Importing Tables from Excel

[APuwalski]

Most of the data that I want to import to Alteryx is in excel spread sheets in the form of tables. I have seen in some help sites that tables are supposed to be listed as "sheets" in Alteryx. However, this is not the case. How do I get Alteryx to recognize table names to import from excel. This seems like a pretty basic need.

[Andrew_T-H]

This can be done by selecting the "select a named range" option in the input tool but it requires you to set up the named range in excel first. This, as far as I can tell from testing it, isn't the same as simply naming your tables. It requires you to highlight the range of cells that your table sits in, and then from the formulas tab, click "create from selection", then tick the relevent boxes (I selected top row), then select OK. From there I had to then go into name manager and change the formula part to include the exact cell range of what I wanted alteryx to bring in. For me it brought each column in as a separate named option in name manager but I edited the first one and then named it something unique and then changed the range in the "refers to" box. 

In my opinion, this is a bit too much trouble than it's worth and if your table changes size with additional rows of data then you'd have to edit it each time in excel. 

I have a sheet that contains multiple tables that I use in an input in alteryx and the way I get around it is by having multiple select tools to only include the columns from the specific tables that I want. This also isn't perfect as the tables have the same column headings so it will automatically change the names of them when input. But the select tool can be used to just rename them again or you could use a dynamic rename tool if that was an issue. 

I don't believe alteryx really likes tables from excel though and much prefers ranges, but I agree, it would be a useful feature if the table name could be used in the input without any additional steps.

There might be other solutions to this though that exceed my expertise.

[APuwalski]

Thanks for your help. I hoped this wasn't the answer. ChatGPT seems to think Alteryx recognizes tables as "sheets" but it doesn't. Seems like such a basic thing that I imagine many people would want. 

For now, I am pulling in the sheet but setting the "first line" to where my table begins. This seems like it will allow the table to change size without issues. 

Are there any hidden pitfalls to doing it this way?

[Yoshiro_Fujimori]

@APuwalski ,

> How do I get Alteryx to recognize table names to import from excel.

If the input Excel file has "named range", Alteryx recognized it.

For example, I have a below table with the ranges in Red is names as "MyRange".

Col1	Col2	Col3	Col4
11	12	13	14
21	22	23	24
31	32	33	34
41	42	43	44

When I open the file with Input Data Tool, the window shows as below;

Then the output from Input Data Tool is as below;

It seems to me pretty straight forward.

Please let me know if I miss anything.

[flying008]

Hi, @APuwalski 

Since the Alteryx Input tool currently only recognizes Sheets and Named Ranges of Excel files, but not Tables, there is now a workaround. Before inputting such files, use Event or Run Command tools to use PowerShell scripts to convert Tables into new Named Ranges with the header and generate a list of its names. Then you can selectively input the data of the table you want.