Changing Database Name in Analytical App/dynamic input

I've created an app and with a textbox/action tool ive made so the end user will enter their database "username and password" to change the connection to their own. The problem arises when the database connection is named something different from what I, the DEV of the app has named it.

Example: odbc:DSN=Hive 2 and someone else could have odbc:DSN=Hive

Is there a solution besides having the user change it to what they have it named? Some end user do not know this information.

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mbarone

From what I know, there is no solution like the kind you're looking for (there may be another more technical one, but it won't be using the "front end" of Alteryx). Since the ODBC is looking for a specific DSN "name", that "name" has to exist for all users that will be using the app. Maybe put an error message that displays to the user letting them know that their DSN name has to match what the app is set up for? Or a message (label) that tells them before running they need to makes sure the DSN name matches.

jordanmount6

Thank you for the response.

I thought about doing that, and that may be what I do, or I might just put a label on the app screen. I was just hoping there was a solution where the user could choose their saved database. All users that will be using this will have this saved under data connections -> data sources -> Hive ODBC.

mbarone

Maybe I'm not understanding. If the app uses saved data connection "aka:Hive ODBC" and if the user has saved data connection "aka:Hive ODBC", and yours is pointing to DSN name X and his is pointing to DSN name Y, but both X and Y are the same DB (other than the display DSN name), they shouldn't have to update anything.

jordanmount6

Thats what i was hoping but thats not how it is playing out. I've had two people test it and that has been the problem for both. When setting up the connection you can make the DSN anything you want and so one could have odbc:DSN=Hive 2;UID=xxxxxxx;PWD=__EncPwd1__ and the other could have odbc:DSN=Hive;UID=xxxxxxx;PWD=__EncPwd1__ and the app fails because the user is only changing the UID and password through a text box and nothing else with the connection.

mbarone

Oh I see. In that case, the only solution I can see is to have a generic account set up so everyone uses the same credentials. In that case, the saved data connection should work. Otherwise I see no other option than to have them update all three - the DSN name and the username and PW. Not to say there isn't one, but none that I know of using Alteryx as-is.

jordanmount6

Yeah i could set up a text box for the user to change the DSN but most users dont know that information. And i could try to get everyone to have the same DSN name but thats harder than it seems ha. We will move to a functional id sometime in the future so it wont end up being an issue but i was hoping there was a solution to have it connect to their saved connections or something like that.

Thanks for trying! I appreciate it.

mbarone

Anytime!

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