Save workflow as output?

[jjc42]

Hi,

Is it possible to save an Alteryx workflow (the actual .yxdb) as part of the workflow?

Thanks,

John

[Bob_Blackey]

Hi John,

Can you explain the use case?

In the meanwhile in Alteryx look in the menu Options | Export Workflow and see if that matches your needs.

Thanks,
Bob

[jjc42]

Bob,

I can probably come up with others, but my immediate use case is basically for versioning. I need to keep track of changes to production outputs and each version of the workflow needs to be saved in multiple locations. It would be one more small step in automating the process.

If I could automate Export Workflow, I think that would suit my needs.

I tried using the Run Command tool, but that didn't work as the tool does not recognized .yxmd files.

-John

[Bob_Blackey]

I understand - thanks for the additional info.

I haven't come across this before so I will leave it to the many other wise folks here. Unfortunately i don't think there is a way to get the current workflows file name which would be helpful here. I recall there were requests to add it as a constant but looking in v11.0 I don't see it as one of the easily accessible ones. Others might know  if there is an undocumented method.

[KaneG · Accepted solution]

Hi @jjc42,

If you are talking about saving the .yxmd, then you can simply put another flow on the canvas. The flow would bring in the current module as a non-delimited file and then output it as a non-delimited file, essentially preserving it as a file with another name.

If you are talking about saving the .yxdb, then I assume that is just the data at any point, which is easy enough with an output tool at the point you want to preserve.

[jjc42]

Kane,

Thanks!  The non-delimited input and output worked.  It saves the most recently saved version, which is fine.  Example attached. 

Thanks again,

John

[Paul-Evans]

@jjc42 Thank you for the example. I had left the Delimiter configuration field as blank instead of "/0". Including it resolved the following error: Output Data When Quote Mode is Never, field cannot contain a delimiter character.

[Paul-Evans]

make that \0 not /0