Implementing Dynamic Variables from UI to update variable values in python tool

[Feras]

Hi Alteryx Community,

I'm working on an Alteryx workflow with several components, where I've encountered issues that I hope to resolve with your expertise.

Workflow Summary:

1. User File Selection: The workflow begins with a File Browse Tool for users to select their input file. This is connected to an Input Data Tool configured with a template for data consistency.

2. Data Preparation: A Formula Tool is applied to a text column ( text_field) for regex transformations aimed at data cleaning.

3. Advanced Processing with Python: The core of the workflow involves a Python Tool for complex data processing, which uses user inputs to influence its operations. These inputs are intended to specify parameters such as column names and thresholds, originally captured using Text Boxes and a Number Up Down Tool.

4. User-Specified Output: Processed data is outputted to a user-defined location, set through a File Browse Tool connected to an Output Data Tool.

Encountered Challenges:

• Column Access Error: I'm facing a KeyError when the Python script attempts to access text_field in the DataFrame, suggesting issues with column referencing.

• Dynamic Dropdown for Field Selection: To minimize user input errors, I'm considering replacing Text Boxes with Dropdown Tools for field selection. However, I need guidance on ensuring these Dropdowns are dynamically populated with field names from the user-selected file.as currently they only contain datatypes

Specific Requirements:

1. KeyError Resolution: I need help troubleshooting the KeyError related to text_field in the Python Tool, ensuring the script correctly processes the intended column.

2. Implementing Dynamic Dropdowns: Advice on setting up Dropdown Tools to dynamically list field names from the input data, enhancing user experience and accuracy in field selection.to allow the python script to be applied to any files the user reads in.

Additional Context:

• User Input for Python Script: User inputs are crucial for the Python script's functionality. I'm utilizing Action Tools to dynamically update script variables based on user selections (e.g., field names, parameters) to tailor the data processing.

I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice you could provide to help address these challenges. Thank you for your support and collaboration!

[apathetichell]

There's some discussion on this a few months back. At it's core - the easiest way to do this is to have user selections via app go to a text input tool - have the text input tool feed into your python tool. I would strongly not recommend editing your code via an action tool in python at run time. The behavior is unpredictable - so it may work, but it may not - and usually that's runtime, not code/process dependent.

[Feras]

Thank you for the reply , I have a text tool which connects to the python tool following the action tool , it is an empty table with column names that represent each input , and the action tool populated the specified rows , however when I run the app I recieve the key error

[apathetichell]

suggestion - fill row 1 with dummy data for each field. update the dummy data. this will allow you to run in test. 

[Feras]

I have populated the first row of the textfield with dummy data however I am still recieving a parse error for a Uknown Variable 

[apathetichell]

is the error message from alteryx or from alteryx/python? can you post a screen grab? do you have multiple inputs into your python tool and are you correctly labeling read1/read2 etc.