Renaming PDFs based on columns in Excel

[JamesJL]

Hello!

I'm wondering if there is a way to have Alteryx rename pdf files based on certain columns in Excel. For example:

Excel: Column A: Name + Column B: Address + Column C: City

PDF file name: Formally was called 'Name', Now I want it as Name - Address - City

I would start with the input file & Directory -> formula tool (possibly Column A + " - " + Column B + " - " + Column C?) and the output is a command tool correct? I can't seem to remember how to do this.

Many thanks!

[BS_THE_ANALYST]

@JamesJL You could definitely bring those files into the workflow then leverage the columns to write out to a new PDF with desired column names involved. I'm not sure about renaming an existing PDF though, but I imagine this can be done leveraging the Python tool in Alteryx

[alexnajm]

You could use the Blob Input and Blob Output tool to rename PDFs! There would just have to be a way to map the data to the PDFs so the renaming can be done. 

[JamesJL]

Thank you @BS_THE_ANALYST I'll look into the Python Tool.

@alexnajm I just remembered I posted something similar to this a while ago. I'm going to refer to what you said then too!

[BS_THE_ANALYST]

I haven't used Blob input and output tools so I'll definitely look into them; thanks for the suggestion @alexnajm!

If the Blob tools don't get the job done, I'd use ChatbotGpt and write out what you want executed in a Python script format. It should be able to put that together. Then just drag Python tool on the canvas and insert the script into the Jupyter Notebook.

[danilang]

Hi @JamesJL 

Going Waaay back into the DOS days, what you're looking for is a batch file that can rename a series of files.  The syntax for this is 

ren oldname.pdf newname.pdf

Once you have you new names defined possibly in field called [NewName], use a second formula tool to build up each ren line

'ren "'+[name]+'".pdf "'+[NewName]+'".pdf'

giving you

ren "Mary Smith.pdf" "Mary Smith - 123 Main St - SomeTown.pdf"

Concatenate all these line together using a Summarize and \n as the delimiter.  Prefix this with a line to change to your working directory

cd "c:\temp\working directory"

Giving you a final DOS batch file that looks like this 

cd "c:\temp\working directory"
ren "Mary Smith.pdf" "Mary Smith - 123 Main St - SomeTown.pdf"
ren "John Jones.pdf" "John Jones - 123 Main St - SomeOtherTown.pdf"

Pass this file to the command tool and you're renames will be done.

Of course the methods mentioned by @BS_THE_ANALYST and @alexnajm will both work as well.  The one problem with the Blob tool approach is that it doesn't actually rename the file, but creates a copy leaving the only one behind.  This may be or may not acceptable. 

Dan

[Luke_C]

Hi @JamesJL 

You can reference the solution to the below post as a starting point. It uses the run command tool similar to what @danilang outlined.

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Rename-300-PDF-files-within-Directory/...