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Alteryx Designer Desktop Knowledge Base

Definitive answers from Designer Desktop experts.

How to bypass an error within Alteryx

JordanB
Alteryx
Alteryx
Created

Within an Alteryx workflow you may have instances where you have to hard code a value or only want to run workflows which have a certain field schema.

 

Both of these cases may cause errors in the workflow when the value or schema differ to that expected. Fortunately, there are two methods you can use to try and circumvent potential errors. 

 

Option 1 - Conditional macros – CREW Macros

Within the CREW macros pack there will be the conditional runner macro. This macro will allow you to set off another workflow if a workflow fails or succeeds. Therefore, if you are running a list of workflows from a Directory Tool and you want all the workflows to run even if a workflow fails, you can use the conditional runner to manage and continue the flow of workflows if one of them errors.

 

Option 2 - Expecting a set number of records or values? 

You can use a combination of the Filter Tool and the Message Tool to look for patterns in the various records or files you are reading in. An example could be you are using a batch macro to read a list of files in. In each of these files you want to ensure a number of fields are included, so you transpose the data giving you a NAME & VALUE. Based on the NAME field you can use a Filter Tool and Count Records Tool to ensure you have the correct number of fields. In the false node you can have the records which didn't meet the expected value in the filter go into a Browse Tool or Output Data Tool so you can check out that file with more detail. Those records which did have the correct field headers you can crosstab the data back and continue that file through the process.

  

This is just a quick two ways you can look to avoid errors in a workflow, but I encourage those community members who can think of other alternatives and use cases please post below. this topic can be highly valuable for workflow conitnuity so learning more techniques can only help 🙂

 

Best, 

Jordan Barker

Solutions Consultant 

Comments
SeanAdams
17 - Castor
17 - Castor

Hey @JordanB - given how helpful some of the CREW macros are - could we look to bring them into the core product?