Analytic App: Normalize Field Name

[danloz]

Hi,

I'm hoping somebody has a recipe for this.  

My analytic app should:  

1)  solicit a file from the user

2)  ask the user to choose a specific field for further processing (done!)

3)  Leverage the field from 2 in a join against some system data that I'm querying along a different branch.  

My trouble is, the users selected field from 2's name could be anything.  So I guess my choices are:  

A)  Dynamically influence the join maybe using the same list box technique I used in 2.  I've experimented with this but it doesn't seem real intuitive but I allow I might be missing something.  

B)  Find a way to force rename the field, without actually knowing what the field was originally named.  

Does anyone have any experience doing something like this?  

[Luke_C]

Hi @danloz 

I don't have any direct experience with this fact pattern, but my initial reaction is that the dynamic rename tool can probably help get this done.

https://help.alteryx.com/current/designer/dynamic-rename-tool

[danilang]

Hi @danloz 

You should be able to do it using a technique similar to this

The Join has to be configured in a particular way.  You need to join on a specific changeable field and also rename the field in the select to the name used later on in the workflow(TargetName).  In this case the field on the left of the join can be either A, B or C, so the join is on A and the Rename is also on left A 

The left Action tool is pretty standard, just change the join field name.

The right Action tool changes the select portion of the join to rename the field that was selected in the drop down

When run as an app the field selected in the drop down is used to join and the field is also renamed

Dan