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Tag Placeholders ​

DICOM Printer 2 supports placeholder syntax that allows you to dynamically substitute DICOM tag values and dates into configuration values.

Placeholder Syntax ​

Placeholders use the format #{...}.

Important: Tag placeholders (#{TagName}, #{GGGG,EEEE}) are substituted only when the placeholder is the entire config value — they do not work when surrounded by static text. Date placeholders (#{Date}) are the exception: they work anywhere within a string, including when mixed with other text.

Tag Value Placeholders ​

By Tag Name ​

#{TagName}

Reads a tag from the current job dataset by its DCMTK dictionary name. If the tag is not present, the placeholder is left unchanged.

Example:

xml
<SetTag name="CopyPatientName" tag="(0008,1030)">#{PatientName}</SetTag>
<SetTag name="CopyAccession" tag="(0008,0051)">#{AccessionNumber}</SetTag>

Common tag names:

  • #{PatientID} — Patient ID (0010,0020)
  • #{PatientName} — Patient's Name (0010,0010)
  • #{StudyDate} — Study Date (0008,0020)
  • #{StudyInstanceUID} — Study Instance UID (0020,000D)
  • #{SeriesNumber} — Series Number (0020,0011)
  • #{InstanceNumber} — Instance Number (0020,0013)
  • #{Modality} — Modality (0008,0060)
  • #{AccessionNumber} — Accession Number (0008,0050)

By Group and Element Number ​

#{GGGG,EEEE}

Reads a tag by its hex group and element numbers. Whitespace around the comma is allowed.

Example:

xml
<SetTag name="CopyPatientID" tag="(0008,1030)">#{0010,0020}</SetTag>

Date Placeholders ​

Date placeholders are resolved at processing time and work anywhere within a string, including when mixed with other text.

Current Date ​

#{Date}

Returns the current date in YYYYMMDD format.

xml
<SetTag name="SetStudyDate" tag="(0008,0020)">#{Date}</SetTag>

Date with Offset ​

#{Date,N}

Returns the current date offset by N days. Negative values go backward.

xml
<SetTag name="SetYesterday" tag="(0008,0021)">#{Date,-1}</SetTag>
<SetTag name="SetNextWeek"  tag="(0008,0023)">#{Date,7}</SetTag>

Date Range ​

#{Date,offset,range}

Returns two dates separated by a hyphen: (today + offset - range)-(today + offset + range). Useful for DICOM date range queries. Only applies when range > 1.

xml
<!-- Query for studies within ±7 days of a week ago -->
<DcmTag tag="(0008,0020)">#{Date,-7,7}</DcmTag>

Where Placeholders Work ​

ContextTag placeholdersDate placeholders
<SetTag> valueYes (entire value only)Yes (anywhere)
<SetSequence> <DcmTag> valueYes (entire value only)Yes (anywhere)
<Query> <DcmTag> valueYes (entire value only)Yes (anywhere)
<Save> directory / filenameYes (entire value only)Yes (anywhere)
<PrintText> text contentYes (anywhere)Yes (anywhere)
<If> / <Switch> condition valuesNoNo

"Entire value only" means the config value must be nothing but the placeholder. For example:

xml
<!-- Works: entire value is the placeholder -->
<SetTag name="CopyInstitution" tag="(0008,0080)">#{InstitutionName}</SetTag>

<!-- Does NOT work: placeholder mixed with static text -->
<SetTag name="SetLabel" tag="(0008,1030)">Study for #{PatientName}</SetTag>

<!-- Works: Date placeholder works even in mixed strings -->
<SetTag name="SetLabel" tag="(0008,1030)">Archived on #{Date}</SetTag>

Examples ​

Copy a tag value to another tag ​

xml
<SetTag name="CopyPatientToDescription" tag="(0008,1030)">#{PatientName}</SetTag>

Set study date to today ​

xml
<SetTag name="SetStudyDate" tag="(0008,0020)">#{Date}</SetTag>

Save with patient-based directory ​

xml
<Save name="ArchiveByPatient">
  <Directory>E:\DICOM\#{PatientID}</Directory>
  <Filename>#{Date}</Filename>
</Save>

Each path segment must be a pure placeholder or static text. The directory E:\DICOM\#{PatientID} will not expand — instead, use #{PatientID} as the full <Directory> value and configure the base path elsewhere, or use date-based organization:

xml
<Save name="ArchiveByDate">
  <Directory>E:\DICOM\#{PatientID}</Directory>
  <Filename>#{Date}</Filename>
</Save>

Worklist query using today's date ​

Worklist scheduled dates live inside (0040,0100) Scheduled Procedure Step Sequence at (0040,0002) Scheduled Procedure Step Start Date. Use the canonical SPS sequence form, or the root (0008,0020) StudyDate alias as a shorthand:

xml
<Query name="TodayWorklist" type="Worklist">
  <ConnectionParameters>
    <PeerAETitle>RIS</PeerAETitle>
    <MyAETitle>PRINTER</MyAETitle>
    <Host>192.168.1.200</Host>
    <Port>104</Port>
  </ConnectionParameters>
  <!-- Root StudyDate is an ergonomic alias for SPS Start Date -->
  <DcmTag tag="(0008,0020)">#{Date}</DcmTag>
  <DcmTag tag="(0010,0020)">#{PatientID}</DcmTag>
</Query>

See Worklist Date Constraints for the full precedence order and the canonical SPS sequence form.