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Tool Mastery | Run Command

MattD
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)
Created

Run Command.pngThis article is part of the Tool Mastery Series, a compilation of Knowledge Base contributions to introduce diverse working examples for Designer Tools. Here we’ll delve into uses of the Run Command Tool on our way to mastering the Alteryx Designer:

 

Note: the Run Command Tool qualifies as a “Gallery Prohibited Tool” and may restrict workflows from some Analytics Galleries. Information on applying for an exemption can be found here.

 

If you haven’t used the Run Command Tool just yet, that’s great. It means that whatever your analyses required, we had it covered with basic Designer functionality. But in spite of how great the Designer is, it just can’t do everything. There is a utility on your computer that can do just about anything, however, and it’s the command line. The Run Command Tool pairs the two into a dynamic tag-team duo that can wrestle all the computation you could need into one, integrated, Designer workflow:

 

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You won’t even need to use the chair…

 

Essentially, this developer tool allows you to use almost any command prompt function and execute it as part of your Alteryx workflow by specifying in the tool configuration a command, any arguments needed for that command, and either a read or write source. As you can imagine this opens up a world of integration capabilities, with the most common applications detailed below:

 

You must have the API & Command Line w/ Scheduler license feature to leverage AlteryxEngineCmd.exe (located in "C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin"):

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You can check your license features in Options >> Manages Licenses

 

After making great use of the Run Command Tool, if you’re finding yourself having to interact with your command line statement (maybe the command requires a Y (yes) or N (no) confirmation to run?) try this handy article.

 

By now, you should have expert-level proficiency with the Run Command Tool! If you can think of a use case we left out, feel free to use the comments section below! Consider yourself a Tool Master already? Let us know at community@alteryx.com if you’d like your creative tool uses to be featured in the Tool Mastery Series.

 

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Comments
johnweiss
6 - Meteoroid

How can a Windows command be automated on Alteryx, so that it runs as part of a larger Alteryx script?

thulasir
6 - Meteoroid

I was looking for long time for such info, Thanks a lot