IP Element Container

Base class for objects that represent collections of IP Elements in Grooper.

Remarks

The 'IP Element Container' class serves as the foundation for all objects that organize and manage collections of image processing elements within Grooper. These containers are used to define and control the sequence, grouping, and execution logic of image processing steps, enabling the construction of complex, modular, and highly configurable image processing workflows.

IP Element Container objects are not used directly, but are inherited by more specific types such as IP Profile and IP Group. Each container can hold multiple IP Step or IP Group objects, allowing you to build hierarchical processing pipelines that adapt dynamically to the needs of your documents and images.

Role in Grooper

• By grouping IP Elements into containers, you can control the order of execution, apply conditional logic, and create reusable processing modules.
• Containers support advanced workflow features such as conditional execution, dynamic branching, and circular reference detection, ensuring robust and maintainable processing pipelines.

Configuration and Usage

• To configure an IP Element Container, add IP Step or IP Group children to define the sequence of operations.
• Use expressions and properties on child elements to control when and how each step executes.
• The container manages the execution flow, applying each child element in order and handling workflow logic such as skipping steps, branching, or terminating early based on results and conditions.
• Circular execution is automatically detected and prevented, with clear error messages if a loop is found.

Best Practices

• Organize related image processing steps into logical groups using containers to improve maintainability and clarity.
• Leverage conditional execution and branching to create flexible, data-driven workflows that adapt to different document types or image conditions.

Properties

Name	Type		Description
Should Execute Expression	String	►	Defines an expression that determines whether the IP Step or IP Group should execute. EditorShould Execute Editor The 'Should Execute Expression' property allows you to specify a condition, written as a code expression, that must evaluate to a Boolean value. If the expression evaluates to true, the IP Element will execute; if false, it will be skipped. This enables you to create workflows that adapt dynamically to the properties of the input image or the results of previous processing steps. How to Configure Enter a code expression that returns a Boolean value. The expression can reference properties of the current image (e.g., Image.IsColor), results from previous steps (e.g., Results.Measure_Entropy.Entropy > 0.85), or other contextual information. If left blank, the IP Element will always execute. Examples Execute only if the input image is color: Image.IsColor Execute only if the input image is black and white: Image.IsBinary Execute only if the input image is 8-bit grayscale: Image.ColorFormat = GrooperImage.PixelFormat.Pixel8bppGrayscale Execute only if the previously-executed Measure Entropy command returned an entropy of more than 85%: Results.Measure_Entropy.Entropy > 0.85 Execute only if the previously-executed Classify Image command returned a Class Name of "Noisy Blue Background": Results.Classify_Image.ClassName = "Noisy Blue Background" Impact Configuring this property allows you to optimize processing by skipping unnecessary steps, improving performance, and ensuring that only relevant operations are performed on each image.
Next Step Expression	String	►	Defines an expression that determines the next IP Step or IP Group to execute after this one completes. EditorNext Step Editor The 'Next Step Expression' property allows you to control the flow of execution within an IP Profile by specifying, via a code expression, which IP Step or IP Group should be executed next. This expression is evaluated after the current IP Element completes, and can be used to implement conditional branching, early termination, or custom workflow logic. How to Configure Enter a code expression that returns an IP Step or IP Group object. The expression can reference the current image, results from previous steps, or any other available context. If the expression returns Nothing, execution of the IP Profile will terminate. If left blank, execution will proceed to the next item in the profile sequence. Examples If the image is black and white, run the 'Binary Cleanup' IP Group. Otherwise, run the 'Color Cleanup' group: If(Image.IsBinary, Steps.Binary_Cleanup, Steps.Color_Cleanup) If the image is black and white, terminate execution. Otherwise, proceed to the 'Color Detect' IP Step: If(Image.IsBinary, Nothing, Steps.Color_Detect) Impact By configuring this property, you can create highly flexible and adaptive workflows that respond to the results of previous processing steps, image characteristics, or other runtime conditions.
Description	String	►	Specifies a description for the item. EditorNode Description Editor

Design Tabs

General	View or edit properties of a node.
Reports	View reports for a node.
Tester	Edit properties pf am IP Profile or IP Group and test image processing.
Advanced	View or edit advanced details about a node.

Context Menu Commands

Command	Shortcut	Description
playlist_add Add Command		Command for interactively adding a new IP Step configured with a selected IP Command to an IP Element Container.

Derived Types

There are 2 implementations of IP Element Container.

IP Group	Serves as a container for organizing and controlling groups of IP Steps and nested IP Groups within an IP Profile.
IP Profile	Serves as the root container for defining and executing a sequence or hierarchy of image processing operations in Grooper.

Child Types

IP GroupIP Step