Dropdown List in Excel Output from Alteryx

Hi Alteryx Community,

I am trying to generate a dropdown list in my Alteryx output to an Excel spreadsheet.

I want the cells in the column Result to be a dropdown list with values from either 'Success', 'Failure' and 'Inconclusive'. I want the user of the Excel file to be able to select from the dropdown list.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Alteryx.DropdownListOutput.xlsx

Output

Accepted answers

BenMoss

It is not possible to use alteryx to output a drop down list in Excel.

Alteryx is a data preperation and analysis tool. I'm not sure why you would want to use Alteryx to create your drop down lists, surely it's simple to do in excel itself?

Ben

All comments

BenMoss

It is not possible to use alteryx to output a drop down list in Excel.

Alteryx is a data preperation and analysis tool. I'm not sure why you would want to use Alteryx to create your drop down lists, surely it's simple to do in excel itself?

Ben

BenMoss

Just to add a note here. Technically this is possible but you'd have to learn how Excel generates these drop down lists and where it is stored in the xml that forms a excel file. Then use Alteryx to write this xml.

A needlessly complex task IMO.

Ben

simran_d_

Thanks Ben.

It is simple enough in Excel. I was just trying to see if I can reduce the manual step in the Excel output after the data preparation steps.

papalow

@simran_d_@BenMoss

simran, I also have an interest in having alteryx produce an excel output file with data validation characteristics. Yes, it is easy to put them into excel files, but if I don't have to touch that excel output, that is even better.

Excel files are a comfortable place for many on my team to interact with data. These users will not have alteryx. After the users have interacted with the data, alteryx will read the excel files again to prep and blend data. Data validation would be a very useful feature. Being able to restrict what is added or done with the excel file would also be desirable.

papalow

agrawaluk

@papalow @simran_d_

I have a similar use case where the end user want a drop down list for one column. This excel file is shared with a large number of people and will be concatenated with data a number of times so the business doesn't want anyone to make spelling mistakes.

Lets hope alteryx introduces this feature in future releases.

raghusrealm

Is there any update if alteryx produce an excel output file with data validation characteristics? I am curious as I need this for one of my workflows.

SarahSonnier1

I had this issue and I ended up recording a macro to create the validation, and if I have a folder of alteryx excel outputs, I wrote some VBA to make the macro iterate through the whole folder, creating dropdowns and saving each file. However, I have not been able to get the VBA to consistently work with all kinds of excel (regular sheet works fine, if it has tables, I have to trigger the macro by hand). Hope this helps!

ups366

Hi, @simran_d_

Maybe you can do this flow step:

1- create a template xlsx, add data validation in result ranges of sheet 'Output'.

2- In Alteryx 2020.2.2, Output your data to your xlsx of Oder folder. [pick option "Preserve Formatting on Overwrite(Range Required)" ]

3- If you need output more than 1 xlsx to same place, you can run command to copy template xlsx to these path before output data.

garvit1495

I am also following the same steps but it didn't help in retaining the dropdowns in the alteryx output file.

mst3k

you could definitely do this, but it won't be fun.

you need an excel template file, where you've already a sheet or a named range where you'll store the list for the dropdown data validation. create the data validation. if the number of items that can be in the list is variable, you're going to have to do some even trickier excel formulas to only use whatever is in the list, but it's all possible. the idea is you have an excel target file already built and set up how you want the end product to be.

assuming you want to be able to repeat this process, and so you don't want to lose your template, you would need alteryx to do a Run Command tool with a .bat script to make a copy of your excel template file. then you just have alteryx point to the new copy and dump the data in there. it will be tricky and take a lot of work, but if this is really the only way to do what you need to do, it's possible.

i have made workflows where alteryx creates an excel report with a formatted pivot table for example, by doing this same process essentially

iCFO

Edit - My original response was a more of a guide to creating Excel controllers and avoiding pitfalls and errors... It was meant for another thread.

NISHA_373

Can you share the macro. Does it gives dropdown to your alteryx output file?

HomesickSurfer

Hi @simran_d_

Either use the Output Data tool and overwrite range and preserve formatting (keeping Excel cell validation), or; use Blob tools to duplicate a formatted template that contains the Yes/No data validation dropdowns.

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