Dynamic Inputs

[JoeM]

Description: 

Who likes inefficiency? It's inefficient to bring all the data into your workflow only to filter it out once it's there. With the Dynamic Input Tool, you apply filters to the data even before it gets into a workflow. Most importantly you can change that filter dynamically when the workflow runs.

You'll learn how to:

• Dynamically filter data before it gets into the workflow.
• Spatially filter input data to consume only records within a chosen geography.

Tool sets/processes covered:

• Input Data, Dynamic Input

Date: 2018-05-09

Version: 11.0

Presented by: @JoeM

[HeliaS]

Helpful training. Thanks Joe!

Just a side note: maybe for the next sessions it is better to include an example in the training that does not involve Geocoding tools, since not all licenses have access to them. By doing so, trainees can complete the workflow live with you which I find more helpful.

P.S. Regarding my question, would you contact me by email or write a comment in this page? Thanks

[JoeM]

@HeliaS, thank you so much for your feedback - it's very helpful! 

As to your question - "How can I import multiple workbooks and multiple sheets dynamically?", I have a small example built, but it is not as simple as the processes we discussed in today's training. My recommendation is to start with the ultimate input data flow chart. Ultimately, you'll be looking at building out a batch process. Attached is my batch macro that worked for one of my directories that a) had differently named files, b) differently named sheets, and c) identical schemas. If your schemas are not aligned, there would be some additional effort beyond what I have posted here.

To demo my workflow:

1) Download the two .xlsx files and put them in the same directory - anywhere on your machine

2) Unzip the workflow

3) Point the directory tool at the location you saved your two .xslx files

4) Run it.

The main workflow contains a batch macro, which in turn, contains a batch macro. The workflow is simply sending the directory .xlsx files into the batch. Now if we jump into the first batch macro, you can see that I am simply updating the input data tool to give me a list of sheets for each .xlsx. I could pipe these into the dynamic input, but the template has to be specified for each file. So I take the first sheet, call it the template and pipe it into the "sub-bat" which dynamically changes the template for each sheet. If you want more details, check out this post.

[HeliaS]

Hi Joe, thanks for your reply.

I have downloaded and used the macro as you have advised. It worked well with your sample data. However, when I connect it to the directory of my data (including 52 files), it returns the same output as the sample data provided by you. Though, the directory I use in my workflow reads the 52 files correctly, but I guess that I should be changing something in the macro?

By the way, the other post, read all Excel macro worked well for me. So, I will use it for my analysis. I am just curious to learn why your macro still reads the sample data instead of those directed to it from my 52-file folder.

Thanks for your support

[HeenaSahu1]

Hi Joe,

I want to pull data from different tables into different excel files.

would this Dynamic Input Tool work for my problem? how do I need to configure the Dynamic Input Tool?

I have an excel sheet which lists all the tables required from the database.

Thanks,

Heena