Solved: Create app that takes user text input to modify and run Windows batch command

[samuelp]

I manually re-added the response I received which led me to the solution and wanted to at least represent his contribution. Don't understand why his actual response seems to have vanished!

5-Sep-2019 18:30 GMT:

Hello community. My first post, and newbie to Alteryx. I could be biting off more than I can chew but I need to get this app working and have searched endlessly and haven't been able to piece together a working tool yet, but feel I am close (hopefully!).

I have create an app with five Text Box inputs and one File Browse input. These all have Update Value actions to Replace a specific string (six variables in a Windows batch file, which initiates the SnowSQL (Snowflake) command line interface and runs the query). After the Text Input I have a Select tool, then an Auto Field tool, all sequential. Up to this point it works great. The barrier I can't seem to get past is getting Alteryx to rewrite the batch command using the user inputs and run it via command line. I have attempted to use the Run Command tool but can't get it to do what I need. Any ideas? I've attached a generic copy of the app saved as a workflow (couldn't upload yxwz file for some reason). Thanks in advance for any assistance!! -Samuel

Just minutes after original post:

Hello samuelp, benakesh (Asteroid) mentioned you in a post! Join the conversation below: Re: Create app that takes user text input to modify and run Windows batch command Hi @samuelp , In  run command  tool enter  a  file name  for   " Write source Output "   ex   :   run.bat .    In run external command  enter  this file name  i.e  run.bat . If  there are errors  you can check  this  batch ( run.bat)  to make sure the syntax is correct and you can run  this batch  file from  windows  command prompt.  Reply | Accept as Solution | Give Stars

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5-Sep-2019 22:36 GMT:

Thank you @benakesh! The tricky part was ignoring Alteryx's insistance that the Write Source-Output field be some sort of data type, no plain text option, and switching the Save as type: to All Files(*) and entering the name of the .bat file. The strange thing is I tried this solution a couple days ago but was unsuccessful. Thanks again @benakesh.

[benakesh · Accepted solution]

Hi @samuelp ,

In  run command  tool enter  a  file name  for   " Write source Output "   ex   :   run.bat .   

In run external command  enter  this file name  i.e  run.bat .

If  there are errors  you can check  this  batch ( run.bat)  to make sure the syntax is correct and you can run  this batch  file from  windows  command prompt.