Python Tool No t Generating Outputs or Errors

Question

I wonder if someone may have insight into my situation.

I have a pretty big workflow, which includes ~50-60 python tools (some inside of macros). The purpose of the script is to calculate and to generate assets (seaborn charts, alteryx map renders), and to finally input these into a powerpoint template using python-pptx.

When I run the workflow everything works as expected; assets are generated, saved to specified folders - workflow is fine, but two python tools no longer function during a workflow run (they did at an earlier point in development). After having run the workflow I need to actually click on the python tool in question and Run the cells in interactive mode for the script to function, which works as expected, producing my final document.

Has anyone had an issue with a python tool not generating outputs or errors during a workflow run, but otherwise functioning properly? And it's only these two (one writes the data to a multi-sheet Excel file, the other uses the pptx module to put all the assets and formatting together into a powerpoint doc; the remaining workflow after these is blob to output the files to user). I have several (smaller) workflows that function using these same paradigms.

Does anyone think this is a potential lead for this problem: Python Tool Doesn't Show Any Results or Errors on Run . The confusing part is that it's only 2 of ~50 python tools in my workflow that aren't yielding results - this behavior is consistent in Desktop and Server.

OTrieger · Answer

If I understand it correctly, these tools will use other outputs that the workflow is generating.

It seems to me that on the first run not all the assets or input files are available for these 2 python tools, as you mention that we you do it manually it works, so by that time all the assets are written out, I might be wrong, but this would be the first thing that I would check:

If you are using any synchronizing tools to ensure that all the output assets are written out before that these 2 tools are triggered? You need to ensure that before that these python tools get triggered all the needed input files are first written out. There are several ways how to synchronize your WF.

TimPowers · Answer

Thanks for taking a stab --

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to attach a workflow and there's nothing to screenshot. The workflow does exactly what it's supposed to do with the exception of these two python tools - it's as though they aren't even hit during Run (they're the endpoints with blobs afterward so there are no resultant errors down-flow). However after running (during development or debug) I can then click on the python tool (I've since combined them for this purpose), select 'Run All Cells' in interactive mode, and the python tool will function as expected without error, producing all intended results (written Excel and Powerpoint files), and outputting my intended outflowing dataframe.

I'm going to isolate these with only their inflowing data frames and see if the behavior continues.

OTrieger · Answer

@TimPowers

It is a bit hard to guess what goes wrong here, specially without any supporting documents, I mean screen shots etc.
You wrote that they used to work at some point of the development, has anything changed in the workflow prior to these 2 python tools? Check if any of the changes done in the development is not the source for the issue. Does data flows into the Python tools, you can check it with Debug mode. 
Have you tried to run the workflow in Debug mode?