Command line event to execute another workflow does not work

bhanu5

The command line examples to execute 1 workflow after another works when I test it for running 2 workflows but it errors out at the end.

Error: Designer x64: The Designer x64 reported: Error running Event #1: The external program "C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin\AlteryxEngineCmd.exe" returned an error code: 1: The system could not find the environment option that was entered. (203)

I ran the below command manually in command prompt on the server and I get the same error as of the gallery/designer.

Command: AlteryxEngineCmd.exe "C:\files\1.yxmd"

I am assuming the AlteryxEngineCmd.exe is trying to access system environment variables and they might be different than what it is expecting or such environment variable does not exist. What could it be?. Can someone please shed some light on this? This question is asked in numerous topics and NO ONE answered this.

ntobon

@bhanu5 

This is expected behavior. Any return code other than "0" will return an error with events or the Run Command tool.

Suppose that you have a Main workflow that runs Two Events. When:

1. After Run Without Errors: Run Workflow X using AlteryxEngineCmd.exe
2. After Run With Errors: Run Workflow Y using AlteryxEngineCmd.exe

Help doc explaining return codes in AlteryxEngineCmd.exe: https://help.alteryx.com/20193/designer/run-workflows-command-line

Values returned when a Workflows run via command line :
0 - Success
1 - Warnings Exist
2 - Errors Exist

- When you run Main workflow, Workflow X runs, but it produces warnings messages (value returned is 1).
- Most programs interpret a return code of anything other than "0" as an error which is why you're having trouble with it. Because it was interpreted as an Error, Workflow Y also runs.
- And Main workflow generates an error:
Designer x64 The Designer x64 reported: Error running Event #2: The external program "C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin\AlteryxEngineCmd.exe" returned an error code: 2: The system could not find the environment option that was entered. (203)

WORKAROUNDS:

1. Fix whatever warnings are in the workflow for the program to return a "0" status.

2. Change the order of execution of the events. Move Up "After Run With Errors: Run Workflow Y using AlteryxEngineCmd.exe" to the Top and then "After Run Without Errors: Run Workflow X using AlteryxEngineCmd.exe"

3. There is a way to return a different status code via a batch script. The batch file would have to be called directly:

AlteryxEngineCmd.exe "C:\Temp\Test_Warning.yxmd"
if %ERRORLEVEL% == 2 (
exit /b 2
)
if %ERRORLEVEL% == 1 (
exit /b 0
)
else (
exit /b 0
)

This will force the batch script to return 0 if there's an error level of 1, still return an error if there is an error in the workflow, or exit with a 0 otherwise (if no warnings or errors). This is honestly probably not the best way to handle it, but this is an easy method people have setup when people have wanted to run additional workflows in events, as warnings would return "1" and cause an "error" in Designer since Designer sees any event that returns anything other than a "0" an error.

My recommendation is to try workaround 2. Please test it and let me know if it works.