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Dynamic Select Tool Icon Dynamic Select Tool

One Tool Example

Dynamic Select has a One Tool Example. Visit Sample Workflows to learn how to access this and many other examples directly in Alteryx Designer.

Use Dynamic Select to select (or de-select) fields either by field type or via a formula. Additionally, dynamic or unknown fields are also selected by field type or via formula at runtime. This tool requires an input.

Look at the Data Statistics App C:\Program Files\Alteryx\bin\RuntimeData\Analytic_Apps for a good usage example.

Configure the Tool

Choose the mode for field selection:

  • Select Field Types: Fields are selected based on their field type. Check the box to the left of the field types to add to your selection.

  • Select via a Formula: Fields are selected based on criteria specified via the formula processor.

Use the Formula Processor to construct the expression that results in field selection. To select fields containing ID:

FINDSTRING([Name],"ID")>-1

These field information data fields are available for building the expression:

  • Name: Field names within the data stream

  • Type: Type of data field

  • Size: Length of the data field

  • Scale: With respect to Fixed Decimal data types, scale refers to the digits of precision.

  • Source: Contains the tool or the file the field came from. Might also contain additional Metainfo such as a specific dataset from a plugin. The tools that report metainfo include the Allocate Input, Allocate Append, CASS, and Street Geocoder, and tools that calculate drivetime, like Trade Area, Distance, and Find Nearest.

  • Description: Might not contain information. If data is appended from Allocate, for example, the descriptive longer field name is contained here. Additionally, the user can add their own field description via the Select tool, and the information stays associated with the field.

  • IsNumeric: Boolean value tests for a number data type: Integer, fixed decimal, float, double, etc.

  • IsString: Boolean value tests for a string data type: String, V_String, WString, V_WString.

  • IsFloat: Boolean value tests for a float data type.

  • IsInteger: Boolean value tests for an Integer data type.

  • IsStringOrDate: Boolean value tests for any string or any date-time data type.

  • IsDateOrTime: Boolean value tests for any date-time data type.

  • IsBinary: Boolean value tests for a Binary data type.

  • IsSpatialObj: Boolean value tests for a Spatial data type.

  • FieldNumber: Field number position.

Note

Data fields appear in this order: A, B, C. FieldNumber==1 returns Field A.

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