Multiple, unconnected Block Until Done Tools

PatrickB89

Hi,

I have a question about the block until done tool. I often have the problem of writing in multiple sheets in the same excel file. My usual approach is the one described here:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Knowledge-Base/How-to-write-to-multiple-tabs-separately-without-errors/ta-p/33413

But I've seen some collegues of mine solving it like this:

My opinion is, that this is not how the tool works. But unfortunately (?) it does work. The order is ignored, but the streams behind the block until done tools are never run through at the same time. I was not able to build a workflow where this lead to the usual "Could not open file"-error. 

Is this just random, or will this always work? Can anyone provide an example where this does NOT work (except from workflows where the order actually matters)? Otherwise, this would be an easy workaround for problems with multiple inputs etc.

Thanks in advance,

Patrick

philipmannering

It does seem to be the case that if two branches have two different Block Until Done tool then the one that was dropped first will be carried out in it's entirety before the second branch continues - this is news to me.

So it goes

1. Order of Block Until Done Tools

2. Order of Nodes within each Block Until Done tool.

The Output messages in my attached example shows this quite well.

In my experience, it's only when you're writing a lot of data to the same file with no Block Until Done tools that you get the "could not open file" error.

The Block Until Done Tool.yxmd