Make "Send Email" tool optionally able to run on demand vs only as last tool to execute

[fharper]

I want modification of the Email Tool to support running it at a specific point, defined by developer, within a workflow where currently "The Email tool will always be the last tool to run in a workflow". 

We use the tool to send notification of completion of jobs and sometimes attach outputs but we would like to be able to also send notifications at the start or at key points within a workflows processing.  Currently the email tool is forced to be the last tool run in a flow, even if you use block until done tool to force order of path execution to hit the email tool first.

If we could add a setting to the configuration to override the current default, of being the last tool run, to allow it to run at will within a flow that would be awesome!  And of course we would want the same ability for texting, be it a new feature of the email tool or a new tool all its own. 

The Texting option refers to an issue in Andrew Hooper's post seeking enhancement of the email tool for texting, search on "Email tool add HTML output option" or use link...

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Product-Ideas/Email-tool-add-HTML-output-option/idi-p/92114...

[Claje]

This only covers a small part of the ask, but you can configure an email to run at the very start of a workflow via Workflow Events.  The one downside to this model is that you can't really do anything to make these emails dynamic.

Another option you could potentially look at would be to install an open source email tool on the Alteryx server.  Then you could leverage the Run Command tool (potentially inside of a macro) in order to send emails in the middle of a process.

That being said, I agree that improving/enhancing the Email Tool would be appreciated

[fharper]

Good point on events but I considered them not relevant to my request but failed to mention why.

I should have clarified.  My objective is to be able to use the email tool to send notifications at the start or at various points during processing with dynamic information in the notification.  That precludes use of Events to email which is a static form of email function by comparison and as a before run event there is no run specific info to pass on in the notification email.

We build a lot of jobs/flows to be dynamic where we pull in user supplied and run specific parameters that customize the logic for that instance.  similar to how an App allows a user to respond to questions to modify the logic we do in batch mode.  We bought the scheduler/API option so we can run from command line/Batch. 

In our approach users set a trigger in a file to run a specific job or report.  Depending on the job there are additional columns of parameters like what to call this run, where an input file is, who to email notifications to, time frames, and other selection logic or control elements a job might need. 

So it is the same code running but the instance is unique by who asked for it, by what request it is even within the same user, by what key elements influence that instance aside from start time and duration and other operational information. 

Right now we are limited to providing notification on completion but we are seeing more and more reasons to send start notifications. 

•     For example some times a person wants the same job run 3 different ways, this helps them know their requests were seen and acted on and sets expectation for when they will finish. 
•     Another use case is that our automation evaluates system resources on each cycle of the scheduler and throttles how many jobs we submit in that scheduler cycle so at peak times jobs stack up in the queue to run and start notifications can let them know their request has bubbled to the top and started while refreshing them on what that runs criteria are.
•     Finally I have some long running jobs that do a lot of things and a fair amount if heavy lifting.  I currently use the message tool to inform me when the flow reaches certain milestone points.  We capture the output view messaging to a log file named after each flow and has a timestamp so we can differentiate easily vs the Engine+sequence naming approach Alteryx uses now.  It is a simple text file and if you open it in notepad while the flow is running you see all the messaging at that point you would if manually running the job and can see progress, it doesn't interfere with new messaging flowing into the log.  But the benefit of running in batch mode is not watching the pot boil so having the ability to send notification at key points to show status of job is desirable.

there are a number of reasons why such notifications are valuable but I have cluttered up this space enough with my words.  Hopefully it is more clear now why the Tool is the focus of my request and Email through Events is not applicable.

[Community_Admin]

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