Hey! I have data flows that require parameters. When I run them from the Data Migrator tool I get prompted for the parameters, I enter them and I'm off to the races.

Now I have those data flows in a process flow, and all I get is an error. Is there a way to have the process flow prompt me for a parameter the way a data flow does?

J.

I have a hunch but first, a question. There are different ways to run something - RUN and RUN WITH OPTIONS. When you run just the Data Flow, how do you do it? When you run the Process Flow, how do you do it?

Hi John. First try creating a new process flow. In the process flow, drag your data flows that use the local variables to pass parameters to the right of the Start object.
Individually, double-click on each of the data flows and you should be prompted with Procedure Properties window. Enter the appropriate parameter name and value. For example:

PROD_CATEGORY = DVD
ORDER_DATE = 2009/02/03

Note, if you enter the in values manually, no quotes are required and the date must be entered in the format used in the where condition. Multiple parameters can be separated by commas. ‘Execute as RPC’ is not required, however, if you check ‘Execute as RPC’, the code shows EX flow name and keeps the same agent open for processing.

Click Ok, Save, and Run the flow. Hope this helps.

No no -- I want the flow to prompt the end-user for a parameter every time they run the flow. A static value serves no purpose.

Ms. Bottone, I'm using the "run" button on both in the Migrator tool, but the Run With Options does not prompt me either at the console.

My goal is to have the end-user drop their file in place and then go to the console and run the flow from there. I'm curious to know if there is a "Prompt for Parameters" feature that would make it ask the user for input.

I may need to build a front-end for it. So much for that clean look.

J.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: John_Edwards,

I had a feeling that's what you were doing. When you chose "RUN", I look at that as like running "interactively", which is why when you run the data flow alone, you get prompted. But when you do a "RUN" on the process flow, that is the only part that is interactive. The data flow is run within the process flow, kind of like running batch, or deferred. In the releases I've worked with, I've not seen any feature that will prompt for objects running in "batch", or to tell the process flow to also view the data flows as being interactive as well.

The only other solution I can think of at the moment (besides building a front end) is when the user drops their file into place, they could drop a second file that contains the parameters. You could then build a stored procedure with -READ statements against that second file to get your parameters, and place that stored procedure to run before your data flow. To be safe, I would make the parameters global variables.

If Clif is monitoring this forum, maybe he'll have another solution.

Hi. Try taking the parameter condition from data flow and tie it with another parameter in the process flow. For instance, let’s say in the data flow, you filter with condition:

T1.NAME=‘&ID’

In you process flow, under parameters, type in:

ID=&IDD

Now try ‘Test Run’ and you should be prompted with window asking for value for the whatever variable you set it to, in my example, it would be ‘IDD’

Note: It will not work with just ‘Run’ as it would submit to another agent. This is addressed in 77 release.

I cannot find a place in the process flow to add parameters. Can you point me to the right place?

J.

In the process flow, double click on the data flow object or right-click and select properties. Procedure properties window should prompt.

The heart of the original question is that the parameters in the data flow are not passing through the process flow. I don't need to hard-code parameters into a data flow, I need the process flow that contains it to prompt the end-user for a parameter.

J.

I try to put the screen-shot here to illustrate.

I hope it works.