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Confused about behavior of Select tool embedded in Join, and Join outputs

jlefeaux
8 - Asteroid

Hi all,

 

For several months now I've been successfully filling holes in data sets with judicious use of the Select tool in the Join tool, and a Union of the 3 outputs.

 illustration full.jpg

 

I do this by unselecting the Right inputs that I want replaced in the Join:

 

embedded Select.JPG

 

and then Unioning the 3 outputs R, J, L.

 

What's puzzling to me is that the R output (and I suppose L as well) is different depending on whether or not there is a Union following the Join.

 

I would expect the Right and Left outputs to be simple subsets of the Right and Left input record sets, without alterations to the column structure.  This is indeed what happens when I have a Union tool directly after my Join, so my operation, in all, comes out like the picture above.

 

Join followed by Union, Right output.JPG

 

However, if I don't have a Union tool following the Join, the Right output acts as if the select has been applied to it! -- Here, the Right output doesn't have the Result A column.

 

  Join, standalone, Right output.JPG

 

I sure hope someone can explain this.

 

I've attached the example workflow.

 

Thanks!

Jennifer

5 REPLIES 5
Inactive User
Not applicable

If you have a join and de-select the right fields, they will intermittently not show up. The based way around this is to not de-select the right fields and then to get rid of the joined right field names from the J output, just use a dynamic select: LEFT([Name],6)!='Right_'

jlefeaux
8 - Asteroid

Hi Ryan,

 

Thank you for your reply!  I'm sorry I'm late getting back--I was called away from the office unexpectedly this week.

 

I've accepted your answer as a solution -- but I'm concerned about the characterization of this behavior as "intermittent".  What is the intended behavior? And why hasn't Alteryx fixed it so that the intended behavior always happens?

Inactive User
Not applicable

Not entirely sure but this is what I have done for a while now since I have had the same problem you mentioned.

BenMoss
ACE Emeritus
ACE Emeritus

My understanding is that the fields you see in the 'right' results window is not actually what is there, it is only a preview, based, as you have identified on the fields selected in the 'in join select'.

 

However, this is not what is 'actually' there. In fact all the initial fields from the right side are there, as you can see when you union them. Irrespective of the tool you then use on the right output anchor, whether it be the union as in your case, or just a simple select tool, you will see all the original fields there.

 

Alteryx made this the behaviour from roughly version 11.5, I'm not sure why, and to me it made sense for it to show all the fields and I found myself confused too!

 

 

jlefeaux
8 - Asteroid

Ah!  That helps with understanding.  Thank you!

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