Task Tool for Dynamic Input

Question

The workflow I am having problem with is very simple (I am not attaching it because it needs Db-side code):

A value is selected by DropDown and sent to a Batch Macro as parameter. A row of values created by Text Input is also sent to the macro as data. In the Macro parameter is sent to a Dynamic Input to update a substring in SQL (it is ORACLE). The data is sent to in-connector of the Dynamic Input and also set up to update other substrings of the same SQL.

The workflow runs in Designer.

But when run in Designer as Alteryx Application it updates SQL with the parameter but fails to update the SQL inside the Macro with the incoming data values.

Could not find details/guides for my specific configuration.

Is that a known limitation of the Dynamic Input Tool, or of the Macros, or of using them in Alteryx Application run in Designer?

or

Is that a bug?

or

Do I need to configure it some special way?

apathetichell · Answer

o.k.- I think I might have it. you are passing in a literal null - whereas it's looking for a string called null (or isnull). Sorry  - might need more information.

vbeyder1 · Answer

Thank you, Apathetichell.

I will definitely look into In-DB/Dynamic Input-DB and the rest of the In-DB tools.

As for my question:

The Macro works OK in Designer when it is called by a Workflow with the parameter supplied from a text input. So to me the Action config seems Ok.

But:

When I run the Macro as workflow directly in Designer - the parameter is not supplied and this is when I observe the questionable behavior: instead of replacing the substring with empty string to 'null' it just ignores it. The same happens when a Null value is sent in incoming data that is set up to replace another substring: the substring is NOT replaced.

Is that the expected behavior?

If Action or Dynamic input cannot handle null values - it calls for a "default" functionality for parameter's value or data field's value sent to the Macro as null.  That shall be "internal"-  meaning: incapsulated in the Macro and not require an additional macro layer or additional processing in the calling workflow. Also it shall allow not to send (connect) data to the macro parameter input, and allow not to send (map) all columns on the incoming data in the calling workflow,.

apathetichell · Answer

your action tool is incorrectly set up - as i suggested. Let's handle fixing that first - and then the rest of the issues.

The action tool you have updates whatever is in your replace specific field box. Think of it as a find and replace. The value you have does not contain the string you are trying to replace. That means that your action tool will replace NOTHING. You need to set up your specific text to match text in the value which you want to replace - ie if you want to replace TEXT in TEXT.xlsx you would have the word TEXT in that section of the action tool config. Fix that and see if it helps.

RE NULL behaviors. The workflow should replace whatever you want in your query. Null should behave/not behave as you would expect on your DB - does that make sense? I don't know what you mean by Macro-Internal defaults for parameters and connected data fields. You can create a text box specific to your macro and use that internally only. Does that help?

Also - as set up it looks like you are changing the file-value which in Dynaminc Input could be the database/schema you are querying. Is that what you are trying to do??? I use Connect In-DB/Dynamic Input-DB and the rest of the In-DB tools because a) I like to be able to browse and know I'm going to see only 100 values. b) I like to push the computations to the server c) I user DB specific functions/SQL language. I try to only pull out what I need (which may be tens of millions of records vs billions)...