Analytic app using regex problem

[humbertoj88]

Hi Community, 

I've recently created my first analytic app, it's meant to do the following:

1- Allow users to connect a file, via the input tool 

2- Tool detects the string columns, you can then choose which one you will clean (using a dropdown)

3- You select a pattern for the regex tool (using a dropdown)

4- You select what you want to replace the info with (free text)

5- You save the file using an output file.

While the app works with the attached example .... when i connect a different excel file with other column names it does not update the list of values in the dropdown list. It expects me to change the name of the column that i want to clean to "concept" 

Does anyone know how to fix this issue? 

I'm attaching the packaged app

Thanks! 

[grossal]

Hi @humbertoj88,

I think you would need chained apps in order to achieve this.

The first would only read the file, make a temporary save and extract the column information.

The seconds would than read in the column names from the extract and load the temporary save and could work with the imported column names and apply the regex to it.

Best

Alex

[echuong1 · Accepted solution]

Yes, you would need to create a chained app to achieve this functionality. Essentially, an Alteryx workflow is only a series of settings and metadata. Until a workflow is run, the metadata is not updated. As a result, your dropdowns won't be repopulated with the new dataset. 

A chained app on the other hand, executes a series of processes first and then uses this data in another downstream process. See below for some resources to help you get started:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Interactive-Lessons/Chaining-Analytic-Apps/ta-p/243120

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Knowledge-Base/Chained-Alteryx-Analytic-Applicatio...

[humbertoj88]

Thanks heaps Alex, I'll give it a go.

Cheers,

[humbertoj88]

Thanks! I'll check those two and fix mine.

Cheers,