Creating Dynamic Files

Overview

Within a routine, a sequence's upload input does not have to come from a static Excel file. With dynamic files, a later sequence's input can be generated — in whole or in part — from the inputs and outputs of the sequences that ran before it. This lets a routine react to live data: pull results from one data source and turn them into the input rows for the next.

This guide builds on Routine Setup and Data Source Routines. Make sure you are comfortable creating a routine and adding sequences before continuing.

Prerequisites

• A routine with at least two sequences arranged in a defined Routine Order, each bound to a Plex Data Source ID.
• Test credentials configured, so you can preview parameter values and verify the generated input before sending to Production.

Data Flow Parameters

Data Flow Parameters carry values forward from an earlier sequence into the current sequence's input. For each parameter you define:

• Source Sequence — the earlier sequence to pull the value from.
• Source Type — whether to read from that sequence's input or its output.
• Source Selection — the specific output column (read dynamically from the data source's outputs) or input column to use.
• Target — the column in the current sequence's input that receives the value. The target enforces data-type compatibility, so the source and target types must match.

Matching Rules

Matching Rules control how forwarded values are aligned to rows in the current sequence's input. For each rule you set:

• Source Type — match against the source sequence's input or output.
• Source Output Match Column — the column on the source side used to match.
• Target Input Match Column — the column on the current input used to match.

When a source value matches an existing input row, the forwarded data is applied to that row.

Generating Dynamic Input Rows

When no matching row is found, enable Generate Dynamic Input Rows to create entirely new input rows from the forwarded data. This is the core of a dynamic file: instead of starting from a fixed spreadsheet, the sequence's upload is built from whatever the previous sequences produced — fully data-driven.

Worked example

Consider a two-sequence routine:

1. Sequence 1 reads a part structure from Plex and returns its components as output.
2. Sequence 2 needs one upload row per component. Add a Data Flow Parameter that maps Sequence 1's component output to Sequence 2's input columns, add Matching Rules to align on the part number, and turn on Generate Dynamic Input Rows so a new input row is created for every component returned.

When the routine runs, Sequence 2's input is assembled automatically from Sequence 1's results — no manual spreadsheet required.

Test before Production

Always validate a dynamic file against Test first. Preview or test-send the top record, confirm the generated input rows look correct on the Results tab, then switch the target environment to Production (which requires a confirmation prompt) for the full run.