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Message Tool

The Message tool allows the user to report messages about a specific process to the Results window.

When To Send Message

Before First Record: The message tool writes the message once it receives the first record to its input connection and BEFORE passing the record to its output connection.
Before Rows Where Expression is True: Upon receiving a record to its input connection, the message tool evaluates the given expression (which may depend on fields in that record). If the expression is true, the message tool writes the message BEFORE passing that record to its output connection. See Expression Editor.

All records are passed through regardless if the expression is true or false.

After Last Record: The message tool writes the message AFTER passing the last record to its output connection. (This is useful if you want to capture the row count through the tool).
After All Down Stream Tools Have Completed: The message tool writes the message AFTER all down stream tools have finished processing the passed records (This is useful if you want to message after an output has completed).

Set the Message Type

This determines the type of message the tool writes. For more information see the Results window.

Message: A standard Alteryx message. Messages appear as standard black text:

RegEx(9): 12 records were successfully parsed and 0 were not.

Warning: An Alteryx warning message. Warnings appear in gold text:

RegEx (22): The Value "22 Purple Haze" had too many parts to fit # of output fields.

Field Conversion Error: An Alteryx field conversion error. Conversion errors appear in orange text.

Formula (13): Code: "12 Alteryx Blue" was truncated

Error: An Alteryx error message. Errors appear in a red bold text:

Append Fields (9): The Source must have a valid connection

Error and stop processing records - And Stop Passing Records Through This Tool : An Alteryx error message. Once the Message Tool outputs a message of this type it will immediately stop and pass no more records to its output connection. So if you specified a "Before" action in step 1, that current record would not be passed. Once the Message tool outputs a message of this type, the workflow will no longer pass records to the Message tool's output connection. After the standard error message, a second error message displays to indicate that the workflow was cancelled. Both eErrors appear in red bold text:

Browse (13): Missing Incoming Connection

Browse (13): Workflow was Cancelled by Properties Setting

File Input (Path|Description): A standard Alteryx message referencing an input file with a custom description. Path names are required. File Inputs without a description output a blank clickable field. File Inputs appear as standard hyperlinks:

Message (15): Example Test Input File

File Output (Path|Description): A standard Alteryx message referencing an output file with a custom description. Path names are required. File Inputs without a description output a blank clickable field. File Inputs appear as standard hyperlinks:

Message (15): Example Test Output File

Set the Message Priority

This setting is specific to the tool behavior when it is used inside Macros.

Normal: The message will only be written when the tool is included in the workflow which is being run (or show all messages from macros is checked). If the message tool is inside a macro which is contained in the running workflow then it will not be written.
Medium: The message will only be written when the tool is included in the workflow which is being run OR inside a macro in the workflow. So it will output if it is up to one level deep in a macro.
High: The message will always be written regardless of how many levels of macros it is contained in.

Conversion Errors and Errors message types are always High Priority.

Transient

When checked, the message will replace an existing message which has been issued by the same tool. This is useful for messages which report progress (e.g. number of rows processed/output).

Message Expression

This is the expression which will be evaluated when the tool writes its message. The message can be fixed text (enclose in quotes e.g "This tool is reporting a message") or can be built up from fields in the data (e.g. "Age " + [AgeField] " is outside the allowed limits").

Special Variable: The message tool has its own special variable [_RecordNumber_]. This is the record number of the record currently being processed.

When "Before First Record" is specified this will always be 1.
When "Before Rows Where Expression Is True" it will be the row number for which the expression is being calculated.
When either "After" option are specified, it will be the total number of records passed through the tool.

"Amount of records generated by Text to columns tool: " + TOSTRING([_RecordNumber_])

Because this tool includes an expression editor, an additional input anchor displays when the tool is used in an app or macro workflow. Use the Interface tools to connect to a Question anchor. See Interface Tools.