"Change Entire Filepath" Output functionality not working. Alteryx does not use it

[smsp22]

Hello,

I am trying to use dynamic file change in a file output. It worked fine on my computer. On the other hand, when I provide the alteryx designer workflow file to a colleague, it seems to not use the FileName field at all and instead uses my base selection in the output file field. I have selected all the right fields for it to change but it does not. Has anyone else run into this error? Do I need to delete the .bak files?

Regards,

Sam

[Jay-RDC]

Probably due to shortcut mapping but can't really be sure with the details provided. But make sure to check the path and that it is reading the exact path and not the shortcut.

[gautiergodard]

@smsp22 Deleting the .bak files shouldnt have any impact on the error. That said, please do make sure that none of the inputs/outputs are open on any local machines when the workflow is running. 

Does your colleague have the same folder hierarchy setup on his/her end that you are asking the workflow to write to? If its a public drive, does you colleague have access?

If you can provide some additional color on how you've configured your workflow, we can better assist. 

[smsp22]

So I using the following above selections but it uses the write to file selection in output not the Change Entire File Path FileName. Am I doing something incorrect?

[gautiergodard]

@smsp22 

Your output tool is configured the way I would expect.

I think the issue is that your colleague doesn't have the folder that you are trying to output to, created on their local machine.

[smsp22]

The FileName field is the exact correct output path on his machine which should be what the output file widget uses. On the other hand, the widget is using the preselected non-dynamic output path which is for my machine (we are using a Onedrive shared path so the beginning of the file path changes based on user who is running workflow).

[smsp22]

It seems that after I reselect in the output file widget to something that works for a file select (aka what dynamic is suppose to do), the dynamic file selection input starts working. This seems to negate the point of having a dynamic selection in the first place as I must first select what I want in output before dynamic selection will work.

[danilang]

Hi @smsp22 

When Alteryx first tries to run a workflow, it attempts to get access to all the directories that are specified in the output tools.  If these can't be found it throws an error.    The way to work around this is to export the workflow and ensure that the default output file is checked in the assets list. 

This will package the file with the workflow and change the default file to a path relative to the workflow "_externals\1\output.yxdb"

When your colleague opens the exported package, this new relative directory structure will be recreated on his computer so the workflow will work without error.  

Dan

[smsp22]

Thanks so much for your help. This did work but I found I was looking at the problem wrong all together. I simply put all my input and output files in a lower directory to the location of the workflow and then used ./lower_folder_path/filename.xlsx relative path notation to have it run on anyone computer who gets the analytical app. Thanks everyone for the help!!!