Help opening a workflow with Macros

[craigja]

I have a workflow that was created by an external contractor that I want to open.  My colleague can open the workflow with no issues but when I open it, there are a number of macros and Alteryx API tools that just show up as black question marks.  Ive done everything I can think of to get this working but with no success!  I thought it was the paths to the macros so Ive went into my colleagues user profile folder, found the workflow folder and can see it has a folder called serverAPI_1_3 - so I copied that folder, downloaded the workflow from the server, renamed it to be a zip file, pasted that folder into it, then renamed it back to yxzp extension.  If I then double click the yxzp file, it opens Alteryx as it should, it then gives me a popup saying import workflow package, I click Import, it says successful, then nothing, im just left with the default, New Workflow 1, its as if I never tried to open the workflow! But... I then have another folder show up, thats the name of the workflow, inside that I see a yxmd file and the same folder containing the macros, if I open this file, its the same as opening from the server, I see all the black question marks!  I have no idea why this is not working, why can my colleague run the workflow fine on the server, download it and open fine on his local install of Alteryx but I see the screenshot?

[craigja]

This is the folder structure, why does it not just pick up the macros?

[davidskaife]

Hi @craigja 

Rather than trying to move the workflow/folders as this can cause a lot of issues when Macros are involved (as you're experiencing), I'd ask your colleague to export and package the workflow for you from their Alteryx.

If they go to Options -> Export Workflow and ensure they tick the boxes for the relevant Macros this will create an Alteryx Package which can then be sent to you for you to open. This will unpackage everything, including the Macros.

[alexnajm]

Also make sure that in Alteryx, the references to the macros on their side are relative paths and not absolute paths! How To: Use Relative Paths

[jrgo]

I'd recommend downloading and installing the actual tool installer for these tools. Copy/pasting the macros is not going work because that workflow is looking for those tools in a specific user or system directory. Installing using the .yxi installer will place the tools where they need to be.

https://marketplace.alteryx.com/en-US/apps/418052/server-api-tool 

[KGT]

The workflow has a connection to the macros. When those black question marks are there, it means that connection is broken. Unzipping, manually adding and then rezipping the yxzp would only work if the connection in the workflow was to the folder in the yxzp, and if this is downloaded from gallery without the macros, the reference is never going to be to that folder.

You need those macros in the location that the workflow references. You can see this by opening the yxmd in Notepad++ and seeing where those macros point to and what they are. 

Don't try and backdoor this! Correct the error. The error is that your machine does not have the tools in the correct place.

Otherwise if you just want a quick fix, then get your colleague to create the yxzp with macros.

[craigja]

Tried this - he doesnt see the macros to add them, and if I download and change the extension to zip, I can see that it does not contain the macros either

[craigja]

will give this a try, but see my answer above, it seems downloading the package it doesnt contain the macros

[KGT]

Not sure who your messages are responding to, as there were multiple options.

If it is working for your colleague, then the connection to the macros is working. Your colleague can right click on the macro in the workflow and open it or see where it points to. If these are just the Gallery API macros, then I would just install them from the link @jrgo mentioned.