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Macro Tool

nickdreach
9 - Comet

We are getting access to Designer Cloud later this year.  We've been using Desktop Designer and Server for several years.  Each of our many workflows use the macro tool.  Looking at the two lists of tools that are available here:
https://help.alteryx.com/aac/en/designer-experience/designer-cloud-tool-list.html

 

I don't see anything obviously like a macro tool.  What am I missing?

8 REPLIES 8
Deano478
12 - Quasar

@nickdreach I'm assuming by macro tool you mean macros you've built

nickdreach
9 - Comet

Hi @Deano478 thanks for your reply, yes exactly that.

alexnajm
17 - Castor
17 - Castor

That's correct - there are no current macro tool equivalencies in Designer Cloud

nickdreach
9 - Comet

Hi @alexnajm , thanks for your reply.  That being the case, what are the options?  A colleague involved with the discussions with Alteryx that have resulted to us moving to Cloud states:

 

"It's in the way you build workflows, in designer cloud with executing workflows sequentially with parameters". 

 

Suppose I was previously checking a database for the last seven days of populated data, then passing those seven dates to the same macro.  Can this be done?

alexnajm
17 - Castor
17 - Castor

Basically he's saying that you need to rebuild the macro as another workflow, and execute those workflows in sequence using Plans, kinda like setting up chained apps where the output of one part can be used as the input to another part!

 

Now in the case you are mentioning, can't you set up the query to just pull the past 7 days of data in your WHERE clause?

nickdreach
9 - Comet

Ah ok, like chained apps......right.  Maybe my example of 7 days is too simple - sometimes you need a macro because it expects an input and if it doesn't get the expected input e.g. 'Send Notification Email' - it can legitimately do nothing - but if you tried to do this all in the workflow it isn't able to do nothing - I'm not sure I am explaining this very well.  We are due to get some training - maybe that will clear this up - we probably won't be the first company asking 'What do I do with all my macros' ðŸ˜€.  

https://help.alteryx.com/AWS/en/trifacta-application/concepts/feature-overviews/overview-of-macros.h...

I'm guessing the above information is relevant - I probably need to get stuck in to understand it fully.

alexnajm
17 - Castor
17 - Castor

The above link is if you are using Trifacta (aka Trifacta Classic not Designer Experience) so be careful about which links you find for which product! 

 

I wish there was parity between Desktop and Cloud, but there isn't (yet...). Please let me know what you learn from the training - I have heard macros are possible in theory but it requires a rethinking of the way they are built

nickdreach
9 - Comet

I did wonder about the Trifacta reference.  I will report back post training - thanks for your assistance.