Applying Conditions in Developing App

Hi Team,

Hope you are well. I need help.

Please find below the description of my problem

I am trying to develop a App where in user can enter the key word and the app can extract all the location of the files or folders with the user input keyword.

Description of the problem

For e.g. if i have a sql database with two columns one is File/Folder Name and other column is Location of the folder. In this case of the file name is Payrol and there will be a location where this file is saved.

When the user inputs "Payrol" the App should share the location of the file. I am kind of mocking it up by first reading files through my desk top and make the app search through it.

Current solution

The app is running but its giving me all the files in that folder. I want only the files related to "payrol". I have tried using conditions in App but not sure how to go about it.

Need help

How can the app select the files or folders based on the user input Keyword.

Please let me know,

Thanks,

Sri

Datasets

Transformation

Apps

Database Connection

Chained App

Accepted answers

BS_THE_ANALYST

To answer question 1)

Yes, we just need to drag an Output tool onto the canvas, and point the Output tool to where you'd like the results to be saved to. I also dragged a Select tool onto the canvas to only take the File Name and Location.

Testing that this works:
Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:
Clicking on the OK button in step 2 to open the results file:

Step 1) is successful!

To answer your question about 2). I haven't had any experience with connecting to a SQL table yet, however, yes is the answer. You can certainly connect to a SQL table. I can't point you in the correct direction just yet, tonight I will take a look if the question hasn't been answered though! 😀

Regarding 3), I haven't worked with Alteryx Server yet. But can I just check one thing that you're doing in the app:
Do you have this part ticked in the Interface Designer

If no,
this is how (look at all the arrows, they show you how to open the Interface Designer and configure appropriately)

Hope that helps @sriniprad08

Thanks,
BS

BS_THE_ANALYST

@sriniprad08 yes you can achieve your next request. Here, you will need to leverage a topic called Chained Apps. The reason: you need to take the results after the user filters i.e. they choose sam (therefore filtering the current data just to Sam) and then from this, make another filter choice. You could chain multiple apps for multiple filtering if you so wished.

Firstly, learn about chained apps, to understand the nuances: https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Learning-Paths/Advanced-Certification-Learning-Path/ta-p/660137#done

Click on this lesson, and you'll learn about Chained Apps.

In brief, I've got what you require. However, I'd learn on the interactive lessons so you can tweak things yourself 😁.

For now, open Chain1:

1. Configure the Output tool to a place where you want the first filtered results to output.
Then do the same for the input file in Chain2:

2. In the Interface Designer in Chain1, go point it to Chain2:

3. In chain 2, ensure this part is enabled. It makes sure the user gets the results displayed to them.

I've attached the .yxmd files. Just run the Chain1 as an Analytic App using the wand next to the run button.

(I'm guessing something is likely to go wrong as I've missed a step when explaining it) 😂. Hopefully you get 95% of the way, and the lesson will help guide the rest.

All the best,
BS

Chain2ski.yxwz

Chain1ski.yxwz

All comments

BS_THE_ANALYST

@sriniprad08 In the directory tool:

You have *.*

Could you try:
*payrol*.*

This would restrict the files to ones that have payrol inside the file name?

sriniprad08

Hi @BS_THE_ANALYST ,

thank you so much for the help. I would like it to be dynamic rather than specific key word. Thats why i am giving the user an opportunity to search for the file they want not only payrol. One of the user may want to see payrol and few others have different requirement.

Please let me know how can i make it dynamic,

Thanks,

Sri

BS_THE_ANALYST

@sriniprad08 hey! I see the problem now.

Check this:
Here's my directory:

I want a User to only select these one's highlighted, i.e. they contain the keyword "Section"

Let us check this works:

Looks to be a success!

Here is how I configured it:

Hope this helps! I've attached the workflow aswell.

Basically, in the *.* part of the directory tool, I used the formula ReplaceFirst to replace the first * with *KEYWORD*

Dynamic_File_Selection_App.yxmd

sriniprad08

Excellent @BS_THE_ANALYST . This is great. You have been really helpful.

Couple of more help if i can ask.

1) Is it possible to output the results for e.g. (file name/file location) to an excel file? Can you please guide?

2) In this case we have given specific folder. Is it possible to provide a directory ( as a location) or a (Sql table) to search please?

3) How to display the results in server please? if i run it in server it says the below

Cheers,

Sri

BS_THE_ANALYST

Testing that this works:
Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:
Clicking on the OK button in step 2 to open the results file:

Regarding 3), I haven't worked with Alteryx Server yet. But can I just check one thing that you're doing in the app:
Do you have this part ticked in the Interface Designer

If no,
this is how (look at all the arrows, they show you how to open the Interface Designer and configure appropriately)

Hope that helps @sriniprad08

Thanks,
BS

sriniprad08

Thank you so much @BS_THE_ANALYST Really appreciate the time and support. You have been really helpful.

This is great support you have provided.

I will mark your solution as the acceptable solution. Just wait till today evening if anyone can reply on Sql and i will close this loop. if i close this now then probably people cant see it further i believe not sure how the community works.

Have a nice weekend,

Cheers,

Sri

sriniprad08

@BS_THE_ANALYST sorry one last question

on point number 2). Is it possible to provide a location of a directory rather than a specific file location. ?

Cheers,

Sri

BS_THE_ANALYST

@sriniprad08 I updated my previous post, I didn't read the part about Server. Check my updated response, hopefully that can help for the server part. However, if it doesn't help, it's probably a Server related issue VS Altery Designer. Hopefully that works for you though! I don't have experience with Server yet so I'd suck with debugging that part.

Don't mark it as Acceptable if it isn't completing all the steps you want as people may think the whole problem is solved!

All the best,
BS

BS_THE_ANALYST

@sriniprad08 :

""on point number 2). Is it possible to provide a location of a directory rather than a specific file location. ? ""

Yes (if I understand what you're asking correctly):

See the part highlighted above? If you select that part, that allows you to replace the directory location. However, you'd have to think of how to configure that part. But you do have access to change that part which is good news!

Hopefully that's useful

sriniprad08

@BS_THE_ANALYST Thank you.

Where i can see the option for interface properties please

sriniprad08

Thank you @BS_THE_ANALYST Sorry i didnt get your sentence "However, you'd have to think of how to configure that part"

Cheers,

Sri

BS_THE_ANALYST

@sriniprad08 how to access the interface designer: click View -> Interface Designer. Then click on the little settings cog

What I meant by "Configure that part":
You can certainly replace the entire directory path

As you can see it's highlighted in blue, meaning we can access it to replace it.

sriniprad08

Hi @BS_THE_ANALYST ,

Thank you for the all the support. Wonderful. I have couple of more questions .

Please find below if the file has multiple values and the if the user inputs multiple conditions is possible in the app to do generate the outpu1 and output2 like below.

Please let me know,

Thanks,

Sri

BS_THE_ANALYST

Click on this lesson, and you'll learn about Chained Apps.

In brief, I've got what you require. However, I'd learn on the interactive lessons so you can tweak things yourself 😁.

For now, open Chain1:

1. Configure the Output tool to a place where you want the first filtered results to output.
Then do the same for the input file in Chain2:

2. In the Interface Designer in Chain1, go point it to Chain2:

3. In chain 2, ensure this part is enabled. It makes sure the user gets the results displayed to them.

I've attached the .yxmd files. Just run the Chain1 as an Analytic App using the wand next to the run button.

(I'm guessing something is likely to go wrong as I've missed a step when explaining it) 😂. Hopefully you get 95% of the way, and the lesson will help guide the rest.

All the best,
BS

Chain2ski.yxwz

Chain1ski.yxwz

sriniprad08

Hi @BS_THE_ANALYST ,

Thank you so much . Great really helpful. I didnt know about chained apps. Thanks for introducing and sharing the information. I will go through it.

I will try to execute the and get back to you incase of any thing i missed. mostly will fix it with all your inputs and solution .

Hope you had a nice weekend,

cheers,

Sri

Quick Links

This months top contributors

atcodedog05 19598

Qiu 15867

binu_acs 15708

MarqueeCrew 13708

apathetichell 13703