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Run iterative macros in a debug mode

Thanks you to @JoeM for recent training on macros, and @NicoleJohnson for pointing out some of the challenges.

 

when writing an iterative macro - it is a little bit difficult to debug because when you run this in designer mode, it only does one iteration and stops.

Could we add the capability to the designer itself to be able to run the second and third iteration using the test data built into the macro input tool?   Even something as simple as an option to run X iterations; or when it's run the first iteration allow me to look at what happened and trigger iteration 2 (or to trigger a run-through to completion) would be immensely helpful.

 

While you can do this with a test-flow wrapped around a macro, macro development is a bit of a black box because Alteryx doesn't natively have the ability to step into a macro during run-time and pause it to see what's happening on iteration 1 or 2 or n and why it's not terminating etc.   So putting the ability to run in a debug mode would be HUGELY helpful.

8 Comments
jroot
8 - Asteroid

 Working on an iterative macro right now and this would be extremely helpful. It's throwing an error and I can't see what's causing it since it's on the second iteration.

SeanAdams
17 - Castor
17 - Castor

@jroot - I have had exactly the same experience.

One thing you can do is to use message tools throughout, to see what's going on - but it is like trying to debug a black box...

Anti08
5 - Atom

This would be an immensely helpful addition

martinpadilla76
5 - Atom

Same here, I actually have to use a filter and change the Engine.IterationNumber to 1, 2, etc to see what fails and when... but it was so much easier in Excel VBA, where you could just press F8 and keep cycling through the runs to see what happened at each step along the way...

Samanthaj_hughes
ACE Emeritus
ACE Emeritus

Agreed this is easier in VBA to work through loops, it would be great if this could be better. I like the idea of being able to iterate through the iterations. Perhaps a new iteration button for playing through iterations?

>>> and pauses between each one for you to review what is happening, but when you press it again its iteration 2.. etc.

KylieF
Alteryx Community Team
Alteryx Community Team
Status changed to: Revisit

Hi All!

 

Thank you for your feedback! Our product team reviewed this idea and while they like the idea of updating the iterative macro testing we're unable to include the feature in a near future release. We'll be revisiting this idea however once we are planning for future road maps. We'll update this idea again at that time when we can better speak on when or if we'll be able to include the idea in a release.

DawnDuong
13 - Pulsar
13 - Pulsar

Hi, any update since the last "Revisit"?

Emil_Kos
17 - Castor
17 - Castor

Hi @KylieF,

 

Any update regarding the revisit?