Build Your First Batch Macro!

[JoeM]

Batch macros can be intimidating, but the intention of this course is to dispell your worries. Learn when to consider a batch macro, identify pre-existing processes that could be turned into batch macros,  and create your very first batch macro! 

Featured Tools:
Macro Input, Macro Output, Control Parameter

Date: 2018-04-18

Version: 11.0

Presented by: @JoeM

[VMC_Manos]

Very nice session Joe,

I think the use of: Control Parameters, Action Tools, as well as Dynamic Rename added to the value of this training session. Thanks so very much! 

Vincent

[CamodCPA]

Hi Joe! 

Love this video (also learning alteryx)! 

Thanks for everything you do! Love watching and working through these videos along side of you!

rock on,

Cameron Odonnell

\\ edit: I had run into an issue, but it was a simple novice mistake!

[AntonioGonzales]

Hello @JoeM,

Thank you so much for your brilliant explanation!

I am studying for the advanced certification and I am trying to understand why the macro "Count Records" was made in that way:

Instead that way?

Thank you so much for any help.

Best regards,

Antonio

[JoeM]

@AntonioGonzales great question! The count records tool needed to accommodate two basic conditions:

1) Create a N count of records if records exist

2) Return 0 if no records exist

If you run a count via the summarize tool and no records are counted, it does not output 0 but rather nothing, since nothing was there to be counted.

Summarize counting no records = nothing!

To circumnavigate this behavior, you'll see the text input tool setup as just 0 - so if no count returns from the summarize above it, it will become the output value. If something is returned from the summarize, you'll see that it is ordered so the 0 will always be sampled out.

[AntonioGonzales]

Hi @JoeM,

As always, your explanation taught me a lot!

Now, everything makes sense.

Thank you and have a great day!

Cheers!

Antonio Alves

[chickenlicken]

Very clearly explained, thank you!

[nikitap]

So well explained! This is by far the best session for batch macros. Thank you for sharing this. 

[CristianaFerro]

Very interesting lesson! I surly need to watch it couple time more, but i think i have a particular situation where i do not have a unique DB ready to be divided into batches.

I would like to be able to apply the same process to multiple DB and I think the batch macro is what I need.

But how i can make the macro understand that the batch should be let's say the name/source of the file and the length the entire file?

To give more context: i have 150+ different DB related to different entities. However in these file i do not have an entire column with the code/name of the entity, but this information can be found at the end of each file. I have built a standard macro to make the process. 

Now i wanted to go further and be able to apply it on all 150+ file I have in a directory without applying the macro 150+ times.

[Sanz_shetty_115]

Please find the attached output