Using data sources overview

When you create a template, you assign to it data sources that contain values for variables in the template. For example, a data source can specify text, symbol names, or paths to external image files to be inserted when the template is processed. You can assign a data source to the main timeline of a template and to timelines of movie clips, as well as to specific Generator objects.

A data source can be a comma-delimited text file, a URL that references a comma-delimited text file (either an actual file or a Web application that returns a text-only result), a result set from an SQL query passed through a JDBC/ODBC connection, a Java class, or a native data source. (A native data source is data stored directly in the template rather than in an external file. Using a native data source is a convenient way to enter test values during development.)

You can also pass defined variables through the URL (online processing) or the command line (offline processing).

Regardless of the type of data source you use, it must pass the data to Generator in an expected format. The Generator object to which you assign the data source determines the format in which data must be presented to Generator, and in some cases, it also determines specific columns that must also appear in the data source.