Description:

The Read Values from CSV and Excel step enables a FlowWright workflow to retrieve values from a CSV or Microsoft Excel file and assign those values to workflow variables or global variables.

Many organizations maintain configuration settings, lookup values, pricing information, employee details, schedules, and other business data in CSV or Excel files. Rather than manually entering these values into a workflow, this step reads the specified file and maps selected cells directly to workflow variables for use throughout the workflow.

The workflow specifies the location of the CSV or Excel file, defines how spreadsheet cells are mapped to workflow variables, and optionally specifies the worksheet when reading from an Excel workbook.

Typical uses include:

• Reading application configuration values
• Importing employee information
• Loading pricing or product data
• Reading customer reference information
• Loading workflow parameters
• Importing scheduling information
• Reading lookup tables
• Initializing workflow variables from spreadsheet data

This step simplifies spreadsheet integration while allowing workflows to consume external business data dynamically.

Configure:

Navigate to Administration > Data Types > Utils > Auto Detect to open a new tab. Search for “clsCsvAndExcelDataMap” data type. If not found, then select “Actions > Create”. 

A pop-up window appears for configuration. Enter the name, description, namespace, and DLL path as shown in the image below. Click the “Validate” button. The new data type configuration is validated, and a confirmation message appears in the top-right corner. Click the “Create” button to complete.

If the DLL is not present or the namespace is unavailable, select “Utils > Auto Detect”. The application shall locate the DLL to be configured manually. Consider upgrading the FlowWright application to the latest version if this DLL is not found. 

 Navigate to Administration > Steps > Utils > Auto Detect to open a new tab. Search for “readValuesFromCSVandExcel” process step. If not found, then select “Actions > Create”. 

A pop-up window appears for configuration. Enter the step name, display name, description, index value, choose the category from the drop-down list, namespace, and DLL path as shown in the image below. Click the “Validate” button. The new data type configuration is validated, and a confirmation message appears in the top-right corner. Click the “Create” button to complete. 

If the DLL is not present or the namespace is unavailable, select “Utils > Auto Detect”. The application shall locate the DLL to be configured manually. Consider upgrading the FlowWright application to the latest version if this DLL is not found. 

Usage:

The Read Values from CSV and Excel step is typically placed near the beginning of a workflow to initialize workflow variables before business processing begins.

During execution:

1. Read the configured file path.
2. Open the CSV or Excel file.
3. If applicable, open the specified worksheet.
4. Evaluate the configured cell mappings.
5. Read the required values.
6. Store the retrieved values in the configured workflow variables or global variables.
7. Continue workflow execution through either the True or False return path.

A typical workflow might look like this:

Typical workflow scenarios include:

• Loading pricing values before generating quotations
• Reading employee information for onboarding workflows
• Importing configuration values before REST API calls
• Reading document metadata from spreadsheets
• Initializing approval routing parameters
• Loading regional settings
• Reading scheduling information from Excel workbooks

Example:

Let’s build and execute the “readValuesFromCSVandExcelDef” example.          

• Create a new definition called “readValuesFromCSVandExcelDef” and open the definition in designer mode. 
• Drag a “readValuesFromCSVandExcel” step to the canvas. 
• Define a variable or a global to store the result. 
• Connect the dots between the “Start” and “readValuesFromCSVandExcel” steps as shown above.
• Let's assume the XLSX file is available on the server path, with the sample data on the Sheet2 worksheet, as shown below. 

• Click the “readValuesFromCSVandExcel” step to configure its “Required” properties. Provide a name for the step. Provide the path to the CSV or XLSX file or folder on the FlowWright server. Click the button to map the Excel/CSV data to process variables. Click the Save button. Note: Click the "AI Predict" button to have Copilot add new process steps that match your process description. 

• Click the “readValuesFromCSVandExcel” step to configure its “Optional” properties. Enter the worksheet name. 

• Map the Excel/CSV data to the variables or globals using Row and Column notation, as shown below.

• Save the process definition, create a process instance, and then execute it. When the process instance is completed, render it to view the step properties. This step should read the CSV and Excel values from the Sheet2 worksheet and initialize the process variables. 

Tips:

• Store spreadsheet paths in workflow variables or environment variables to simplify maintenance.
• Use descriptive variable names that clearly identify the imported values.
• Verify that the worksheet name matches the workbook before deployment.
• Validate imported values before using them in business logic.
• Keep spreadsheet layouts consistent to avoid mapping errors.
• Route the False path to logging and notification steps for easier troubleshooting.
• Combine this step with Update Variable Values, REST Call, Send Email, Decision, or database update steps to build spreadsheet-driven workflows.

Notes:

• The Variable/Global that Holds the Excel/CSV File Path property is required.
• The Map Excel/CSV Data to Variables/Globals property is required.
• The Worksheet Name property is optional and applies to Excel workbooks.
• Values are read from the configured spreadsheet and assigned to workflow variables or global variables according to the configured mappings.
• This step reads data only; it does not modify the source CSV or Excel file.
• Both the True and False return paths should be implemented to provide complete workflow handling.
• Execution details and spreadsheet access activities are recorded in the FlowWright workflow execution log.

Read Values from CSV and Excel vs. clsInputCSV:

Although both steps work with CSV data, they serve different purposes and target different execution models.

As a general guideline:

• Use Read Values from CSV and Excel when a workflow needs to retrieve specific spreadsheet values and use them immediately during workflow execution.
• Use clsInputCSV when building ETL solutions that import large CSV datasets for transformation, validation, and loading into destination systems.

Definition Sample:

You may download the sample workflow definition from the link provided and import it into your FlowWright environment.

Note: Verify and complete any missing configuration after importing the sample, including:

• File path variable or global variable
• Cell-to-variable mappings
• Worksheet name (if applicable)
• Success and failure workflow branches
• Validation that the source file is accessible

After verifying the configuration, save and publish the workflow before execution.

Click here to download the sample file.