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Message tool Message Tool

One Tool Example

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

Use Message to report messages about a specific process to the Results window.

When to Send a Message

Select at which time the message is written and sent to the Results window. Use this option to capture the row count with the Message tool or to generate a message after an output has completed.

  • Before First Record

    1. The Message tool receives the 1st record to its input connection.

    2. The Message tool writes the message.

    3. The Message tool passes the record to its output connection.

  • Before Rows Where Expression is True: All records are passed through regardless if the expression is true or false.

    1. The Message tool receives a record to its input connection.

    2. The Message tool evaluates the given expression, which might depend on fields in that record.

      • If the expression evaluates as true, the Message tool writes the message before it passes that record to its output connection. Go to Expression Editor for more information.

      • If the expression evaluates as false, the Message tool doesn't write the message.

  • After Last Record

    1. The Message tool passes all records to its output connection.

    2. The Message tool writes the message.

  • After All Down Stream Tools Have Completed

    1. All downstream tools have finished processing the passed records.

    2. The Message tool writes the message.

Set the Message Type

Message Type: Select 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 red bold text:

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

  • Error - And Stop Passing Records Through This Tool: An Alteryx error message. Once the Message tool outputs a message of this type, the workflow no longer passes records to the Message tool's output connection. After the standard error message, a second error message displays to indicate that the workflow was canceled. Both errors 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 that references 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. The format is 'File Path|File Description'. For example, 'C:\Desktop\Input.csv|Example Test Input File' produces this message:

    Message (15): Example Test Input File

  • File Output (Path|Description): A standard Alteryx message that references an output file with a custom description. Path names are required. File Outputs without a description output a blank clickable field. File Outputs appear as standard hyperlinks. The format is 'File Path|File Description'. For example, 'C:\Desktop\Output.csv|Example Test Output File' produces this message:

    Message (15): Example Test Output File

Set the Message Priority

Message Priority: Determine the behavior of the tool when it is used inside Macros.

  • Normal: The message is only written when...

    • The Message tool is included in the workflow that is being run.

    • Show All Macro Messages is checked. If the message tool is inside a macro that is contained in the running workflow, then it isn't written.

  • Medium: The message is only written when the tool is included in the workflow that is being run or inside a macro in the workflow. So it outputs if it is up to 1 level deep in a macro.

  • High: The message is always written regardless of how many levels of macros it is contained in. Conversion Error and Error message types are always High Priority.

Transient: When checked, the message replaces an existing message issued by the same tool. This is useful for messages that report tool progress, like reporting the number of rows that have been processed.

Message Expression

Enter the message that you want to display. This message can be fixed text or built up from data fields.

Example

"Age:" + [AgeField] + "is outside the allowed limits."

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.

[_RecordNumber_] Variable

  • Before First Record: [_RecordNumber_] always equals 1.

  • Before Rows Where Expression Is True: [_RecordNumber_] equals the row number of the expression being calculated.

  • After Last Record and After All Down Stream Tools Have Completed: [_RecordNumber_] equals the total number of records passed through the tool. For example,

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

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