Prevalidate Output File Availability Before Workflow Execution

[JoeCat]

Description:

Currently, when running a workflow in Alteryx that writes output to a file (e.g., Excel), if the target file is already open (such as being open in Excel), the workflow will proceed through all steps and only fail at the very end when it attempts to write to that file.

Problem:

This behavior is inefficient and frustrating, especially with large workflows. You only find out there's a problem after all the upstream processes have already run. It wastes time and compute resources, and it can also be confusing for less experienced users.

Suggested Improvement:

Alteryx Designer should prevalidate output file accessibility at the beginning of workflow execution. Specifically:

Check if the output files are locked or otherwise unavailable before starting the run.

If any output file cannot be written to, immediately halt the workflow with a clear, early warning. 

Optionally, display a prompt listing which outputs are unavailable and why.

Benefit:

This enhancement would save users significant time, reduce confusion, and improve user experience, especially in development or iterative testing workflows. It aligns with good design principles by failing fast and providing immediate feedback.

[PangHC]

somehow you idea is rigth.

the output tools return errors (error 32, when file is processing) when other output tool is writing the file. 
it really annoying when still error even the block until done tool or control container is used. 

at least it should able detect it finish writing before send signal to continue the next steps.

[haraldharders]

I have a lot of workflows which don't need to have write access to a file at the beginning of the execution. In some cases, I even rely on being able to write a file which is previously blocked. I would rather like to have a tool which tests whether a file is writable. That way, the user can customise when and how to react.

[TheOC]

This is a cool idea! 
I've previously solved this by using a macro that will attempt to write out, and if it errors, it will instead drop out a yxdb in the same location. This way I effectively 'cache' the output instead of losing the run.