Graphic layouts are designed using the Salesware Layout Designer. Text Merge layouts and Shared Text Merge layouts are created using a text editor. In all cases, layout functions and commands are used when creating the layout.

When designing a Graphic layout, the person creating the layout provides the functions that are executed at runtime to perform operations such as populating the layout with data. In some cases, the person creating the layout starts with a Graphic layout that already exists, so these functions may have already been added to the layout. See the Salesware Memberships and Passes document for a tutorial showing how to create a Graphic layout for a pass.

When creating a Text Merge layout or a Shared Text Merge layout, the person creating the layout almost always starts with a layout provided by Siriusware® Inc. and modifies the layout according to the specific requirements of the application. Many of the functions and commands used are already included in the layout provided. See Printer commands for a description of how to code some of the more common commands used in Text Merge and Shared Text Merge layouts.

Layouts are output to a variety of printers. Graphic layouts are output using standard Windows drivers provided by the manufacturer of the printer. Text Merge layouts and Shared Text Merge layouts are printed using a “generic text-only” Windows driver and output commands that are specific to the device and that must be coded by the person creating the layout. In addition, even when using a Windows driver provided by the manufacturer, some output device manufacturers require that certain custom strings be passed to the printer via special code used with the driver (this is done with, for example, magnetic swipe injection devices).

In general, Graphic layouts work with most printers, while Text Merge layouts and Shared Text Merge layouts work with specialized printers only and require considerable hand-coding.

See Sample layouts provided with Salesware for the layouts that are provided with Salesware and the printers with which they work. See Supported specialized printers for a list of specialized printers supported by Salesware. Layouts that already work with most of these devices are provided with Salesware.