Field changing from VW_string to V_string on output and messing up my dynamic input

[chickenlicken]

I've got a dynamic input tool that is pulling multiple sheets from a single Excel file into my workflow

The same workflow then creates new sheets in that Excel file

This has been working fine, but for some reason for one instance of the workflow it changes one of the fields from a VW_string to a V_string... which breaks the dynamic input.

It's not easy to post an example, but does anyone have any ideas about how I could fix this or get to the bottom of why it is changing?

[messi007]

@chickenlicken,

Before the dynamic input you can use a multi-field formula and change the type :

1- Select show that the column as a String

2- Use Multi-Field and change the type

3- The new column type

Attached the workflow.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

[gabrielvilella]

Hi @chickenlicken, you probably need to control the field type and size before writing data back to that file. You can do this using a Select tool, forcing a specific field type.

[csmith11 · Accepted solution]

Replace the Dynamic Input with a Batch Macro Input Tool Instead. (This approach is typically a lot more flexible (Far more robust), and is not as prone to breaking for minor changes.

See Macro Attached:

How to Deploy the Macro: (Let me know if you have additional questions. Or if you haven't deploy a macro before)

[chickenlicken]

Thanks all.  @messi007 I tried that but if it is before the dynamic input it seems to just change the list of sheet names I've inputted just before the dynamic input, and @gabrielvilella your suggestion inexplicably doesn't work..

@csmith11  I'll try the macro, thanks a lot for your help

[csmith11]

@chickenlicken great! Let me know how it goes and whether you have any questions. If it ends up working out for you, please consider marking as the solution to help other Alteryx Users identify the solutions faster.

[messi007]

@chickenlicken,

I don't see why it will change the sheet name. You have to be sure that the multi-field formla look like this :

with copy output fields and add unchecked

Could you share a screen shot of the tool ? It will help me to check.

Regards,

[chickenlicken]

@csmith11 That worked, thank you very much.  I had to change the input to multiple files rather than sheets from the same workbook but that is probably more robust anyway.

@messi007 I removed that part of my workflow now - thanks though, you showed me something I didn't know, so appreciated.