Editing Batch Targets

You can open an existing batch target and edit the settings within it.

How to Edit Targets to Be Generated/Published

After you create a batch target file, you might decide to add more targets to be generated and/or published in the batch. Or you might remove build and/or publish settings for a particular target.

  1. From the Targets folder in the Project Organizer, open the batch target file.
  2. In the Batch Target Editor, click the Targets tab.
  3. Click the Build and/or Publish check boxes next to the targets that you want to be affected when the batch runs.

    Note In order for targets to be published when the batch runs, you must also create and associate a publishing destination with the target(s). See Creating Destinations and Associating Destination Files With Targets.

  4. Click Save the active file. to save your work.

How to Edit Scheduled Tasks

After you create a batch target in the Flare user interface, you can start that batch whenever you need to (i.e., tell it to start building and/or publishing the related targets). However, you also have the option of creating scheduled tasks. You might do this if you want your targets to be generated or published automatically overnight. Scheduled builds are created using the Windows Task Scheduler. However, the user interface in Flare makes it easier for you to create scheduled tasks without leaving the application. If you use this scheduling feature, you do not need to have Flare open at the time the batch runs.

When a scheduled task runs, the command prompt window opens on your computer and minimizes while the batch runs. This window closes automatically when the batch process is finished. If any errors or warnings occur during the process, a report is automatically saved so you can review the messages. You can then open the error report file from the Reports folder in the Project Organizer.

  1. From the Targets folder in the Project Organizer, open the batch target file.
  2. In the Batch Target Editor, click the Schedule tab.
  3. Select the trigger you want to edit (if there is more than one).
  4. At the bottom of the tab, click Edit. The Edit Trigger dialog opens.
  5. In the Settings area, select how often you want the trigger in the batch to be run. You can also click in the Start fields to change the beginning date and/or time:

    • If you select One Time, click in the Start fields to change the beginning date and/or time.
    • If you select Daily, a field displays so that you can specify a certain number of days for the process to recur.
    • If you select Weekly, a field displays so that you can specify a certain number of weeks for the process to recur. In addition, check boxes are available so that you can select certain days of the week for the process to run.
    • If you select Monthly, additional fields are displayed so that you can select certain months for the process to run, even on specific days during particular months.
  6. (Optional) In the Advanced Settings area, you can set any of the following.
    • Repeat task every You can specify if you want the trigger for the batch to run periodically after a certain number of minutes or hours.
    • For a duration of You can specify how long you want the trigger for the batch to be repeated.
    • Expire You can specify whether the trigger for the batch should stop running after a certain date.
    • Enabled By default the trigger for the batch will be enabled. However, you can disable the trigger if necessary. The trigger will remain in the batch file (even though it will not run while being disabled). You can re-enable it in the future if you want.
  7. Click OK.

What’s Noteworthy?

Tip Because scheduled tasks in batch targets use Windows Task Scheduler, the settings in that utility are applied. By default, scheduled tasks will run only if you are logged on. However, you can change this setting in Windows Task Scheduler so that the batch runs whether you are logged on or not. To accomplish this, first open Windows Task Scheduler. The steps may be different depending on the operating system. For example, in Windows 7 click the Start button and select All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Task Scheduler. Then select Task Scheduler Library to see a list of your scheduled tasks. In the list select the appropriate task and click Properties. Click Run whether user is logged on or not (in Windows 7 this is on the General tab). Click OK. You will be prompted to enter your Windows login password. When you are finished working for the day, log off your computer (instead of shutting down completely). The task will run as scheduled.

Note If you create a scheduled task in a batch target, a .job file is automatically created in Windows Task Scheduler. If you delete the batch target from within Flare, the .job file is automatically removed from Windows Task Scheduler. However, if you delete the project or batch target from Windows (outside of Flare), the .job file remains in Windows Task Scheduler. Therefore, you will need to remove the .job file manually from there.

Note You cannot use scheduled tasks for batch targets if you are working in trial mode.