Appending Timestamp to output file

Hello everyone,

I am trying to save an output file (*.xslx) with date and time but not able to do so.

When using formula "XXX\4april\"+TOSTRING(DateTimetoday())+"_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1", it is working fine but file getting saved as XXX2017

When using formula "XXX\4april\"+TOSTRING(DateTimenow())+"_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1", getting the below error

Unable to Open archive for zipping: XXX\4april\2017-04-07 12:55:43_outputfile.xlsx Error Opening file: \4april\2017-04-07 12:55:43_outputfile.xlsx: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

As per output file setting, I am using

write to " \4april\outputfile.xlsx|||Sheet1"
Output Options:Overwrite file(Remove)
change entire file path option

Appreciate any help.

Thanks

VS

Output

Accepted answers

Hi @VikaspSharma,

In the second case, your error is caused by colon (":") which is not a valid character for a file path.

You could try one of these 2 options to get rid of it:

Remove ":" :

"XXX\4april\"+replace(DateTimenow(),":","") +"_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1"

Format datetime (link from help) :

"XXX\4april\"+ DateTimeFormat(datetimenow(),"%Y-%m-%d %H%M%S") +"_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1"

Both will return something like:

XXX\4april\2017-04-07 131642_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1

Thanks,

Paul Noirel

Customer Support Engineer

All comments

Hi @VikaspSharma,

In the second case, your error is caused by colon (":") which is not a valid character for a file path.

You could try one of these 2 options to get rid of it:

Remove ":" :

"XXX\4april\"+replace(DateTimenow(),":","") +"_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1"

Format datetime (link from help) :

"XXX\4april\"+ DateTimeFormat(datetimenow(),"%Y-%m-%d %H%M%S") +"_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1"

Both will return something like:

XXX\4april\2017-04-07 131642_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1

Thanks,

Paul Noirel

Customer Support Engineer

I used the method "XXX\4april\"+replace(DateTimenow(),":","") +"_outputfile.xlsx|sheet1" to populate the time stamp onto the output file name. Unfortunately, this gave me a file per execution second. To get a single file name for the execution of the workflow I was forced to manipulate the time portion replacing the second digit of minute and both digits of seconds with zeros.

Below is how I accomplished the task returning File_Name_20171010_175000

"File_Name_" +

SubString(
Replace(
Replace(

TOSTRING(Replace(DateTimenow(),":",""))

,"-","")
," ","_")
,0,12) + "000"

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