Macros from the Gallery

[maxksoll]

Hi all,

over the past years I created a bunch of workflows and established a few standard procedures. When one of this standards changes, it is very hard to update all workflows using it.

Since all of my workflows are stored and executed from a private Gallery I started searching for a way to tackle this problem through the server.

The easiest solution would be the integration of Macros directly from the Gallery. Updating would shrink down to only update the Macro on the server and all workflows now use the updated version of the Macro.

Is it possible to integrate Macros like that or did anyone had the same problem and found another solution to solve it?

Best regards

Max

[JagdeeshN · Accepted solution]

Hi @maxksoll ,

Currently even though you can host/publish 'Macros' on the Gallery, you cant necessarily invoke them within a workflow from the gallery. The users would thus need to download the macro from the gallery, and individually change it for each workflow.

With regards to the problem of reusability and scaling you are trying to solve, using a Network Drive  would be a good option. You would then map this location on your designer. The article explains how to do it(https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Knowledge-Base/Create-your-own-Tool-Category-in-th...).

Next you would need to get the Gallery(server) machine access to the same Network Drive path. You can then use the macros from a relative path(network drive) and the workflows on the gallery also do the same.

In this way any change to the macro can be done at the Network Drive location. This change would automatically be picked up by all workflows on the gallery  referencing the file from the network drive.

Do let me know if that helps.

Best,

Jagdeesh Narayanan

[maxksoll]

Hi @JagdeeshN ,

Thanks for your reply.

I used this approach before we got the server for our workflows, but it would be a solution to this problem.

In my opinion this still is not an elegant solution in order of required explanation for a workflow.

I will mark this question as solved 🙂

Best regards

Max

[JagdeeshN]

@maxksoll 

I agree. Although not the most elegant, I have not been able to find any other solution for this. 

[vijaysuryav93]

Hi @JagdeeshN, @maxksoll 

I too agree on placing a macro on the shared network drive folder for it's benefit of dynamic reference from workflows running over gallery to pick the latest macro version.

And also while using a python based custom built macro and publishing it to Gallery in order to share it across wider audience within my Organization,  Many a times when I save the macro to local or any shared folder and use it in any other workflows the code tends to change automatically (I know this is a reported bug: https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Desktop-Discussions/Python-code-disappearing-in-Al...) by @NeiFisk. Did anyone faced similar issues too?

When I need to change any python code logic in the Macro, then entire users within my organization are been forced to replace the macro in their respective workflows manually to get the latest macro changes/updates

These reasons makes a strong evidence that placing the macro in a shared drive makes more sense and Industry standard for a variety of reasons, when we are planning to use a custom built macro across organization.