Steps to Build a Filter Script for PageGate Video Tutorial

Steps to Build a Filter Script for PageGate Transcript for Video:
Welcome to the video tutorial on how to build a filter script for PageGate. In this tutorial, we'll be going over the logic and required files for PageGate's filtering system.

Step 1: Copy the filter's executable in to the PageGate program directory
The first step is to copy the filter's executable in to the program directory. The file 'pgfilter.exe' must reside in the PageGate program folder. If you do not have a copy of this file, please contact our sales and registration department at sales@notepage.com or by phone at 781-829-0500.

Step 2: Determine what you want filtered
Next, we'll need to determine what we want filtered.

Filter scripts are called through PageGate's template system and can be broken down in to two categories: Inbound and Outbound

Inbound filters can trigger on and modify content passed to the program. These filters are applied to the program's input interfaces and on a global level to effect all input interfaces.

Outbound filters can trigger on and modify messages delivered by the program. These filters can be applied to a recipient, carrier, connector and on a global level.

You can have a system reference multiple filters for different purposes at the same time.

For example, you could configure an inbound filter to strip XML and JSON formatting from received data as well as a global outbound filter that inserted a custom header before every message. You could then make exceptions to that global rule by configuring unique filters for a carrier, recipient or connector.

You could also configure an SMS reply processing system that filtered reply messages containing certain keywords to specific recipients and groups while also implementing an outbound filter to customize the contents or formatting of messages delivered to them.

You could also do everything described all at once. It really is just a matter of determining what you want to do, then implementing an appropriate solution.

Step 3: Write the filter

Each filter exists as an XML file in a directory of your choosing; this directory just needs to be accessible to the PageGate server, whether that's on the local hard drive or via UNC to a network path. The XML file containing your filter may also be called anything you like, you can give the file any name as long as its extension is .xml

Steps for writing the filter can be found in our "How to code a filter" tutorial and in the documentation on our website.

Step 4: Reference the filter

After writing a filter, you'll need to reference it in the 'Settings' section of a template in PG Admin. There are five potential calls you could make (two for inbound, three for outbound).

Inbound filters are applied on a global level or to a specific interface, so you can choose whether you want all content or just content from a specific source scanned, prased and modified.

Outbound filters are applied on a recipient, carrier, connector or global level, so you can choose whether you want all messages or just certain messages scanned and filtered.

When calling on a template, you will need to provide a file path that uses backslashes. Since a backslash is a system reserved character for PageGate, you'll need to use the ASCII value for a backslash (092) in the file path. For example, let's say the filter is located in c:\PageGateData\Filters\ and the file name is yourfilter.xml. You would call that filter by using the path c:\092PageGateData\092Filters\092yourfilter.xml

Note we've replaced every \ with \092

There are two variables that can be used call inbound filters: InterfaceFilter and RawInterfaceFilter

Both can be used on an interface or global level. If used in an interface, they apply the filter to that interface. If used on a global level, they apply the filter to all input from all interfaces.

InterfaceFilter applies a filter to processed data. This allows the interfaces to apply the initial layer of data sorting and collection and then applies the filter to the result.

Example call: InterfaceFilter = c:\092PageGateData\092Filters\092yourfilter.xml

RawInterfaceFilter applies a filter to raw, unprocessed data. This applies the filter before the interface has a chance to read the data.

Example call: RawInterfaceFilter = c:\092PageGateData\092Filters\092yourfilter.xml

There are three variables that can be used to call outbound filters:

Filter
Filter = c:\092PageGateData\092Filters\092yourfilter.xml

This applies a filter to outbound messages. This can be applied on a recipient, carrier, connector or global level.

If used in a recipient template, all messages delivered to that recipient will be processed through the filter.

If used in a carrier template, all messages delivered through that carrier will be processed through the filter.

If used in the program template, it applies to all output from the program.
            

ConnectorFilter
ConnectorFilter = c:\092PageGateData\092Filters\092yourfilter.xml

This can be applied on a connector or global level.

This applies a filter to the messages delivered by a connector. This filter can only modify the contents of a message and cannot modify the recipient or sender information.

If used in the program template, it applies to all connectors in the program.
            
SubjectFilter
SubjectFilter = c:\092PageGateData\092Filters\092yourfilter.xml         

This can be applied on a recipient, carrier, connector or global level.

This applies a filter to the subject line of any outbound email. This value is only referenced by the SMTP protocol and is not referenced by other protocols.

If used in a recipient template, all SMTP/email messages delivered to that recipient will have their subject lines processed through the filter.

If used in a recipient template, all SMTP/email messages delivered to through that SMTP/email carrier will have their subject lines processed through the filter. 

If used in the program template, all SMTP/email traffic sent from the system will have its subject line processed through the filter.

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