markup to PDF. Text markup to PDF

HTML

Converts RPM’s text markup to HTML. Useful for posting printed output to a web server. Text markup to HTML

PCL

Converts RPM’s text markup to PCL 5. Combine with RPM’s raw print action to print directly to a PCL printer. Text markup to PCL

Changing the page

Where the job goes on the page: which tray it draws from, what sits behind it, what precedes it, and where the lines and pages break.

PCL Resource MappingElite

Changes the input tray, output bin, and/or number of copies in PCL 5 and PCL XL. Key to using multiple color stock. PCL trays, bins, & copies

Watermark PDFElite

Adds a watermark to a PDF file using RPM’s overlay manager, which tracks images on disk and their placement coordinates. Add watermark to PDF

Text Banner

Adds a text markup banner page to print jobs or PDFs, including job metadata such as name and time received. Insert text banner page

PCL Banner

Inserts a PCL banner page ahead of your PCL print job, with options to pull a cover sheet from a different paper tray. Insert PCL banner page

PCL Separator

Produces a simple PCL 5 job separator page including input tray, output bin, and a page break. Insert PCL separator

Break Pages

If your line-oriented text has no page breaks, controls page length. Default page length is 60 lines. Insert page breaks

Break Lines

If your text input has no line breaks, inserts carriage-return / line-feed at the interval you select. Insert line breaks

Changing the data

Three of these rewrite the print data. Data extraction is the exception — it only reads, and hands what it finds to your actions. See job metadata for what that makes possible.

Data ExtractionElite

Extracts data from the print job without modifying it. Extracted values can affect job processing and redirect jobs to other queues. Data extraction

FilterElite

Runs a program of your choice on the print job data during processing. Supports standard input/output and command-line arguments. Use program to convert data

String Translate

Changes character strings or binary byte sequences. Works on plain text, binary files such as PCL, and supports UTF-8 strings. String translator

Data Privacy Filter

Reads plain text or PCL 5, outputs the same formatting with the plain text data obscured. Useful for sharing files with support staff. Data privacy protection

The toolkit

Small, single-purpose operations on the byte or line level. Nobody browses for these — you arrive at one because you need exactly it. They are listed compactly for that reason, not because they matter less: between them they handle the awkward cases that would otherwise need a program.

Transform	What it does
Append Bytes	Appends a string or byte sequence to the end of the output. Can be a reset code, an additional paragraph, or any other data.
Append File	Appends the contents of a file to your input. The file can contain a reset code, additional pages, or any other data.
Insert Bytes	Inserts a byte sequence or string ahead of the input. Often used to change printer settings for the upcoming job.
Insert File	Inserts the contents of a disk file ahead of your job input. The file can contain job reset commands, print properties, or additional pages.
Limit Bytes	Limits total output to a specific number of bytes regardless of format. Remaining input is ignored.
Limit Lines	Limits total output to a given number of lines. Remaining input is ignored.
Remove Bytes	Removes a given number of bytes from the start of the input. All remaining bytes are passed along.
Remove Lines	Removes lines from the start of the input. All remaining lines are passed along. Useful for stripping header pages.
Remove After	Once a given pattern is seen, removes all remaining lines from the job. The matching line is included in output.
Remove Until	Removes input until a certain string appears. Can strip beginning pages if page endings are predictable.
Remove Nulls	Removes zero bytes from the input. Note that most transforms handle this automatically.
Remove Text Markup	Removes the text markup produced by RPM transforms, leaving plain text with lines intact.
Trim Lines	Removes a given number of lines from the end of plain text output.