Unique Tool does not populate fields when I reopen saved workflows.

[nkureishy]

I have been using Alteryx Version 2022.3 for about six months or more. Have not changed anything in my settings or updated any versions.
For the last one month, I have started having this issue-

When I open any workflow, the Unique tile is missing all its fields. Unless I run the workflow (of course, with an error), the Unique tile does not show any list of fields to select from.

I have tried the following:
In user settings - Enable and Disable Auto Configure.
In data connection - Selected, unselected Cache Data.
Deleted and added a new Database connection (Input Tile).

These are workflows that I have been using for a couple of years and also new ones that I just created. It is quite problematic because I do not remember the fields I selected in Unique Tile for all these workflows over the years and cannot see them anymore. After I run the workflow with the error, the Unique Tile populates the list of incoming fields and I have to select the fields from it, it does not show the fields I had selected when I saved and closed the workflow.

Thank you.

[Peachyco]

Peculiar case you've got.

After opening the workflow, before touching the Unique Tool (or any other tool, really), try any or all of these:

• Press F5 to refresh all of your streams. This will check your data source in the Input Tool and pass the metadata downstream. This might populate your Unique Tool before you look at it, hopefully preserving your selections as well.

• Immediately Run the workflow. Because you haven't changed anything yet, the workflow will hopefully run on its saved configuration, which should include your selections in the Unique Tool. Because data has already passed thru it, it should contain all of the fields when you check the Unique Tool after that first run.

[nkureishy]

Hello Peachyco,

Thanks for your reply. I tried both of your suggestions with multiple workflows. Sometimes, they work with F5, sometimes not. Same with running it right after opening, mostly it worked but sometimes not. 

Maybe something is corrupted in my Alteryx, maybe I should just reinstall it, what do you think? 

[Peachyco]

@nkureishy 

Before doing something so drastic as to reinstall the software, let's consider that this might be affected by the ordering of your tools.

When you get to a good situation (i.e. F5 or Run is populating the tools properly), make sure that the tools are placed in the workspace in the proper order. In your PDF attachment, I would cut the Input Data Tool and paste it back in. In turn, I'd do the same to the Sort Tool, then to the Unique Tool. This reinforces the order in which these tools should run (i.e. Input Data first, then Sort, then Unique).

I dunno why but I've had cases where the order of when I placed the tools into the workspace affected the flow, and doing the steps I outlined above somehow fixed the issue. 😅

[nkureishy]

You are right; from previous experience, some issues get resolved by deleting and putting the same tool back again. I can do it once in a while if something does not work but for more than 30-40 complicated workflows that give me this problem every time I open them, it is a daunting task.