Hi All,

I,m just starting to use FusionPro and am looking for some beginning javascript tutorials or reference matarials to better understand and use javascript. Any Help?

Thank You

Craig

Their documentation references some good javascript resources, plus there are plenty of samples of code on their support site and built into the javascript building blocks.

Depending on your coding familiarity, it comes down to finding resources specific to your need.

Are you new to programming as a whole?

Do you know what variables and variable types are?

Do you know how to do regular expression checking?

Do you know what a case statement is and why you would use it vs an IF statement?

It all depends on how you learn, ask questions, I'll try to point you in the right direction. Just need to know where you need to start.

Patrick,

I have dabbled a little with html about 7 years ago and applescripting around 2 years ago and never realy used either to much sense. So my programming and code reading is close to NULL. Right now we are basicly just doing address blocks and Fisrt name Company statements , but would like to be able to understand basic text case formating and work my way up.

I did find the pdf for rules and will take a look at that. If you know of any job samples to follow along with that would help.

Thank you


Craig

Ok,

Good start then, is to look at the basics of javascript and the basics of coding.

Coding basics are universal, or pretty darn close. HTML is not a programming language as much as a markup language. Your HTML background will come in handy if you use the text formatting capabilities in FusionPro.

Key areas to search for:

Variables
What a variable is
What types of variables are there
How to declare a variable
How to compare variables
How to convert variables from one type to another
How to format variables
How to return variables

Logical Test
IF / Then / Else statements
Case statements
For each statements
While / do statements
Booleans and conditional testing (greater then, less then, etc...)
IF exists
How to use variables as a counter

Regular Expressions
What are they
How to use them

Arrays
2d arrays
3d arrays
How to address and reference arrays
Are arrays efficient ways to store data?

Reading Text Files
File open, read, write or both modes
Finding EOF
Moving through line by line
Moving through character by character
Converting Arrays to strings or numbers
Writing out text files


These are the key areas of importance for learning the basics of coding for variable data printing. Learning these should take weeks to months, not hours or days.

I suggest looking for online javascript tutorials, looking at the sample data files on www.printable.com in their support forums, and also the mailing list for fusionpro. These will give you specific examples, but you need to learn the basics of programming before any of it will start to make sense.

Best of all, play around. FusionPro gives a very good rules validation service. The biggest problem is that javascript is not universal, the things that work for a website, may not work for FusionPro, but the concepts are there, its just translating them into what FusionPro can handle and you can do alot with it.

Good luck, and remember there is no right way to code something, plenty of wrong ways, but in the end if you accomplish what youneed to in code, you are done. Everyone has their opinion on how to code something, some more efficient then others, but if the code works, you are on the right track. Advanced coders look to optimize code to make its execution more efficient, use less memory, take up less lines, etc. But don't worry about that right now.

Also, remember to put comments in all your code. Think out loud in comments, comment everything and anything.

Patrick,

Thanks for the help, Looking forward to your next podcast.

Craig

Hey Guys,

I am looking into VDP applications for variable color and I am strongly considering FusionPro. This post is the first I have heard of coding. Now I have very limited knowledge in coding, and I was under the impression that FusionPro does all the work!? After looking at the product on their website it looks like a simple "click-and-drag" applcation. Am I incorrect? To what extent will coding be needed/used?

Thanks for your help

Christian

You don't have to code anything in FusionPro. The basic stuff is done very easy without knowing any code.

However, the nice thing about FusionPro is its underlying Javascript engine to compose variable data. Using javascript you can do advanced functions.

Don't mistake this post as a need to learn programming to use FusionPro, it was a response to learning Javascript to get more out of FusionPro.