Add function "eval"

[patrick_digan]

It would be great if you can add a function "eval". This would be similar to R or access where you would pass a string to the eval function and it would then evaluate the string. My made up use case would be something like this: I have 1 Million rows of data with 20 fields. The first 10 are value1, value2...value10, and the second 10 are value1_right, value2_right....value10_right. I would like to replace valuex with valuex_right if valuex is null. With a multifield formula tool selected I could write something like this with value1-10 selected: eval("IIF(ISnull([_CurrentField_]),["+[_CurrentFieldName_]+"_right],[_CurrentField_])"). Thanks!

[patrick_digan]

FYI I think there are a bunch of good use cases here on the community that could benefit from an eval function:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Dynamically-Reference-Columns-in-Formu...

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Dynamically-referecing-columns-in-form...

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/How-to-treat-string-Field-as-formula-c...

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Filter-data-from-formula-in-a-text-fie...

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Hierarchy-Data-UserID-and-Name-Multi-F...

[fmvizcaino]

Great suggestion. Really hoping for this function.

[patrick_digan]

Here was a good question today that could have used an eval function: https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Run-a-macro-on-several-columns-at-the-...

They could have used a multi-field formula with something like:

If isnull([_CurrentField_]) then eval("[Right_"+[_CurrentFieldName_]+"]") Else [_CurrentField_] endif

[edwin_isensee_td]

How do I vote to support this idea?

[Dylan_L]

Hi, any new ? thankyou :) 

[patrick_digan]

Happy 8th Birthday to this idea! I still think it would be a great add.