Add another option for "data from connected tool" for drop down and list box

[patrick_digan]

The drop down\list box have numerous ways to list values. One of them that I like is connecting to an external source. You simply have an external source file with a Name column and a Value column. It will display the data in the Name column and pass the data in the Value column. Now suppose instead of connecting to an external source I wanted to use connected tools. Currently, I would have to crosstab this data and the drop down\list box would display and pass the column names.

What if the drop down\list box could have an additional option added where you could connect tools and it would act identically as an external source (display the data in the Name column and pass the data in the Value column). This would be much easier and more functional!

[RachelW]

Thanks for the idea! Can you tell about a scenario or example where you would use this functionality? I'm trying to understand the problem you are trying to solve when you'd use a solution like this. 

[patrick_digan]

Suppose I have a list of cities and their corresponding codes so that the user can pick a city. This selection is then used to query our data to get the list of counties for that city. Here is what I would do today:

Here is what I don't like:

1) I had to crosstab the the data. Why should that be required?

2) Because of #1, I now have to replace the underscores with spaces. If I had a different dataset, this would be more complicated because all special characters are being changed to underscores. This time it's easier since it's just spaces, but any dataset with special characters would require even more effort to fix our list.

3) Once I get the user selection, I have to go back to my first table and grab the city code. I like how the drop down normally lets you display one thing to the user (the city name) and pass another to your workflow (the city code). This functionality is lost when I use the connected tool setup. 

Here is my mockup of my request:

It's simpler and more straightforward. You give the dropdown your list to display, and then pass the answer (the city code instead of the city name) to your filter. It eliminates all 3 of my complaints above. For the dropdown, I'm imagining a prettier version of this:

[myastarling]

I second this request -- this would be incredibly valuable to me as well.

[vepp]

@RachelW  I vote for this. Now I am realizing that Value from previous tool would be great.

[IsabelN]

I vote for this too!!

I'm still trying to figure out how to use my data in a drop down so thanks Patrick_Digan for the solution but an additional option would save time

[SeanAdams]

The drop-down interface tool currently allows you to allow the user to select field names from a connected tool.

However, a very common use case is not currently supported - select VALUES from a connected too (i.e. the values in a specific column).

There are several workarounds (including chaining the app and using an alteryx DB or transposing values into fields) - however given how common this need is, it seems to be valuable to support this directly.

cc: @mbarone  @Claje @jpoz 

[Claje]

Agreed

Additionally, the current workaround for this (cross-tab your data, then feed it into a drop down or list box), does not actually behave in a dynamic fashion.

Any solution that allows for these values to be leveraged should also make it so this process is truly dynamic.

[willhaye]

My variation on this theme here: https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/In-an-Analytic-App-do-the-Questions-ru...

[patrick_digan]

@SeanAdams I think we're asking for the same thing: https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Ideas/Add-another-option-for-quot-data-from-connec...

[KylieF]

@SeanAdams @patrick_digan 

I've merged the ideas, data from connected tool" for drop down and list box and Values from Connected Tool, as they were requesting the same feature enhancement. This helps our product team have a complete view of the interest in the idea rather then that interest being split.

Thank you both for submitting this enhancement request and posting to the idea boards!