Saving results and specifying output folders

When you perform an operation on an Analytics table and save the results to a new Analytics table or a text file, you have several options regarding the manner in which you save the results, and the location of the output folder.

Saving results

When saving results to an Analytics table or a text file, you have the following options:

• Save save the results to a new Analytics table or a text file
• Append append the results to an existing Analytics table or a text file
• Overwrite overwrite an existing Analytics table or a text file

Appending updates the source data file but does not alter the table layout. Overwriting replaces both the source data file and the table layout.

Appending or overwriting source data in another project

Typically, you append to or overwrite a table in the open Analytics project. By navigating to the appropriate Windows folder when saving results, you can append to or overwrite the source data file for an Analytics table in another project.

When you do so, the updated or overwritten table remains in the other project and is also added to the open project, with both table layouts in the two projects sharing the same source data file.

Specifying output folders

When you save results, there are two types of ‘output folder’ to consider:

• An Analytics project folder contains the resulting Analytics table layout (does not apply when saving results to a text file)
• A Windows folder contains the resulting source data file (.fil) associated with the Analytics table layout, or contains the resulting text file

Analytics project folders are not Windows folders

Analytics project folders are not Windows folders, and creating an Analytics project folder does not create a corresponding Windows folder. Analytics project folders are virtual folders inside the Analytics project file (.acl). You can move a table layout between Analytics project folders and it has no effect on the location of the table’s source data file in a Windows folder.

Table layout and source data file placement options

When saving results to an Analytics table, you have several options regarding placement of the table layout and the source data file. You can independently control placement of the table layout and the source data file by using the SET FOLDER command for table layout placement, and standard Windows navigation for source data file placement.

Item	Placement options (output folder)
Table layout	the Analytics project folder containing the active table (the default) an Analytics project folder other than the active table folder, specified using the SET FOLDER command
Source data file (.fil)	the Windows folder containing the Analytics project (the default) a Windows folder other than the folder containing the Analytics project the Prefix folder on AX Server (server tables only; the default) a folder on AX Server other than the Prefix folder (server tables only)

Using SET FOLDER to specify the Analytics project output folder

Before outputting results, you can use the SET FOLDER command to set which Analytics project folder is used for the table layout. You enter the SET FOLDER command in the Analytics command line, or include it in a script. Several examples are provided below.

The output folder remains as whatever you set it – until you reset it, or close the project. When you reopen the project, the output folder reverts to the default of the active table folder.

Command syntax	Description
SET FOLDER /Results	The table layout is placed in the Results Analytics project folder rather than the active table folder.
SET FOLDER /Results/Duplicates	The table layout is placed in the Duplicates Analytics project subfolder rather than the active table folder.
SET FOLDER /	The table layout is placed in the Analytics project root directory rather than the active table folder.
SET FOLDER	Resets the output folder to the default of the active table folder.
DISPLAY OUTPUTFOLDER	Displays the current Analytics project output folder.

Interaction between table layouts and Analytics project folders

The interaction between table layouts resulting from operations and Analytics project folders is summarized in the table below.

In all cases, the Windows folder where you choose to save the source data file has no bearing on the location of the table layout or the project folder within Analytics.

Action	Output folder in Analytics is active table folder (default)	Output folder in Analytics is specified by SET FOLDER command
Save results to new Analytics table	Table layout added to same Analytics project folder as active table	Table layout added to Analytics project folder specified by SET FOLDER command
Append results to existing Analytics table in project	Existing table layout not moved	Existing table layout not moved
Save results and overwrite existing Analytics table in project	Table layout moved to same Analytics project folder as active table, unless already in same folder	Table layout moved to Analytics project folder specified by SET FOLDER command, unless already in same folder
Append results to existing Analytics table in another project	Table layout added to same Analytics project folder as active table Table layout in other project unaltered Both table layouts share the same source data file	Table layout added to Analytics project folder specified by SET FOLDER command Table layout in other project unaltered Both table layouts share the same source data file
Save results and overwrite existing Analytics table in another project

Specifying the Windows output folder

By default, the source data file (.fil) associated with a table layout is output to the Windows folder containing the Analytics project. To output the data file to a different Windows folder:

• in the user interface navigate to the folder when using a command dialog box
• in a script specify a file path in any command that outputs a table. For example:

  CLASSIFY ON Vendor_Number SUBTOTAL Invoice_Amount TO "C:\Data analysis\January\Classified_transactions_Jan.FIL"