How to choose between Manual Data input or Upload Data File in App Interface

[Esan]

Hi 

   I am designing an App. I want to give users the functionality that they can either upload an excel template with data or they can manually enter the data through interface. I have designed a work flow and an intial interface. However, I am unable to design the logic of choosing between following two options.

• Upload an excel template with data. 
• Enter data manually

   A sample work flow is attached along for reference. 

Thanks, 

[JoshKushner]

You'll want to wrap both options in a radio button group. Connect those radio buttons to the tool container with that part of the workflow. If the user decides to not use one option or the other, disable that tool container.

In your workflow, unite the output of both sections. As one tool container will always be disabled you will only have one type of input each time the macro is run.

[Esan · Accepted solution]

@JoshKushner: 

   Thanks for the solution. I tried building the workflow as shown in the picture above. However, there are couple of errors that arise when I try this. Container 17 contains the file input tool and associated logic to input file on run time. Container 19 contains logic to input data on run time. However, when I try to run app, I am getting the error messages, 

• Tool container (19): Disabled containers may not contain any interface tools.
• Input data (1): A file must be specified.

   Looking at the errors it appears that even though I am selecting only one container at a time through radio button, the other container is still asking for file input. 

[JoshKushner]

Yeah, your input tools need to be outside the tool container you're disabling. Hopefully when this is fixed it gets rid of the second error.

[Esan]

Thanks, it did help. 

I have attached final solution as reference. 

Quick question though. Input data tool requires a file name to be specified, even if that container is disabled.  If I don't provide any file path, it gives error message even if i select to enter data manually. 

Currently I have worked around this error by providing it the path of an empty template. However, is there a way, where I don't have to nominate a default file? Then if and when user wants to upload data through file, he can simply provide the path to file? 

[JoshKushner · Accepted solution]

You could try adding a condition tool between your input and action tool. Then you can opt to delete the entire tool from the workflow instead of just disabling it. That should work.

Workflow

Action Tool