Run Apps with dynamic values extracted from a spreadsheet

Hi,

I just want to know if there is a way to run Analytic Apps with autofill feature. I know that there's a way to pre-populate interface fields by default. But since my inputs are changing and would like to somehow monitor them in an Excel file before running.

Say I have 15 apps to be ran monthly (Designer version, not in Gallery) and they have certain input fields that need to be updated.
Is this possible in any way to have another workflow or just by run command tool to pick up values from a spreadsheet and apply these values upon running the Apps?

Also, modifying each App instead is out of the option, but creating a workflow around these is fine.

Sample app values I want to update, not limited to dropdown interface.

Screenshot 2024-06-24 125029.png

Input

Apps

Interface Tools

Run Command

Chained App

Accepted answers

apathetichell

Yes. Chained apps. You edit the underlying xml of the one of the apps to change the configuration of the tool.

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Engine-Works/Dynamic-Hard-Coding-Chained-App-Sorcery/ba-p/764585

basically you replace the dropdown (17) line with a new dropdown (17) line...

All comments

aatalai

@daryllj have you looked into a chained app or using get values from an external source (in the drop down tool)?

Gaurav_Dhama_

Not a conventional method, but create a file (excel,csv,yxdb) whatever you like, with only 1 data, say 2024:2024 (this is name and value pair) and June:June.

Use these as input to drop down interface tool with external file input. Now what happens is you update the file, however you want, this file will update all the apps with its values.

Please note that this will work if you are running your other apps as apps and not like workflows.

Snip 1: This is one set of name and value. (Auto picked)

Snip 2: After changing the name and value pair outside workflow. Below is the auto picked values

To make it even more clear, you can put these extra drop downs under a checkbox (which does not do anything but just collapses when unchecked) it will look as below. I have also run and shown the result with check box unchecked, it works fine.

daryllj

Hello. Isn't it a chain app most likely need to modify the starting tools of the actual app? Modifying the actual apps is totally off limits. I'm thinking of like an API to a browser, for example. Which I cannot modify the browser itself, but I can populate inputs by feeding values via API. That kind of analogy. Or like the arguments of a function which I can enter values as arguments, but I cannot change the function.

It's okay though if there's no way as of now, I just thought that I can pass values with a certain command upon running these apps.

apathetichell

Yes. Chained apps. You edit the underlying xml of the one of the apps to change the configuration of the tool.

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Engine-Works/Dynamic-Hard-Coding-Chained-App-Sorcery/ba-p/764585

basically you replace the dropdown (17) line with a new dropdown (17) line...

daryllj

Thank you very much! I was thinking of the very same thing with the post. I just don't know how to execute it. The only thing I wanted to confirm is that when dealing with the XML. If the actual app would run successfully even though the data was dynamically hardcoded. But as per the post, it worked just fine Thanks, y'all!

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