Documentation workflows stored on server

Question

Hi all,

I want to improve the documentation of our Alteryx workflows.

I know the Auto Documentation tool to document locally stored flows. (By the way this sometimes doesn't work for me because of a sort of time out and the proposed solution to adapt a file in the explorer is not possible in my organisation.)

However, I am looking for a way to document flows stored on the server.  On top, I would like to document a flow each times it runs, rather then needing to run a separate flow.  This to ensure proper documentation in case of audits.

Are there any solutions available?  Is it possible to take some tools from the Auto Documentation Tool and add them to an existing flow to document that flow?  How would that work?

Kind regards,

Tinne

dougperez · Answer

Hello @Tienemientje

See the macro attached, this macro "reads" the .yxmd file then generates a complete list of the configurations of each tool. I attached a example too.

It needs more work on it to become perfect, but I think that is a good start.

teste_documentation.yxmc

teste_documentation_macro.yxmd

Tienemientje · Answer

Thank you @dougperez,

Is there by any chance anywhere some extra information about this?

I work for a large company, I do not have admin rights or anything on the server. And my Alteryx knowledge is rather small.  The only thing I have ever used the MongoDB for is to copy paste a part of a workflow into others to generate the user ID logging into Alteryx and running a flow to provide only the dataset for that specific user.

Or can you give some extra info on "create some sort of documentation, like create a output into each one of the workflows with the informations that you want to retrieve".  I would love to have something quite similar to the Auto Documentation tool.  so really an overview of all tools used in the flow and the settings.  tool 1: Input file = filenamexxx.xlsx, tool 2: filter Country = "Belgium", tool 3....

Link to this documentation tool: https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Engine-Works/Auto-Documentation/ba-p/545827

I don't know if it would be possible to "transform" that tool into something that can run in a flow documenting that same flow.

Kind regards,

Tinne

dougperez · Answer

If your problem is:

"Document a flow each times it runs, rather then needing to run a separate flow.  This to ensure proper documentation in case of audits."

You can query the Alteryx Server MongoDB to generate that

Or use the AlteryxServer Usage Report into a Tableau dashboard

Or create some sort of documentation, like create a output into each one of the workflows with the informations that you want to retrieve