Issue with passing value from text box to formula

[golfingbadly]

Leaning on the solution that was in a previous post got me started (https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Passing-a-Text-Box-variable-to-a-Selec...), but I've hit a bit of a blocker and do not understand why as I've checked the configuration to make sure my tools match the original solution.  

My workflow is attached.  What I ultimately want to do is pass user input from the text box to the SCENARIO_NAME column in the formula to then further process.  If I enter a number such as "123", it works.  If I enter letters, which is what I need to enter, I receive the following error:  

Formula (29): Parse Error at char(0): Unknown variable "abc123" (Expression #1)

When I run in debug mode, I notice that quotes aren't around the passed value:

Is this a bug in the version I'm using, or did I miss a configuration step on the action?  I'm running 2020.2.  

[Emil_Kos]

Hi @golfingbadly,

Please let me know if it starts working. You have missed a ticker at the bottom of the screen. 

[echuong1 · Accepted solution]

The Action tool dictates what is going to be updated. In your case, you'd want the expression value to be updated and you'd select that line in the configuration window.

The value in the text box will update the entire expression by default. In your case, because you're trying to change the string value in the expression, you'd actually need the quotation marks still there. In the bottom click the box to replace a specific string, and only have the word "test" present. This will just replace test, and keep everything else.

Also, in the sample workflow you uploaded you had the scenario wrapped in quotation marks, which is correct. In your screenshot, you'd need to wrap abc123 in quotation marks to read "abc123" 

Hope this helps!

[Emil_Kos]

good point @echuong1 

I forgot about quotation values. 

[golfingbadly]

Thanks so much, that worked!