Conditional Input (Control Container ? )

Hi all,

i would like to use different input files (Excel files that differ a bit and require a little different processing, some files might be .xlsx some might be .xlsm) for a workflow, which after data preparation is the same.

my idea would be to identify which kind of input format im getting (4 different versions are possible) and depending on the identified input variant the corresponding data preparation and input tools shall be selected.

i tried to use control containers but that doesnt seem to work, since it gives "anchor problems" (says, the anchor was no closed). Idea was, that the controls container should be selected depending on the identified Excel File format.

Is there a way to get around the "anchor not closed" issue, or are the better ways to implement this ?

right now i have to activate/deactive the containers manually depending on the input file format that i identified.

Error Message

Preparation

Accepted answers

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Gaurav_Dhama_

Check this out. Using containers to control the type of data that will flow out.

Dynamic File Reader.yxwz

MKAR

hmmm could you elaborate ?

Gaurav_Dhama_

Ok, so once you download the workflow you can see that, i have one single file browse that is controlling three file inputs and the containers they are hosted in.

So if file type is, say .xlsx it will keep that container for .xlsx configuration open while closing the others. And same goes for .xlsm and csv. I joined these data using detour end as this tool does not care about the schema and we will always have only one source of data flowing it.

MKAR

ahh i see

Thank you, will your workflow work if the "identifier" is not the file type but a cell value in the excel file ? (in my case, there are 3 possible formats that use the .xlsx format and one that uses the .xlsm fileformat)

is there a way to use control containers in my use case ?

Gaurav_Dhama_

Where is the Identifier? the file you want to read or another file that controls the flow?

MKAR

i put the file i would like to process in an "input" folder, the workflow should then recognize which of the 4 possible flavours the file is and use the corresponding preparation tools whilst ignoring the other preparation tools which would be used if it was one of the other variants.

the identifier would be a cell Value on the "cover sheet" of the file that was put in the input folder.

hope that makes sense

Gaurav_Dhama_

Ok then convert it into a batch macro and use a directory tool to read the format of file, then pass the full path (one file only) to the batch macro and it will pick up the file based on the format.

However, important thing to consider here is the sheet name, while constructing the file names you will have to add the sheet names in the path for xlsx, xlsm etc. If you have a fixed sheet name, it will work perfectly.

Gaurav_Dhama_

If your sheet names are not fixed and need manual judgement, then I don't think there will be anyway to automate it.

MKAR

unfortunately they are not fixed

hmm was hoping that the control containers would work. Basically the container should just be activated if a file of a certain type is put in the input folder. Thought that would be possible

Gaurav_Dhama_

Even if it is control containers, input tool will need the sheet name, which is not fixed, so there again you will have the same problem.

Did you have any alternative thoughts how you would have read the data from excel, lets say if control containers worked.

MKAR

Yeah, i was thinking that if control containers would work, i could just use some filter tools inbetween the container connections and have the specific container activated depending on which filter route would activate a container.

e.g.: Input from the cover sheet says its Version A, then the Filter Tool would only pass on Data to Container "A" and thus activate Container "A" whilest Container B,C and D stay deactivated.

Gaurav_Dhama_

But how will you decide the sheet that Container A has to pick? and same for the remaining Containers.

MKAR

Something like, if the file name contains ".xlsm" then it shall be the Variant "A", if a certain Value exists in the first Sheet than it shall be Variant "B", etc.

I guess sheet names might be consistent, now that i think about it more

Gaurav_Dhama_

Correct, if the sheet names are consistent then that workflow which I initially shared will work. But out of curiosity if you want to do it with control container, then see the snip below, this is how you can use it.

If you want to read the file dynamically, read the files using dynamic input tool, see snip below.

Now how do you use this data is for you to figure out, note that you cannot use detour end with control containers.

MKAR

The Workflow which is in your first screenshot pretty much follows the schematics that i use on my workflow, but that gives the Error "Error: Steuerelement-Container (1616): Internal Error - Anchor (16:Log) was not closed"

Gaurav_Dhama_

That could be because these control containers are meant to control the flow of the data, rather than the preventing the container from running at all. If you use it to prevent the container from running at all, it may fail, or some other tools might give errors, for example detour end just don't work at all with control container.

MKAR

hmm ok, unlucky i guess.

Thanks for your help so far, ill try to make the dynamic input solution work, but seems to require a bit more of getting to understand it

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