Alteryx Designer Desktop Ideas

Hi there,

As a beginner in Alteryx with experience in other analytics software, I noticed that there may be a very simple thing that I think could be adjusted which I feel could improve the experience of a beginner in Alteryx. Also happy to know if this is already possible.

When I was doing a introduction training, I noticed that a lot of the questions were regarding not being able to see the right output, regardless of the usage of the right tools & settings. Luckily, we were provided with a good trainer that immediately saw that there was a very simple reason for this: the 'output' button (sometimes called differently, for instance in a select it is called 'true' or 'false') was not selected. Instead people were looking at the input or something else. I can even imagine that some more advanced users have spend a few minutes wondering what was wrong until they realised they weren't looking at the output.

It seems to me to be a bit random when output or input gets selected, and as someone with experience in (preventing) addiction in the gaming industry, I know that the first experience is crucial for someone to get 'hooked' :-), and this small inconsistency seems to break the flow a bit. Could you make the default setting such that a tool shows the output rather than the input by default? A possible addition would be an option that switches a tool back to input every time a button gets deselected. From a programmers/data science perspective, that would also make a lot of sense.

Regards,

Charles

I just downloaded the new 2018.4 version of Desktop, and I feel like it's going backwards with the Window UI. I prefer to keep my Results window on a separate screen where I can review it side-by-side with my workflow. I have three large monitors, and I have no need to keep that window tabbed, or docked. 

With the removal of he 'Close' option, I no longer have a way of closing that window without putting back in a mode I do not want. 

When i first started using Alteryx, the results window acted the same as any normal Windows window, but over time I've lost the ability to quickly maximize the window AND now I can't even close it. One of the most critical windows is getting harder and harder to use.

Pretty please! 

I think It would be very beneficial to be able to find the first instance that a field appeared or when its name changed.

So consider the following:

1) Somewhere in my workflow, I use a formula tool and create a new field called Total Assets which is the sum of Asset1 and Asset2.

After my workflow is built (and I failed to do any sort of documentation) it would be nice in the results window if each field name was a highlighted link that took me to the first instance that a field appeared.

In my scenario above if I am downstream and wonder when Total assets appeared (as I might have multiple formula tools, but if could click the field name and it bounced me right to the first instance the field existed -- in this case a formula tool, this would be a huge time saving when troubleshooting.

Thanks,

Seth

Sort by file size based on first digit in file size (should be based on all digits). 

Extend the machine-learning framework for pressure analysis on a single well to multiwell systems.  

The framework should capture the well interference accurately and be able to test a greater area of the reservoir. Develop a machine-learning model to reconstruct the flow-rate history by use of pressure data. Ensure that both models maintain the advantages of the machine-learning- based single-well pressure interpretation in terms of the accuracy of prediction, computational efficiency, and tolerance to noise.

Hello,

It would be nice if Alteryx had a way to create a time lapse video based on a date field.  Create a map showing data over time (day, week, year, etc) that shows it cumulative or individual for each time frame.  I needed to map a set of location points, with a date field, to show where and when they opened throughout time by each year or by each decade, so it starts with only a few locations, then keeps adding the new locations with time to show all locations at the end or present time.

Thanks,

Bob

Hey Alteryx!

Here's one. I don't care for the tabs at the top showing each workflow. They are not in order by open date and it's hard to tell whether tab all the way on the right is the final workflow or not... They are hard to X out (especially the last one on the right that seems to have a semi hidden X). Depending on your monitor layout/resolution, you can only see like 10 visible workflows at a time in the gui. If you want to see more, you have to go into the workflow dropdown carrot which AFAIK also doesn't seem to be in any particular order esp when you open up several flows having same name. On a side note - what happened Alteryx? They USED to be in order by open date going across at the top AND in the workflow dropdown... That was useful.

So let get rid of these tabs. It's so windows95.

Instead create an interactive workflow history table (window) similar to what exists in TOAD, sql assist and other database tools (see image below). It's a table in the view but each row would reflect a workflow (formerly a tab). Top row is most recent workflow and moving down the table shows history of workflows.

You could can hover over a row to see details pop up for that workflow OR you could click each row (double click to run?) and workflow becomes visible in active canvas and overview and results window update accordingly. Maybe we could even have more than one active window per session? (sort vert/horz).

Additional benefits/functionality:

1. Slightly more screen real estate which we know you are always looking for and asked about 🙂

2. This could also be an autosave feature. When Alteryx crashes - and it does - when you reopen designer all your history will be there - no loss of productivity! Also high on your list.

3. Have an additional search function where we can search for tool names, comments, annotation, workflow/app/macro names, odbc connections, specific formulas or key words and then we see which history rows match our search criteria (rather than searching using notepad++ 'find in Files' feature in a directory)

4. It's not that much dev time since workflow history is already available in some buried log so why not show some of this metadata to the user in the gui?

Thanks,

Simon

Hello --

I have a process where I send an email to users before updating a spreadsheet that is now produced by an Alteryx workflow. Currently, I do this outside of Alteryx because if I choose to use Events -- it will send an email and immediately continue on with the rest of the workflow.

What would be ideal is to have an option to Wait for 10 minutes (or 600 seconds) before continuing on with the rest of the workflow -- assuming the email is sent before the workflow runs.

Thanks,

Seth

Some of my workflows requires about 2 hours to run. Would like a stopwatch feature on the workflow UI or application after I begin running it. Would like to get an email when completed, as well. Thx

Alteryx has a 3 hour demo session on CloudShare which is very useful for quick demos...

How about having most up to date version of Alteryx as a demo as a starter?

• Unfortunately it's 11.5 right now... Not 11.7!!!
• I'm demoing the older, slower version to the clients.

Hi,

Would it be possible to add to the Workflow Configuration / Runtime options so that we can disable all 'Connector' input tools from connecting with the external source.  At the moment, I need to put the workflow within a Container so that I can disable this rather than have it refresh from the source every time it is run.  This means that I could have all my code within the same workflow but make selections that control whether it refreshes from the source data or uses a local copy that has previously been downloaded.

I hope that this makes sense....

Peter

Would like a component to analyse an incoming dataset and suggest a key for the data, i.e. detect what field or composite of fields would uniquely identify a record in the data.  The key could then be detected by the output data component and add primary key's to tables when created.  Great for when using the drop and recreate option, i.e. would retain an index on the key.

These windows when pulled out as stand-alone windows are free floating, able to be placed anywhere on any screen you have connected.

If one of these screens gets disconnected those windows don't change position. So if your monitors die or go away for some reason there is no way to get them back unless you get a second monitor.

I propose you change the coding to where when a window is re-enabled it always shows up at position [0,0] on monitor 1.

Very frustrating.

In the Explorer box configuration section, it would be great to add a navigation button to pick a URL address (pin point) to a directory/folder so that the user don't have to learn by heart (or copy paste) the exact URL address to make use of the tool.

Hello all,

It would be awesome to see an obvious change to the Input Tool when you change the setting from Cached to Not Cached. Something simple so that as the process is running i can clearly see what that setting is opposed to having to stop the process and restart it.

Thoughts?

Nick

When working within the canvas/properties the mouse is the primary tool and allowing a middle click would be an easy way to initiate the workflow.

Currently, middle button can be used for moving in the canvas area (click and hold) and closing it (click on the tab).

While scrolling through the analytics gallery, if I click on a tool  on page 5 to read the details and then hit back key, it takes me back to page 1. It would be nice to just go back to my previous page.  

Thanks!