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SOLVED

Load multiple files from specific folders

jonasheise
8 - Asteroid

Hi Community!

I need your help with loading multiple excel files into my workflow, but from specific folders.

In my parent folder there is a lot of subfolders containing excel files. However, I do not need the files from all the subfolders, only from some of the folders. More specifically all excel files from folders having "Week" in their folder name.

 

I have tried to apply a filter tool between my directory tool and macro.

 

Hope you can help me.

 

 

8 REPLIES 8
afv2688
16 - Nebula
16 - Nebula

Try it this way. I just added to the directory to look files which have in the folder and all subfolders the word "Week*" (supposing your file starts with the word week). Then in the formula I looked for the same sheet "|||`Sheet1$` (again, supposing al your sheets are named the same).

 

PD: This only works if all your files have the same amount of columns and column names.

Untitled.png

Hope it helps

thllm
7 - Meteor

I think the tool you want is dynamic input.

Use Contains([FullPath],"Week") to filter to only the folders you want.  Below is from the included  example for the tool. Except instead of North you'll use Week. Then feed into your Macro.

8yrZrDEPQC.png

jonasheise
8 - Asteroid

Hi again,

 

The files does not contain "Week" it is only the subfolders who do that. The excel files have different names.

Is there a way where I use your method, but instead of using the filename, I can filter for the subfolders who contain "Week"?

thllm
7 - Meteor

I think the way it is set up in my example above will work as it is setting the filter on the Full Path - not the file name. 

Alternatively, you could also set the filter on the directory field .

jonasheise
8 - Asteroid

I am able to filter for the folders I need now, thank you. I have also tried to add the dynamic input. but since not all excel files contain the same amount of rows the flow will skip these files. Is there any workaround or modification to the dynamic input tool I can do? I have not worked with that one before. 

thllm
7 - Meteor

Hi Jonas,

 

I don't believe it can be done with the standard toolset. It can be done using a batch macro though. This post explains how to do so and includes a template macro you can modify.

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Knowledge-Base/CS-Macro-Dev-Reading-in-Multiple-Files-with-...

 

afv2688
16 - Nebula
16 - Nebula

No, the only way around would be creating a macro. The dynamic input acts as a union tool to copy all your files which follow the same structure. I would recommend you to either set the same format for all files or to create a macro with multiple dynamic inputs (1 for each kind of weekly report you have) and then unite them all with a multiple join tool

jonasheise
8 - Asteroid

Thanks for your help guys.

 

I found a way to get the job done using your inputs, thanks again.

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