Inputting files

Also note that the? The problem is that if one of the files contains no data, and by no data I mean absolutely no information, ie. Of course with Alteryx though there is always a different approach that can be taken. Instead of using the Input tool how about using a Dynamic Input tool, if we can somehow give the tool a list of the files we want to read in then the job is done.

So how to get a list of the files to read in… well the Directory tool seems perfect for that. This just requires a simple Filter tool. The Directory tool not only provides a list of the file names but also includes other useful fields of information such Size and FullPath. Therefore the Size field can be used in the Filter, [Size]! And this is just one use, the Directory tool also outputs a CreationTime field, I can see how that might be useful.

Hopefully this will have at least given a few people some ideas about how they can possibly read in multiple files either with the Input tool and wildcard option or with the Dynamic Input tool. The need to analyze all of this data at once occurs regularly and can be handled with ease using Alteryx. A frequent example of this is storing monthly sales reports on a shared drive.

The asterisk works as a wildcard, meaning that it matches any set of characters. When using this functionality, the input tool pulls all the files in the specified folder location that meet the wildcard criteria and unions them into a single data set. To further illustrate how it works, the screenshot below will be used as an example:. Note : All of the files selected by the wildcard input must have matching file structures, otherwise some of the files may be selected by the input tool but will not actually load into Alteryx.

Below is an example warning message you will receive when this occurs:. In the bullets above, only the third bullet would work as expected because it is the only data set that contains the same data structure across all files that were selected by the wildcard input. Another way to pull multiple files into your Alteryx workflow without inserting an input tool for each file is by utilizing a directory tool paired with a dynamic input tool.

On the other hand, a dynamic input tool allows you to dynamically pull files based on data in your Alteryx workflow. These two tools work together perfectly because you can use the directory tool to find files you want to input into your workflow, and then you can use the dynamic input tool to actually input those files. I quickly put together a small demo from some code I have to try and help you out.

Feel free to inspire yourself from. I would like help to import music files from the 'local' PC or Laptop into a table. Am I doing something wrong or is it just not possible? I have searched but have not found a tutorial on this subject.

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