Alteryx Gallery HTML Output

[maisonsteyer]

Hi Everyone - 

I have created a report in Alteryx that unfortunately will only be output in the correct format via HTML output. I have tried everything I can to get this formatting to work when outputting to a pdf, but to no avail. With that being said, when I upload the workflow to the gallery and attempt to run it, I get the error in the picture below. I know that the issue is related to the html output because I've tested the workflow with a pdf output being the only change and the workflow ran just fine. 

Thanks in advance!

 

[RishiK]

@maisonsteyer try outputting to a PCXML format in your workflow and run in the Gallery. 

[maisonsteyer]

I've tried that and it isn't a good solution because the other options (pdf, excel, and word) are not formatted correctly and I want to limit the download option to just html. Is there a way to limit the download options to only html via the PCXML?

[RishiK]

@maisonsteyer  What methods of output in Alteryx have you explored as yet - as in have you tried this via the Render and Output tools and get the same sort of result?

[maisonsteyer]

I have tried pdf, excel, and html. The only output that I have had be successfully formatted is the html output. 

[Peachyco]

How about this:

1. Use the Output Tool to create the HTML file in a folder. If this is a throwaway file, I'd create it in the temp folder.
2. Execute a BAT file using the Run Command tool to open the HTML file. Hopefully, it would open in the same browser.

[maisonsteyer]

Is the Run Command tool able to be used in the gallery? I was under the impression that tool wasn't able to be used in the gallery.

[Peachyco]

@maisonsteyer : The Run Command tool can be rather tricky to use with the Gallery, that's true.

I do have a process that works for my setup:

1. Include the code for the BAT file somewhere in the workflow. This can be written in an external file that I bring into the workflow, or hard-coded in the workflow itself.
2. Create the BAT file in the temp folder. I use the Output Data tool for this.
3. Execute the BAT file using the Run Command tool. I use the CReW macro tool Parallel Block Until Done to make sure that Step 2 finishes creating the BAT file before Step 3 executes it.

To illustrate, I have this portion of one particular app:

This is the configuration of the Output Data tool:

And this is for the Run Command tool:

Some context on this app:

• The user runs this app on the Gallery. The app creates an Excel file as output, then puts it in a shared network folder.
• One unintended by-product of this process is that the app also generates a BAK file alongside that Excel file - I have not found a way to prevent this. This BAK file only serves to confuse our users and clutters up the folder.
• My solution is to create this BAT file that deletes that BAK file, much like a clean-up subroutine.

[TimothyR]

Hi all!

After working with @maisonsteyer, it appears that this is a documented defect (TGAL-2235) regarding the Render Tool outputting HTM/HTML files that have embedded image files. This is projected to be fixed in the major 2021.4 Server release.

[maisonsteyer]

@TimothyR My server version is now up to 2021.4.2.07064 and I am still encountering the issues stated above. The 2021.4 release notes claim that this has been fixed in that version, however, it remains unfixed.