Run containers one after another through Analytical app interface

[Kurohits]

Hi, 

I want to give user an option to run several containers one by one buddled together in one workflow through interface. The interface will ask user to run first module in first container and shows the output then it will ask to run module 2 located in another container in same workflow with new interface options and similarly 3rd container in same workflow with new interface options. Is there any way to achieve this in Alteryx without creating chained analytical apps? If yes then can anyone share the sampel workflow please? 

[caltang]

You can use Control Containers if you are on the latest version of Alteryx. You can then attach a radio button / check box interface tool to a condition parameter, which is then connected to an action tool which is connected to each control container. 

This allows you to choose the containers you want to run via Analytic App, and because the control container works as a sequential function, you should get what you want. 

But do not that you cannot put interface tools within the control containers or with the control containers - that is something still not doable yet. 

If you’d like, kindly provide some sample data so that the community can help better. Give us your expected output and a user story as well.

[NeoInfiniTech]

Hello @Kurohits, yes it is possible to do this. Please note that if you chain analytic apps in a single app in this manner, you will not be able to for example populate a drop down in the second control container from the dynamic values that comes from the previous container's results.

You can use the analytic app I have built (App Concatenator) if you want to automatically chain multiple analytic apps into one single app, given you have added a prefix to the names of each app ("01_", "02_" etc).

[caltang]

Wow @NeoInfiniTech ! That is a cool idea. Will check it out, thanks for making it!

[Kurohits]

Hi @caltang 

Thanks for your prompt reply. Much appreciated. 

Let me give you more context on problem statement. 

In nutshell, I am trying to build 3 workflows separately for each module. Each workflow transforms data and at the downstream of the 2nd module I am using render tool and saving data in .pcxls format. Once 2nd module workflow finishes running, I want to populate output result from .pcxls file on screen and once 2nd workflow completes running and populate output result then simultaneously show interface to an user that whether they want to exit the workflow (which would do nothing) or run the 3rd module and pops out message on screen once user selects "YES" that 3rd modules successfully ran. This is how workflow should behave and run sequentially. I can easily do it through chained apps but is there any other ways to achieve this similar tasks by combining all 3 workflows into one large workflow. 

also In workflow I am using lots of block until done tool which as per my understanding doesn't work in control containers. I am also using CReW runner tool inside control container and plugged in those control containers through interface apps using Radio button with Yes/No option. the 2nd workflow and 3rd workflow are chained together. 

[Kurohits]

Hi @NeoInfiniTech 

can you please give me some workflow overview on what exactly it does? it's too tecnical actually and not able to understand how to use this in my case? it would be great helpful. 

[NeoInfiniTech]

Of course @Kurohits. To use the analytic app, you need to select the directory in which your analytic apps are contained. You should name each app in sequence by adding a double digit number & underscore prefix to them, such as 01_WF1.yxwz, 02_WF2.yxwz etc. The app contains each app into a control container except for the interface tools. While this is helpful for concatenating the apps, there are additional steps that need to be followed after concatenating the apps.

When I read your previous message, I saw that you mentioned using Block Until Done tools. As they are incompatible with the control containers as you mentioned, you will have to convert your Block Until Done structures into control containers and nest them into the specific control container for the app.

What you mentioned regarding the end of the 2nd analytic app (populate the results then ask the user to whether run the 3rd analytic app or not) is unfortunately not possible as the concatenated workflow will run at once, as there is no capability in Alteryx Designer to run only a part of the app, show the user the result and ask to whether continue with the workflow, even if you use control container.

The best you could do in this case would be to concatenate the first 2 apps into one app using control containers, which will then be chained to the 2nd (originally the 3rd) analytic app, given the (originally) 2nd app's analytic app interface options are not affected by the 1st app (such as a dropdown tool) or the (originally) 2nd app does not have any interface tools.

Attached are two workflows to provide an example that you can use to convert your Block Until Done tools to Control Container structure.