PRO Document Creation and PRO Output Data-Extraction APIs
Vendors of document solutions operate in multi-client environments characterized by many different print stream and
data formats and a wide variety of distribution and presentment requirements. Crawford Technologies addresses these
unique requirements by offering two powerful Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow vendors’ clients
to:
- Significantly simplify and speed up the design, development and implementation of document conversion and
manipulation solutions and
- Markedly reduce the overall costs.
The two APIs are:
- PRO Document Creation API
- PRO Output Data-extraction API
PRO Document Creation API (DOCAPI)
The PRO DOCAPI supplies a set of program function calls, which allow the client programs to generate and control
document level objects such as pages, forms, fonts, text, rules, shading and bitmaps. When the objects are processed
through a PRO output device driver, the appropriate printer language objects are created. With this API, document
creation applications can easily add support for complex print formats, including AFP, Xerox Metacode, PostScript,
PDF, PCL, TIFF and PNG.
PRO Output Data-extraction API (ODDAPI)
The PRO ODDAPI supplies a set of program function calls, which are used to control the processing of an output data
stream files and which allow the software vendor’s program to extract information about the print stream. This
program can then use the extracted information for any purpose, such as extracting data to a database, creating a
proprietary display or print format or developing a customized XML format.
With PRO DOCAPI and PRO ODDAPI the clients no longer need to create specific applications. All they have to do is
create one generic interface that can be used with a wide variety of print languages. There is no need for their
developers to know the programming languages of various print format types, such as Xerox Metacode, AFP, PCL, HTML,
TIFF and PDF or the inner workings of the PRO Suite of products. The clients’ time to implement is thus
significantly shortened while they have also reduced their long-term development time and costs.
PRO DOCAPI and PRO ODDAPI offer a high degree of flexibility for many current clients. Many actions are controlled
by parameters allowing easy integration and customization to the environment.
PRO DOCAPI and PRO ODDAPI are built so that they can be incorporated into the vendor's product and redistributed as
integral components of the customer's solution. Clients can use either a tightly coupled API or, more commonly, they
just utilize command line calls. When completed, the client's problem is resolved with a cost effective software
development tool that interprets print-streams and resources under program control. The controlling program
interacts with CrawfordTech data interpreter and, through the PRO DOCAPI and/or PRO ODDAPI, it manipulates pages in
any way desired. The PRO DOCAPI and PRO ODDAPI use a print-stream transform technology, which accesses the print
resources as they are needed.
Further, the PRO DOCAPI and PRO ODDAPI are available on most processing platforms, like Windows, Unix and z/OS. What
is more, both PRO DOCAPI and PRO ODDAPI are compatible with the entire suite of PRO software products and PRO
solutions, allowing many value-added capabilities to be harnessed.
PRO Document Creation API and PRO Output Data-Extraction API can be used in many solutions, including the following:
- Customer Relation Management systems
- Computer Output to Laser Disk (COLD) systems
- Report Distribution and Management systems
- Print transformers
- Document Composition Systems
- Printer controllers
