Folder Browse to Change Output Path

I have a workflow that outputs several different Excel files. Since most users will be using this as an app, but not in the gallery, I need a way to customize file/folder locations for output.

The File Browse tool works perfectly for output. However, since I have multiple files being output in this app, I would like the ability to have the user select one folder output location, and all of the output tools would then output their corresponding files to that folder location, rather than having to specify each individual output file.

I have tried multiple different methods with the Folder Browse tool, but cannot get it to work correctly. I have tried Update Value, Update Value (with Replace a Specific String selected for the folder path), and Update Value with Formula, and none of them seem to change the folder path from the default one pre-input in the workflow. Does anyone have any insight as to how I can get this to work correctly?

Output

Apps

Accepted answers

patrick_digan

@jcastles003 2 quick replies : 1) you will need to change your action tool by clicking on the file-value row. It's not at all obvious, but the row you select in the action tool is the only row that anything can be changed on. 2) the %Question.Folder% method just moves the default location to your workflow configuration window:

Whatever data you put in here will be passed when you run it as a workflow (and will be completely ignored when run as an app).

Hope that helps!

All comments

patrick_digan

@jcastles003 I've attached a simple example which hopefully helps. Pay particular attention to the way the action tool is setup. As an alternate (and my personally preferred method), you can use the %Question.ToolName% method. I've included both in the attached. Let me know if that doesn't help!

Output to Folder.yxwz

jcastles003

Thanks for providing your example. When I test yours out, it works exactly as I want, but I still can't get my own to work. It's as if it just completely disregards my folder browse input and still tries to input into the same location provided in the output.

Is there something I am doing wrong? Does it not work if you're overwriting a tab within an Excel document? Every time I run the below workflow, it still writes it to the original save location, C:\Data\, not where I have selected on the Folder Browse. Note that it still causes an error even when I have C:\Data\ created, so it's not that it's unable to find the directory.

Here is what I have:

Output Data Tool:

Folder Browse:

Folder Browse.jpg

Action Tool:

jcastles003

I got your other method to work, where I have a Folder Browse disconnected from the output, and then put in "%Question.Folder%\" as the destination folder in the output. However, this method ruins my ability to run the workflow as a workflow, not as an app, which I would still like to retain the ability to do. Thus, my goal method would be to do your first example.

WSData_dup_359

Patrick,

First, thank you for sharing this information. I realize this was a while back, but we are hitting this issue now.

I have a challenge in that a client wants us to port a complex workflow to the gallery and that workflow uses the Folder Browse all over the place.

To make this more challenging, we do not have access to Gallery, so testing is a bit tricky.

Can you confirm I a reading you suggestion properly?

We can leave the Folder Browse control in a workflow and it will run without error on Gallery if...

1. We create a workflow constant named "Question.[Exact Name of Folder Browse control]"

2. Hard code a valid network folder path in the value of that constant

That will run without error even though the Folder Browse is still in the workflow when published to Gallery?

The value set in the workflow constant will override the value that a user typically provides via UI?

Do I have that right?

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