JP2013186678A - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing system, and program for executing information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print data transmission system capable of widely coping with a mode in which an input order of hot folders is treated preferentially irrespective of a type of a printer.SOLUTION: A print data transmission system includes: means for detecting that print data is input into a hot folder; means for storing input order and input point of time of the print data for each folder; means for comparing input points of time of beginning print data of input list of first and second respective hot folders, which is managed by a hot folder system at a timing of monitoring a folder, so as to register, in a transmission list, print data whose input time is the oldest; means for confirming session information with a printer when an input order mode is set; means for adding a serial number of a printing order to a job name when a plurality of sessions are attached or when session information cannot be obtained; means for changing over a print method to a method by which temporarily storing on the printer side is executed; and means for transmitting print data to the printer in an order registered in the transmission list.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program for executing an information processing method.

  Conventionally, when printing is performed by transmitting print data from a server or a client to a printing apparatus, a hot folder is used for the purpose of simplifying routine work. A hot folder is a system in which print data is submitted to a folder for which print settings such as print paper size have been set in advance, so that the folder monitoring program detects the submission of print data and automatically registers the print data. It is. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  Also, when specifying the output order of print data, even if it is not specified for individual print data, the order is specified by a simple method of specifying attribute keys, and jobs are arranged in the order in which the specified attributes are arranged as keys. A system to transmit is considered. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

JP-A-11-205379 JP 2006-344172 A

  However, in the above-described conventional technology, in order to prioritize the performance of job transmission, the input jobs are performed in the order in which copying to the hot folder is completed. Accordingly, when a small size (light) job is submitted after a large size file is submitted, a problem may occur in which the order of printing and the order of printing differ because the light job is quickly copied to the hot holder.

  When a job is input to a plurality of hot holders, the printing order is determined in the order in which the duplication to the hot holder is completed, so that there is a problem that printing in consideration of the inputting order cannot be performed between the plurality of hot holders. Also, in a method of adding an attribute key to print data and determining the output order of the print data using the key, the key is added to each print data and the jobs are sorted in that order and transmitted to the printer.

  However, this method has a problem that when a plurality of sessions are set up on the printer side and processed in parallel, the job order changes depending on the data size and traffic on the communication path.

  In order to cope with this problem, a method of reducing the number of sessions to 1 and a method of serializing session connections inside the printer while extending a plurality of sessions have been devised. However, there is a problem that a printer without a session control function (switching the number of sessions to 1 or performing serialization processing) cannot cope with it. In addition, even if the number of sessions can be switched to 1, there is a problem in that the performance of other print jobs is degraded because parallel processing cannot be performed.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the print processing apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration.

  Means for detecting that print data has been input to the hot folder and means for storing the input order and input time of print data for each folder (input order list) are provided. Also, at the monitoring timing of the folder, the input time of the first print data in the input list of the first and second hot folders managed by the hot folder system is compared, and the print data with the oldest input time is registered in the transmission list Have a means to do. In addition, when the submission order mode is set, a means for confirming the session information with the printer, and when there are a plurality of sessions or when session information cannot be obtained, the job name is displayed in the print order. Has a means to add serial numbers. In addition to the above means, there is means for switching the printing method to a method for temporarily storing on the printer side. Also, there is means for transmitting print data to the printer in the order registered in the transmission list. The present proposal is a print data transmission system composed of the above means.

  As described above, according to the claims of the present invention, a hot folder can be obtained by sorting job names on the printer side even when the printer does not have a session control function on the printer side or when it is not desired to reduce the number of sessions. Printing can be performed in the order in which the jobs are submitted. This makes it possible to support a wide range of hot folder insertion order priority modes without selecting a printer, and a great improvement in convenience can be realized.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a print system according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the client computer in FIG. 5 is a memory map when a program is expanded from the FD shown in FIG. 4 to the RAM in FIG. 3 is a memory map representing data inside the FD in FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows the relationship with FD inserted with respect to the FD drive in this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of a print system according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the basic flowchart of a present Example. It is a figure which shows a session confirmation process. It is a figure which shows the hot folder monitoring process of this invention. It is a figure which shows the regular monitoring process of the hot folder of this invention. It is a figure which shows the insertion order guarantee process of the hot folder of this invention. It is a figure which shows the duplication completion check process of the file of this invention. It is a figure which shows the speed priority process of the hot folder of this invention. It is a figure which shows the print data transmission process of this invention. It is a figure which shows the multiple session corresponding | compatible process of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of an insertion order list and a transmission list. It is the figure which showed the user interface of the setting of the hot folder of this invention, and print setting. It is a figure which shows session connection. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of job name sorting on a printer panel.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration example of print processing system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a print system according to the present invention. It should be noted that the environment of the entire printing system in the following description is for facilitating understanding of the description of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these environments.

  In the figure, reference numerals 101, 102, and 103 are network computers connected to the network 106 and capable of communicating with each other, and are typically personal computers (PCs). Each PC is connected to the network 106 by a network cable such as Ethernet (registered trademark), and can execute various programs such as an application program. Also, it has a function of transferring print data to the network printers 104 and 105.

  Reference numerals 104 and 105 denote network printers as print control apparatuses, which are connected to the network 106 via a network interface (not shown). In addition, a print job including print data transmitted from the client computer is analyzed, converted into a dot image page by page, and printed. The functions of each network printer may be different. A network 106 is connected to the computers 101 to 103, the network printers 104 and 105, and the like.

<Example of hardware configuration of network computer>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the computers 101 to 103. In FIG. 2, a CPU 200 controls the entire apparatus, and executes an application program, a printer driver program, an OS stored in a hard disk (HD) 205, a network printer control program of this embodiment, and the like. Also, the RAM 202 is controlled to temporarily store information, files, etc. necessary for program execution.

  Reference numeral 201 denotes a ROM as storage means, which stores various data such as programs such as basic I / O programs, font data used in document processing, and template data. Reference numeral 202 denotes a RAM as temporary storage means, which functions as a main memory, work area, and the like of the CPU 200.

  Reference numeral 203 denotes a floppy disk drive as storage medium reading means, and a program or the like stored in the FD 204 as a storage medium can be loaded into the computer through the FD drive 203 as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 204 denotes a floppy disk (FD) as a storage medium, which is a storage medium in which a program is stored so as to be readable by a computer. Note that the storage medium is not limited to the FD, and may be any CD-ROM, CDR, CDRW, PC card, DVD, IC memory card, MO, memory stick, and the like.

  Reference numeral 205 denotes an external storage means, which is a hard disk (HD) that functions as a large-capacity memory, and stores application programs, printer driver programs, OSs, control programs, related programs, and the like.

  Reference numeral 206 denotes a keyboard which is an instruction input unit. The user inputs an instruction for a printer control command to the client computer, and the operator or administrator inputs to the print server. A display 207 is a display unit that displays commands input from the keyboard 206, the status of the printer, and the like.

  A system bus 208 controls the flow of data in the computer. Reference numeral 209 denotes an interface which is an input / output unit, and the information processing apparatus exchanges data with an external apparatus via the interface 209.

  Note that the configuration of the computer is an example thereof, and is not limited to the configuration example of FIG. For example, the storage location of data and programs can be changed by ROM, RAM, HD, etc. according to the characteristics.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the memory map of the RAM 202 shown in FIG. 2, and is a memory map in a state where the control program of the present invention loaded from the FD 204 is loaded into the RAM 202 and can be executed.

  In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which a control program and related data are loaded directly from the FD 204 into the RAM 202 and executed. In addition to this, every time the control program is operated, the control program may be loaded into the RAM 202 from the HD 205 already installed from the FD 204. In addition to the FD, the medium for storing the control program may be a CD-ROM, CDR, PC card, DVD, or IC memory card. Further, it is possible to store the control program in the ROM 201, configure it as a part of the memory map, and execute it directly by the CPU 200. In addition, software that realizes the same function as each of the above devices can be used as an alternative to a hardware device.

  A basic I / O program 301 is a program having an IPL (Initial Program Loading) function for starting the operation of the OS by reading the OS from the HD 205 into the RAM 202 when the computer is turned on. This is the area that contains Reference numeral 302 denotes an operating system (OS), and 303 denotes a control program, which is stored in an area secured on the RAM 202. Reference numeral 304 denotes related data, which is stored in an area secured on the RAM 202. Reference numeral 305 denotes a work area in which an area for the CPU 200 to execute the control program is secured.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a memory map of the FD 204 illustrated in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, 401 is volume information indicating data information, 402 is directory information, 403 is a control program described in this embodiment, and 404 is related data. The control program 403 is programmed based on the flowchart described in this embodiment, and in this embodiment, both the client and the server have the same configuration.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship with the FD 204 inserted into the FD drive 203 shown in FIG. 2, and the same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 5, the FD 204 stores a control program and related data described in this embodiment.

<Example of software configuration in this embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the print system 601 of this embodiment for each functional module. Reference numeral 601 denotes a print system that processes print data input to the hot folder of the client 101. Reference numeral 602 denotes an operation information setting unit for setting the hot folder monitoring interval and the print setting to be set for the input print data in advance, and has an operation screen as shown in FIG. A hot folder manager 603 activates the monitoring unit 605 for each hot folder, and detects print data in a charging order list (the charging order list will be described later) in each hot folder at a predetermined time (hereinafter abbreviated as HFM: HotFolderManager). It is. The HFM also has functions such as management of a hot folder to be transmitted, new registration of a hot folder, and deletion.

  A job ticket generation unit 604 generates a job ticket 01 having print settings set by the operation information setting unit 602. Reference numeral 605 denotes a hot folder monitoring unit that monitors the input of print data to the holder. When the print data is input, the correspondence between the input time and the print data is recorded and registered in the input order list. Reference numeral 606 denotes a data information transmission / reception unit having a function for acquiring printer capability information and a function for transmitting job data. First, session information acquired as the capability of the printer will be described. Some NICs (Network Interface Cards) set in the printer can simultaneously receive data for a plurality of sessions as shown in FIG. 18A). Further, depending on the setting / capacity of the NIC, there is a case where data is received by a single session as shown in FIG. 18B). Further, as shown in FIG. 18C), a plurality of sessions are set up, but there are cases where session processing is sequentially switched (session serialization) in the printer. Here, as a printer capability, an inquiry is made to the printer regarding the number of sessions and the presence / absence of serialization processing.

  Next, transmission of job data will be described. The transmission of job data is to transmit the print data 01 and the job ticket 01 input to the hot folder to the printer 104.

  Here, the proposed order list and the transmission list will be described with specific examples.

Each hot folder has a loading order list for recording print data in the order in which the hot folders are loaded. The HFM has a transmission list for storing print data to be transmitted to the printer. Specific examples of the input order list and the transmission list will be described with reference to FIG.
Each of HF1, HF2, and HF3 has a loading order list as shown in the figure, and is recorded together with the print data names (A, B, C...) Together with the print data detection time. The HFM has a transmission list for storing print data to be transmitted to the printer.

[Example 1]
FIG. 7 is a basic flowchart showing a flow of a series of processes from activation of HFM to transmission of print data to the printer. Step 0701 is a step of starting the HFM 603 and starting the HFM application. Needless to say, as a starting method, it is effective whether the user starts after the PC is started or is started at the same time as the PC is started.

  Step 0702 is a step of reading the environment setting file and initializing internal variables when the HFM is activated. The environment setting information includes a monitoring feeling when monitoring each hot folder from the HFM, a reference path of the monitoring target hot folder, transmission mode information (described later), and the like. The HFM reads this information at startup. In this proposal, as the transmission mode, the input order priority mode in which printing is performed in the order in which the print data is input to the folder. There are two modes, speed priority mode, in which printing is performed preferentially from the print data ready for printing (duplication of print data to the hot folder is completed). Further, as an internal variable, there is a serial number counter variable “COUNT”, and this value is initialized to zero.

  The serial number counter variable is a variable for recording a serial number to be added to a job to be described later.

  In the present embodiment, description will be made by initializing the serial number counter variable to 0. However, it goes without saying that this proposal is effective even if it is determined whether to perform initialization processing according to the initialization setting of the counter value recorded in the UI and provided in the UI when the HFM is activated.

  Step 0703 is a step of confirming session processing. FIG. 8 shows the details. Step 0801 is a step for acquiring the session information described in detail in Step 606, and is a step for inquiring the printer about the number of sessions and the session mode of the printer and acquiring the information. Step 0802 is a branching step based on the information acquired in the step. In this step, it is determined whether the number of sessions acquired in the step is 1 or whether the session processing is serialized in the printer. Then, if either of them is satisfied, or if session information cannot be obtained from the printer, the process proceeds to step 0803. Otherwise, go to step 0804.

  Step 0803 is processing for setting the single session mode flag to ON. If the single session mode flag is set to ON, it means that the processing order does not change when the job information of the printer is transferred from the HFM. Further, when the flag is OFF, it means that the processing order may be changed.

  Step 0802 is a transmission mode determination process, and if the transmission mode is the order-of-load priority mode, the process proceeds to Step 0803. Step 0803 is a step for determining whether the clock information held by the PC is ahead of the clock held by an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server. If it is advanced, if the automatic time adjustment process is activated during the execution of the ordering priority mode, the ordering priority mode will not start correctly. Therefore, if it is determined that the PC clock is advanced (in the process in which the PC time is returned and the management is performed in the order of the input time, the print data that comes later generates a print case first), the process proceeds to step 0804. . Step 0804 is a warning message display process, and displays a message for notifying the user of the possibility.

  Step 0704 is a step of starting a hot folder monitoring process (thread).

  In this proposal, hot folder monitoring processing is started for each hot folder. FIG. 9 shows the details of the hot folder monitoring process. Step 0901 is a step for checking whether print data has been input to the hot folder. As a confirmation method, a hot folder is periodically monitored, the number and names of print data (files) in the folder are read, and the input print data is detected from the difference from the previous information. When the folder status is changed (increase / decrease in the number of files in the folder), there is a method of registering and monitoring an event so that an event notification can be received from the system, but these are all known means and will not be described in detail here. If it is detected that print data has been input to the folder, the process proceeds to step 0902. Step 0902 is a step of recording, as the input time, the timing at which it is detected that print data has been input to the folder using the above-described method. In this step, the time is read from the clock information of the PC and stored together with the input print data. Step 0903 is a step for checking the number of input print data detected in Step 0901. If a plurality of print data is detected at the same time, the process proceeds to step 0904. Step 0904 is a step of rearranging the print data detected at the same time in the order defined in advance. In this proposal, as an example, sort processing is performed in dictionary order based on the name (file name) of print data. When a plurality of files are selected and are simultaneously input to the hot folder by one operation (Drag & Drop), it is not possible to detect the input for each print data. Therefore, it is necessary to perform processing for sorting and determining the order of detection of print data in accordance with predefined rules.

  Step 0905 is a process of registering the print data whose input has been detected in the above process in the input order list. Step 0705 is a step in which the HFM periodically monitors each hot folder, and FIG. 10 shows details thereof. Step 1001 is a step of detecting occurrence of a timer event for the HFM to periodically monitor the order of insertion of each hot folder. If a timer event is detected in this step, the process proceeds to step 1002. Step 1002 is a step of determining the transmission mode. If it is determined whether or not the input order priority mode is set, the process proceeds to step 1003. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step 1004 assuming that the speed priority mode is set.

  Step 1003 is a step of the ordering guarantee process, and FIG. 11 shows the details. Step 1101 is parameter initialization processing, which is a step of initializing the counter variable CNT and the input time variable TIME1 and reading the total number of hot folders to be managed into the TOTAL_HF variable. Step 1102 is a step of comparing the CNT value with the TOTAL_HF value to determine whether the processing described later has been applied to all the management target hot folders. If it is determined that the process is not applied, the process proceeds to step 1103. If it is determined that the process has been applied to all the management target hot folders, the process proceeds to step 1108. Step 1103 is a step of determining whether print data is registered in the input order list. If the insertion order list is empty, the process proceeds to step 1107 and the counter (CNT) is counted up. If print data is registered, the process proceeds to step 1104. Step 1104 is a step of reading the input time of the first print data in the hot folder input order list into the TIME2 variable.

  Step 1105 is a step for comparing the input time TIME2 and TIME1 read in the step. If the time of TIME1 is younger than the time of TIME2, the process proceeds to step 1106. If the time of TIME1 is older, the process proceeds to step 1107 and the counter (CNT) is counted up. Step 1106 is a step of copying the time of TIME 2 to TIME 1 and storing information of the print data (information such as which hot folder is the ordering list data). After storing, the process proceeds to step 1107 to increment the counter and return to step 1102. If it is determined in step 1102 that CNT is larger than TOTAL_HF, the process proceeds to step 1108 on the assumption that the process of confirming the first print data in the submission order list has been completed for all hot folders to be managed.

  Step 1108 is a step of determining whether print data has been extracted by the above processing.

  If no print data is detected, the process ends and the process proceeds to step 0706. If detected, since the print data detected in step 1106 is registered in the transmission list, the print data is deleted from the input order list. Further, the subsequent print data is moved to the top of the input order list in the input order list. Step 1109 is a step of registering the print data detected in the above step in the transmission list, and FIG. 12 shows details thereof. Step 1201 is a step of determining whether the print data detected in the above step is in a printable state (a state where copying to a hot folder has been completed). When the process is not completed, the process waits until the process is completed. Step 1202 is a step of confirming that the print data is ready for printing in the step and registering the print data detected in the steps 1102 to 1106 in a transmission list managed by the HFM. Here, the flow of FIG. 11 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. HF1, HF2, and HF3 have an input order list 1/2/3 that manages print data in the order of input to the hot folder. Through the steps 1102 to 1106 described above, the first print data in the insertion order list of each hot folder is read, and the print data having the oldest input time is registered in the transmission list. In the example of FIG. 16, the time of the first print data in the insertion order list of each hot folder is A (10:09), B (10:08), and C (10:11). B print data is packed into the.

  FIG. 13 is a processing flow when the speed priority mode in step 1004 of FIG. 10 is selected. Step 1301 is parameter initialization processing, which is a step of initializing the counter variable CNT and registering the total number of management target hot folders in the TOTAL_HF variable. Step 1302 is a step of comparing the CNT value with the TOTAL_HF value to determine whether the processing described later has been applied to all the management target hot folders. If it is determined that the process is not applied, the process proceeds to step 1303. If it is determined that the process has been applied to all the management target hot folders, the process proceeds to step 0706.

  Step 1303 is a step of determining whether print data is registered in the input order list. If the input order list is empty, the process proceeds to step 1306, the counter (CNT) is counted up, and the process returns to immediately before step 1302. If print data is registered, the process proceeds to step 1304. Step 1304 is a step of detecting print data that has been duplicated from print data registered in the input order list. Regarding detection, the upper limit of the number of print data detected from one hot folder is determined (for example, up to three data for one hot folder) so that the print data is transmitted equally from each hot folder. Anyway. After the detection is completed, the process proceeds to step 1305. Step 1305 is a step of registering the print data detected in the above step in a transmission list. When print data is registered in the transmission list, the data information is deleted from the submission order list, and subsequent data transitions to the top of the submission order list. After passing through this step, the process proceeds to step 1306 and returns immediately before step 1302. Step 0706 is a step of determining whether or not print data is registered in the transmission list in the above step. If transmission data is registered, the process proceeds to step 0707. If there is no transmission data, the process proceeds immediately before the regular monitoring process of the hot folder in step 0705.

  Step 0707 is processing for transmitting the print data registered in the transmission list to the printer 104. FIG. 14 shows the details.

  Step 1401 is a step of determining the transmission mode.

  If it is determined that the insertion order priority mode is set, the process proceeds to step 1402.

  Step 1402 is a step in which processing is branched by the single session mode flag set in step 0703. If the mode is OFF, the process proceeds to step 1403.

  Step 1403 is a multi-session handling process. In this step, serial number addition to the job name and printing method switching processing are performed. FIG. 15 shows the details.

  Step 1501 is processing for counting up the value of the serial number counter described in Step 0702. Steps 1502 and 1503 are steps in which the following processing is sequentially performed on the jobs registered in the transmission list in the order registered in the list.

Step 1502 is a step of combining the job name and the value counted up in the previous step. Specifically, a counter value is set in front of the original job name so that it can be sorted by job name, and the new job name is “new job name” = “COUNT (numeric value)” + ”original job name as shown below. ”
Is to be generated. Specifically, the original job name is “Document”
COUNT value "001"
In this case, the new job name is “001 document”.

In this proposal, the information added to the job name is only the counter value. However, a character string (HF identification character string) to be added to the job name is set for each HF, and “new job name” = “COUNT (numeric value)”. "+" HF identification string "+" original job name "
It goes without saying that this proposal is effective even if a new job name is set as shown in FIG.

  Step 1503 is a step of determining a printing method.

  Here, it is a step of determining that the printing method set in the job ticket is a process of printing immediately after transmission to the printer (immediate printer).

  If it is determined in this step that printing is immediate, the process proceeds to step 1504. Step 1504 is a step for performing a printing method change process. In this step, the printing method is switched to a setting (eg, HOLD job) once stored in the printer.

  Step 1404 is processing for transmitting the print data registered in the transmission list to the printer 104.

  Step 0708 is a step for determining the termination processing of the HFM. When an end process such as pressing the end button is set from the HFM UI, the HFM is ended in this step and the program is ended. Otherwise, the process returns immediately before step 0705.

  By adopting the above configuration, even if the printer does not have a session control function on the printer side, or if you do not want to reduce the number of sessions, you can sort the job names on the printer side, Printing can be performed in the order of input.

  A specific example is shown in FIG.

  FIG. 19 shows a job list displayed on the printer panel to which this embodiment is applied before sorting by job name. In this example, since there are a plurality of sessions, a serial number is added to the job name and the job is transmitted. However, since the number of sessions is plural, the job order is changed when the job is received on the printer side after the job transmission.

  FIG. 19 shows the result of sorting by job name on the printer side after sorting by job name. By sorting, even if a plurality of sessions are extended, they are arranged in the order submitted to the job in the HF. The user can print in the order of job submission to the HF by printing in this order.

  This makes it possible to support a wide range of hot folder insertion order priority modes without selecting a printer, and a great improvement in convenience can be realized.

101, 102, 103 Network computer 104, 105 Network printer

Claims (4)

  Means for detecting that print data has been input to a hot folder in a hot folder system that can hold different print settings for a plurality of folders and can print by dragging and dropping (D & D) the print data to the folder And means for storing the print data input order and input time for each folder by the means (input order list), and each of the first and second managed by the hot folder system at the timing of monitoring the folder By comparing the input time of the first print data in the input list of the hot folder, and having means for registering the print data with the oldest input time in the transmission list, by sending the print data to the printer in the order registered in the transmission list, To a hot folder that has a means (printing order mode) to print in order of loading even for multiple hot folders If the submission order mode is set, a means for confirming session information with the printer is provided. If a plurality of sessions are provided, a means for adding a sequential number in the print order to the job name is provided. The printer also has a switching means to temporarily store the printing method on the printer side. By applying the means and printing, the printer sorts by job name even for printers with multiple sessions. The print data transmission system is characterized in that printing can be performed in the order of input to the hot folder by performing and printing.   When operating in the submission order priority mode, even if session information with the printer cannot be obtained, a serial number in the printing order is added to the job name, and the printing method is switched to a method for temporarily storing the printing method on the printer side. The print data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein printing is performed.   When operating in the input order priority mode, if the session information with the printer is a single session, printing is performed without adding a serial number to the job name and switching the printing method. The print data transmission system according to claim 1. The printing is performed without confirming the number of sessions, adding a serial number to a job name, and switching a printing method when a mode other than the submission order priority mode is set. Item 4. The print data transmission system according to Item 1.