Alteryx Needs some Cable Management!

[npariso]

Hi everyone! I have been trying to find a way to do this without creating a new idea, but I have decided to make it an official 'Idea' to see if there is anyone else that might appreciate a feature like this (or has found there own way to do it!)

Do your workflows look like this...

but you wish they could look like this?

Well... they can with your help!

Okay, I might be crazy...but its worth a shot.

While I understand this is an extremely niche issue, in my experience, it can become very difficult to trace the data through unmanaged lines in large workflows. I think it will be great to cable manage canvas lines so workflows are easier to follow. Heck, while I am already at it, I think it we should all start calling these canvas lines cables... They don't carry electricity, but they sure do carry data!

Here is an example I created in Alteryx using select tools and containers:

[RWvanLeeuwen]

Here we go!
https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Community-Gallery/Workflow-Organiser/ta-p/1272515

[BartlomiejSkibka]

I love the idea, nowadays I'm using wirless connections as a work around but maintaining such solution after few months is painful

[Andrew_T-H]

This would save me so much time as I spend a lot of it moving tools and containers around to get the desired tracks or cable routes.

[AshRez]

This is how I do it, and it is super clean and easy solution: keep it wireless and add a pointer tag at both ends. what I would really love to see is the ability by right click on one end, we have the option to jump to the other end, and if there is multi point other end, then we have the option to select which one.

[NicoleJ]

@AshRez Great suggestion! On your thoughts about how to jump to the other end - we already have functionality that might allow you to do that! 

1. Click on a tool config (in this case, the Join tool)
2. Select the Navigation icon from the far left side of the tool config panel (it will be either the second or third icon down, depending on whether you have XML view turned on)
3. From there, you'll see all the tools connected upstream and downstream, and can take a couple actions from there: 
   
   1. Check or uncheck boxes to turn connections wireless/wired
   2. Double Click one of the tools listed, and then you will "hop" to that connected tool

Another tip that might be useful in your example above - you can actually name the line between your two tools as well... so if you had a bunch of lines all over the place, you could label them 1a, 1b, etc. to help keep track of them when they are selected/visible :) 

Though if those don't quite work for you, have no fear - we're still working on some cable management and hope to have exciting updates for you soon on this popular idea! 

[AshRez]

Wow @NicoleJ , Thank you, I didn't even know that was possible by double clicking on the listed connection under navigate, that works as well for jumping from one to the other. You made my day 😉

Keep up the good job.

[goatley1]

have you tried wireless connections?

[jrlindem]

This is a fantastic idea.  Whether it be clustering lines through groupings like you've illustrated or even adding in the ability to create anchor points on each line would allow for the user to force the routing of lines around other tools.  I can see images of circuit boards running through my brain!  Love the support for this idea and pleased to see the status as "coming soon."