creating folder, moving and renaming files

Question

Hi all,

Is there any way to create a new local or network folder, save a file and then rename it and then move it...WITHOUT using a batch file? All of the examples I have found in the community utilize the Run command My employer does not allow those.

nagakavyasri · Accepted Answer

@ppatane Run command is needed to generate folders dynamically

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Desktop-Ideas/Create-Directory-in-Output-Tool-if-it-doesn-t-already-exist/idi-p/22793

rfoster7 · Accepted Answer

is your employer disallowing Run Commands in the workflows? Or Batch Files?

The Run Command tool is the only inherent tool that lets Alteryx interact with the file system which is what you need to do to create folders, rename folder and files, move files around. Technically, the output tools also interact with the file system when they create a file, but its embedded within the output tool.

There's a lot of tools that, if you go down into them are using embedded Run Command Tools. I guess don't point that out to anyone.

If they are saying "no" to Batch files, you can still use the Run Command tool to trigger off vbscript through cscript or wscript, or to run powercommand shell scripts to do what you are wanting to do.

If they are saying "no" to Run Command tools within the workflows... well... I guess you can use the python tool or R tool, both of which open up the ability to access the Python and R programming language which feature components that let you access the file system.

That would be a blatant workaround of a particularly ill-thought out internal policy.

It would require you to pick up some Python coding skills (or R) which can only aid your resume building as you try to escape your ill-thought out policy overlords.