topic Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows in Alteryx Designer Desktop Discussions

Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows

Haarith — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:24:27 GMT

I want to look into a folder with all of my Alteryx workflows and detail all of the input dependencies within those workflows.

Re: Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows

Chaoued — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:33:35 GMT

Alteryx workflows are stored as XML files (.yxmd, .yxmc, .yxwz). Each tool and its configuration is represented in XML tags. Input tools typically have tags like:

Exemple :
<GuiSettings>
<File>path_to_file.xlsx</File>
</GuiSettings>

So the steps are:

1. Scan the folder for all .yxmd, .yxmc, .yxwz files.

2.Parse each XML file and look for:

- <File> tags (Excel, CSV, etc.)
- Database connection strings (often in <Connection> or <Password> tags)
- Other input sources (API endpoints, etc.)

3. Aggregate results into a report (CSV or Excel) with:

- Workflow name
- Full path
- Input type (File, Database, etc.)
- Input location/path

Re: Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows

Chaoued — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 10:01:17 GMT

You can read your Alteryx workflow with Alteryx as a text file (CSV without the delimiter '\0'), then filter on the tags you want to extract.

Re: Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows

caltang — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:27:30 GMT

You can use a Directory tool to read all your XML files via this tool: https://help.alteryx.com/current/en/designer/tools/parse/workflow-xml-parser-tool.html

Save the workflows in a separate folder and convert them from .yxmd (or .yxmc/.yxwz) to xml files via cmd, then use a Directory tool to call in, batch the process with the tool above. Then parse what you need from there with keywords like "Input" etc.

Re: Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows

Chaoued — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:45:49 GMT

@caltang Hello,your response was very constructive. I would like to know which CMD command can be used to convert an Alteryx workflow into an XML file

Re: Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows

caltang — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 06:13:16 GMT

Actually, now that I think about it, it gets too slow with command line. Python would be better.

import pandas as pd import os # Read the data coming from the upstream Directory tool (connected to the '1' anchor) # The data arrives as a pandas DataFrame. df = Alteryx.read("#1") # Define the output directory where you want the .txt files saved. # Make sure this path exists on your system. output_dir = r"C:\Your\Output\Folder\Path" # !! Update this path !! # Ensure the output directory exists if not os.path.exists(output_dir): os.makedirs(output_dir) processed_files_list = [] # Iterate through each row in the DataFrame (each row is one file found by the Directory tool) for index, row in df.iterrows(): # 'FullPath' is a standard column from the Directory tool source_path = row['FullPath'] # Create the new filename with a .txt extension # 'FileName' is another standard column from the Directory tool new_filename = os.path.splitext(row['FileName'])[0] + ".txt" destination_path = os.path.join(output_dir, new_filename) try: # Read the content of the .yxmd file (it's just text/XML) with open(source_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f: content = f.read() # Write the content to a new .txt file with open(destination_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f: f.write(content) processed_files_list.append({'OriginalPath': source_path, 'NewTxtPath': destination_path, 'Status': 'Success'}) except Exception as e: processed_files_list.append({'OriginalPath': source_path, 'NewTxtPath': 'N/A', 'Status': f'Error: {e}'}) # Create an output DataFrame to pass results back to the Alteryx workflow (optional) output_df = pd.DataFrame(processed_files_list) # Write the output DataFrame to the second anchor (named '2' by default) Alteryx.write(output_df, "#2")

You can have the code above.

I tested it with a dummy workflow provided by someone in the community and it generates from .yxmd to .txt (but structured as .xml):

Re: Inputs from multiple alteryx workflows

Chaoued — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 08:17:49 GMT

@caltang That's so great, thank you so much