Stop output when there are errors found via the Message tool

I am using multiple Message tools to check incoming data for errors. I have them all set to Message Type "Error" and I need to be able to see all the errors found, but I want it to not execute the output tool. On the Runtime tab of the workflow, I do have the Cancel running Workflow on Error checked, but I still get the outputted file. Is there a way to continue seeing all the errors yet not have the output file produced?

Workflow

Accepted answers

JamesCharnley

Hi @ppatane

If you're able to use or upgrade to 2023.1 then I think control containers will work perfectly here. You can actually use the message output within the data stream and check to see whether there are any errors. You can then choose to only activate a control container that contains your output if there are no errors found. You'd be able to combine all your potential errors before this final step.

In my example, the output won't run because there are no records coming out of the final False Filter output that's checking for the count of errors. If the control container receives no records, then it will not run. Similarly, if there were no errors and the count = 0, that row will activate the control container and the output will be written.

ControlContainerPoC.yxzp

All comments

ChrisTX

Check out these related posts. I've used the Count and Message tools to stop a workflow from writing output files.

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Not-to-execute-the-WF-if-the-input-data-set-is-empty/td-p/361295
https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Stop-the-workflow/m-p/483063#M97586
https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Stop-the-workflow/m-p/534659#M114117
https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Stop-a-process-when-there-are-data-in-one-part-of-a-Join-and/td-p/984598

Chris

ppatane

ChrisTX I checked out those links (I appreciate you sending those, I am saving them all) but it is not quite what I was looking for. I have multiple Message tools and I have pasted here the output I receive when running the workflow, and I need that to appear, I just want to stop the final step of writing the output file. Is that possible?

errors output.jpg

ChrisTX

Could you consider using Formula tools instead of Message tools to identify errors? The benefits could be

1) the ability to direct records to an Error output file

2) the ability to Count the error records outside of the Message tool

3) the ability to use a Block Until Done tool, linked to your Output file to prevent overwriting the output file if errors exist

Can you post your workflow, even if you have to create test data? Or a smaller example of your workflow? Then we could provide options to prevent overwriting the output file.

Chris

JamesCharnley

Hi @ppatane

ControlContainerPoC.yxzp

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