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Querying Connection Names

Treyson
13 - Pulsar
13 - Pulsar

Has anyone experimented with querying the available connections that are utilized by a machine?

 

For example I want to build a macro that allows the user to just select a connection to be utilized within the macro.

 

Now I know that I can just have them type it in and it will just pass through or something like that. But I want to take it to the next level! 

 

Ya dig?

 

Treyson

Treyson Marks
Senior Analytics Engineer
4 REPLIES 4
CharlieS
17 - Castor
17 - Castor

So you want to retrieve a list of the configured System DSNs? This is a bit beyond me, but I read here about how you can retrieve this information from the registry. So if you can execute that code, you should be able to return the values you desire.

 

Claje
14 - Magnetar

If you're looking to leverage Alteryx Aliases, @jdunkerley79 has a great solution here on how to accomplish this.


If you are looking to use more complex information, you may need to look for other configuration settings.

 

EDIT:
If you want to avoid running command prompt, as in the example i cited above, you can also skip it by using a formula as follows:

GETENVIRONMENTVARIABLE('APPDATA')


This will return the same information that is pulled by the Run command, regex, and filter tools in the solution I referenced.  You will need at least one record incoming to use the formula (I recommend a text input tool with one dummy value)

Treyson
13 - Pulsar
13 - Pulsar

This is what I was looking for. I wonder if it's different since Alias' aren't exactly a thing anymore. It should work the same I think?

Treyson Marks
Senior Analytics Engineer
Claje
14 - Magnetar

Hi,

I played around with some tests using version 10.5 and 2018.2 and it looks like while the "Alias" name is gone, Alteryx still uses the Alias files.


There is a second location that you should include in anything you are using - this is C:\ProgramData\Alteryx\Engine\SystemAlias.xml - you may have to do something to get to this location if your install directory is non-default, although i think that the engine constant engine.tempfilepath will get you what you need.

 

The difference between the two is the distinction of User connections vs. System connections.  System save to the SystemAlias.xml, and User save to UserAlias.xml inside the Roaming Data Profile.

 

Note that I currently can't test shared data connections from an Alteryx Gallery, as I don't have any set up in my environment, so I can't speak to these in detail.

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