Forcing Alteryx to read field as string on input

[Roel]

Hello,

I’m importing a client list (30,000 clients) using the input tool as the first step in my workflow. The list has a client_KEY. The first 20,000 client-KEYs are numeric fields (i.e. 678567), the last 10,000 are strings (i.e. D-245337).

Using the input tool, Alteryx decides that the field is numeric (I suppose because of the first 20,000 rows), which means that the last 10,000 records are read as NULL. Any way I can force Alteryx to read the field as string?

[JohnJPS]

Just curious - even if you immediately follow the Input Tool with a Select tool that selects the field as a String, it still comes through as NULL for the non-numeric fields?

[RodL]

What is your data source that you are using? (I assume it is a file-based Input and not a database?)

[Roel]

• Unfortunately using a tool after input doesn't work
• I'm loading a .qvx (QlikView Exchange) file

[AdamR]

Alteryx takes the field type for QVX files from the QVX file itself.  If you open the QVX file in a text editor then there is a section of XML at the top which defines the fields.

Each field should have a section like this

<QvxFieldHeader>
<FieldName>FIXDEC</FieldName>
<Type>QVX_QV_DUAL</Type>
<Extent>QVX_QV_SPECIAL</Extent>
<NullRepresentation>QVX_NULL_NEVER</NullRepresentation>
<CodePage>65001</CodePage>
<ByteWidth>0</ByteWidth>
<FixPointDecimals>0</FixPointDecimals>
<FieldFormat>
<Type>FIX</Type>
<nDec>14</nDec>
<UseThou>0</UseThou>
<Fmt>#,##0.00000000000000</Fmt>
<Dec>.</Dec>
<Thou>,</Thou>
</FieldFormat>
<BigEndian>false</BigEndian>
</QvxFieldHeader>

Are you able to share the XML for the field you are having an issue with? (Presuming you are unable to share the entire file)

[Roel]

Hello Adam, thank you for your response. We have looked at this. At the moment it seems that Alteryx has a problem properly interpreting DUAL fields in the QV file

[AdamR]

Yes DUAL fields are a somewhat difficult problem as they inherently have two values which just isn't something we can handle in Alteryx.  I thought that we had logic in there that chose the most useful value, but it sounds like that isn't working for the particular data file that you have.

If you are able to provide us with the schema XML for your file it might help us when making improvements to this functionality in the future.