How to get rid of an unwanted empty item?

Questions
1

Describe the issue/error/question

Hi, I found similar problems here, but not exactly what I’m looking for. :frowning:

I have a workflow where I load a table. For records with date and time I need to convert it to another format (I use Date & time node). For records where there is no date, they continue on.

I have a workflow where I load a table. For records with date and time I need to convert it to another format (I use Date & time node). For records where there is no date, they continue on.

Occasionally it happens that neither record has a date. To keep the workflow from stopping, I set the Date Time node to “Always Output Data”. And this is where the problem occurs. If there is no record on input then Date Time node generates an empty item (so that the workflow doesn’t stop). But this empty item causes further problems in the workflow.

How do I get rid of an empty item? Or how do I modify the workflow?

Thank you :innocent:

2

Hey @Petr_Mindl,

Welcome to the community :raised_hands:

Looks like the If node is set to always output data as well which can cause issues, You could just use an If node and check if the date is empty and if it is do nothing and if not do the rest of the workflow.

3

Hey, @Jon ,
thanks for the welcoming.

I’ve tried that, but then another problem occurs. If all outputs on the IF node are FALSE, the workflow stops.

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What if I use a switch node?

4

Hey @Petr_Mindl,

What about not using the merge node and just having both going into the MySQL node?

5

Thanks, that worked.

So that means the Merge node needs data on both ( respectively all) inputs. If it had given me some error on the Merge node, I might have figured it out. But the workflow stopped one node before that.

Anyway, Thank you.