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Alteryx Designer Desktop Knowledge Base

Definitive answers from Designer Desktop experts.

Attaching additional files to a workflow package (yxzp file)

TaraM
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)
Created

Question

How do I attach additional files to a workflow package (yxzp file)?

Answer

You'll notice some of the menus have been rearranged in version 10+. So if you are looking to export a workflow package, you will find that under the Options menu,  Export Workflow.  By default, you will see all the assets that the workflow depends on to run properly, but sometimes you will want to include additional files to package with the workflow.

 

To include additional files, you need to enable Asset Management which can be found under Options ->User Settings-> Edit User Settings -> Advanced, check the box, Display Asset Management in Properties window. Once this is enabled, you will be able to include assets with your workflows.

 

Return to your workflow canvas and select the Input tool (or any tool that may require an asset or dependency, like Input/Output tools or the Run Command tool). In the Configuration Window, click the Assets icon assets.pngthen Add Files to browse to the additional files to include.

 

InputAssets.png

You can add any type of files here - macros, documents, data files, etc.

 

Navigate back to the Export Workflow from the Options window and you will see the additional files are included.

 

export.png

 

 

Note: Just because an “explicit” dependency is now associated with a specific tool, it doesn’t mean that only that tool could use it. So, if you had a number of Run Command tools in a module that need the same file to operate correctly, you don’t necessarily have to include it with all of them (although you can—you will still only include it once in the final package).

 

Comments
HelloWorld1
5 - Atom

Is it possible to add an "User added asset" dependency as a relative path instead of an absolute one?

 

(i.e. instead of "C:\Users\Tmccoy\Documents\01_26_2015.txt", to say something like "..\..\..\Documents\01_26_2015.txt")

ExploreMore
8 - Asteroid

I have the same question as HelloWorld1 above

ScottG
Alteryx Alumni (Retired)

Hi, @HelloWorld1  and @ExploreMore.  I'm not aware of a way to directly add a dependency with a relative path.  However, when the Workflow is exported (Options > Export Workflow), Alteryx creates a shortened relative path to the dependency within the package.  For me, that has taken care of any use cases that would benefit from a relative path.

Hiblet
10 - Fireball

Note:  A YXZP file is just a zip file.  If you change the name of the file (renaming it in Windows File Explorer) and set the extension to .ZIP, you can then add extra files into the package.  When you are done, rename to YXZP extension afterwards.  Test before you release, but if you have used relative file naming, you should be good.

 

I had a macro that used look-up tables.  It loaded them with a Dynamic Input tool, so they were not explicitly referenced.  The template was referenced, but the data loaded was not.  I was able to just copy the required data files into the zip file, and then they ride along in the package, and go with the macro as if they were named assets.  Also, this means I could include an example workflow on how to use the macro.