Challenge #489: From Chaos to Clarity

A solution to last week’s challenge can be found here.

This challenge was submitted by our ACE Calvin Tang, @caltang . Thank you, Tang for your submission!

Organizations often deal with poorly formatted financial data stored in fixed-width flat files, which creates inconsistencies and makes analysis difficult. In this challenge, you will work on cleaning and standardizing transaction records containing account numbers, customer names, transaction types, and amounts. The goal is to improve data quality, enable efficient management, and support better financial decision-making.

Develop a workflow in Alteryx to:

Clean and format the data, then calculate the total for deposits and withdrawals.
Use the Interactive Chart tool to create a graph that displays the total deposits and withdrawals.

Once you have completed your challenge, include your solution file and a screenshot of your workflow as attachments to your comment.

Good Luck!

The Academy Team

Source: Dataset generated by AI (POE).

Challenge 489_solution_file.yxzp

Challenge 489_start_file.yxzp

Reporting

Data Preparation

Core

Basic

Accepted answers

All comments

caltang

Thanks for featuring my challenge Community team!

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Actually, the idea of the challenge was also to include how to input the .txt file as the starting point rather than having the .txt file already there. Then it will allow end users and community members to practice how to use the fixed width delimited file.

The idea behind this challenge is based on that premise - because it is not something done often unless you are in an org that still uses those type of files.

Happy to contribute

Challenge 489_start_file_caltang.yxzp

alineruizcampos

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Challenge 489_Aline.yxmd

DaisukeTsuchiya

Congratulations! @caltang

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Since the original intent was to import a TXT file, I tried processing the text by reading it directly and using regular expressions. However, in this case, reading it as a fixed length turned out to be simpler.

スクリーンショット 2025-09-04 102930.jpg

Challenge 489_start_file_DT.yxzp

AkimasaKajitani

My solution!

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Challenge 489_start_file_AK.yxzp

Bobbyt23

Ooooh interactive charts, always have to remind myself where the different bits are!!

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Weekly Challenge 489 04-09-25.yxzp

Pilsner

Fun challenge. @caltang, configuring the text file itself certainly did add an extra layer of difficulty; I'll be honest, it took me a little while to figure out what to do there😄

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I did the aggregation part of the challenge first, then went back to try and configure the text file myself. I had already seen I needed to use Flat ASCII format, but not sure I would have got an answer without knowing that. Once I selected the Flat ASCII format, I then configured the column sizes in the pop-up window by simply clicking where I wanted the red lines/table to be delimited. I got the following configuration:

489 (Deposit vs Withdraw).yxzp

JBevan89

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Good challenge, as I agree it's good to use the fixed width when you use a text file. There are similarities to Excel with using the width.

Challenge 489_JB.yxmd

rmassambane

489

Challenge 489_start_file.yxmd

Kenda

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Challenge 489_start_file.yxmd

RolandSchubert

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challenge 489_solution_rsc.yxmd

Stosh

Long time solver, first time poster here! I have been waiting patiently to be one of the first solvers of a Weekly challenge and this was a super cool challenge to be my first! I have never used the interactive chart tool, but my Tableau background definitely helped me to the finish line! Looking forward to next week's challenge!

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Challenge489solution(Stosh).yxmd

olga_strubbe

This was a fun and practical challenge to help tackle real-life scenarios. Thank you, @caltang

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Challenge 489_From chaos to clarity.yxmd

lwolfie

Fun mid-week break from the grind.

Challenge 489_solution_LW.yxzp

SylviaP

Hi @caltang,

Thanks for the heads-up!

We’ve updated the start file to reflect the goal you set for the challenge.

Thank you!

Sylvia

David-Carnes

Fun and quick!

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Challenge 489_start_file.yxmd

jrlindem

Another fun challenge. Thank you @caltang for submitting this!

I have... uh... literally never used the Interactive Chart Tool. But this example, really helped me get familiar with it and i'm excited to apply it in other situations. I also liked that the input was necessary to handle as a part of the solution.

Here's my solution:

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Challenge 489_jrlindem_solution.yxzp

mattnason1

Here's my solution. Fun one.

Challenge 486_start_file_mn.yxmd

JulianHalseyMilhaupt

My solution:

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Challenge 489_JHM.yxmd

KLTerrell

I enjoyed this! The fixed-length "wizard" was a little cumbersome to me. I had to iterate a few times before I realized how I could edit the fixed length. I don't work with fixed-length files often, but this was super for getting some practical, relevant practice!

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Challenge 489_start_file_Terrell.yxmd

dsong713

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Challenge 489_DS.yxmd

Erin

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challenge_489_submission_EM.yxzp

alexnajm

Done!

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Challenge 489_start_file.yxzp

abacon

Really fun challenge!!

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Task 1

Task 2

Challenge 489_abacon.yxmd

joeyfel

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Here's my solution!

Challenge 489_9.4.25.yxmd

Yoshiro_Fujimori

I had Input Data Tool do all the parsing work 😀.

(https://help.alteryx.com/current/en/designer/file-types-support/flat--ascii--files.html)

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Workflow
Challenge 489_workflow.png

.flat file

<flatfile version="1">
<file
path="Input.txt"
eoltype="crlf"
trimWhiteSpace="t"
allowShortLines="t"
/>
<fields>
<field name="Account No." type="String" length="10" />
<field name="Name" type="String" length="16" />
<field name="Fake Identity" type="String" length="11" />
<field name="Date" type="Date" length="10" />
<field name="Action" type="String" length="14" />
<field name="Amount" type="Double" length="7" />
</fields>
</flatfile>&#8203;