☑ cool new feature
☑ could help a lot of Jmp users!
☑ removes something that feels like a „bug“
☐ nice to have
☐ nobody needs it
What inspired this wish list request?
Workflow Builder is great to define a workflow and then run it again and again.
It works very smooth if the input data is always stored with the same filename, like in the talk . Then the workflow can run fully automatic and will always generate the same output.
If the user wants to run the same workflow with different input files (leading to tables with different names), the data table reference in the workflow steps has to be changed accordingly. This can be done via the Reference Manager and the option Allow Replacement of References:
The topic was discussed in the Q&A session of .
The issue with this approach - as highlighted by @brady_brady :
A user has to sit in front of the computer and has to choose the right table at a specific time during the execution of the workflow.
This is especially annoying if the import step was even part of the workflow:
step 1: open table
step 2: plot -> which table?
To fix the issue, the user has to add some custom JSL to make the workflow fully automatic.
In Jmp 18 the Workflow Builder made a step towards Workflow Manager:
Now it's possible to add "advanced" steps like If/Else and For Each Loops.
A very nice feature (***)
the return value of one step can be used as an input for another step - wow!
e.g.
MFI → list of tables
→ (input) For Each
What is the improvement you would like to see?
1) Please make the idea (***) more user friendly by providing an advanced Step: Access Table(s)
The step can be placed at position 1 in the workflow and should provide standard options like:
- Pickfile() + Open()
- PickDirectory() + define file patter + MFI
- Current Data Table()
- Ask the user NOW to pick an open table
... similar to the Data Table options in Dashboard Builder:
2) For EVERY step (not just For each) - please provide an option to specify the input value
- data table reference
- column reference
- platform reference
....
And there should be an option to select multiple steps at once - and link all of them to one Access Table(s) input.
2 b) Stick to the approach with the reference manager - and besides the option to ask for a table reference:
there should be an option to pick (the return value of one of ) the Access Table(s) step.
Why is this idea important?
Workflow Builder has a great potential, especially for users who don't want to learn JSL.
But as soon as the input table name changes the user has to choose between custom JSL and annoying questions which data table to use.
With the proposed improvement, the problem can be solved.
