R Tool

Read Input: A function that reads in a connected data input. Each connected input creates a separate option listed in order of connection. Select a listed input to insert the connection into the Code Editor. This function can be used regardless of whether AlteryxFullUpdate is TRUE or FALSE.

The read.Alteryx() function streams input data into the R environment.

Optional parameter

Row Names: An optional parameter to include a new column titled RowNames, populated with the first column of data to be treated as row headers. By default, this parameter is set to FALSE.

write.Alteryx(dataVariableToWrite, 5, TRUE)

as Data Frame: Option used to read in a data table. No additional parameters.

read.Alteryx("#1",mode="data.frame")

as Data Frame: Chunked: Option used to read in a large data table. Specify the number of records processed at a time.

read.Alteryx("#1", 50000, mode="data.frame")

as List: Option used to read in spatial objects.

read.Alteryx("#1", mode="list")

as List: Chunked: Option used to read in a large number of spatial records. Specify the number of records processed at a time.

read.Alteryx("#1", 50000, mode="list")

Input MetaInfo: Option used to read in the metainfo from the input rather than the data. The function returns a data.frame containing the metainfo. The rows of the data.frame represent each column from the input data, while the applicable metainfo is displayed in 6 columns:

• Name: String. The column name.
• Type: String. The data type.
• Size: Integer. The size of the data type in bytes.
• Scale: Integer. The number of decimal places in a FixedDecimal.
• Source: String. The metadata about the column type, followed by the starting value.
• Description: String. An optional column that can be populated with a description string.

read.AlteryxMetaInfo("#1")

Set Progress: A function that reports progress on the tool icon in a running workflow. Select one of the increment options:

• 25%
• 50%
• 75%
• 100%

AlteryxProgress(0.25)

Output Message: A function that displays a message in the Results window. The message priority determines when the message is reported.

See Workflow Configuration to change message display behavior.

• Normal Priority Message: The message is only displayed when the R tool is visible on the canvas of the running workflow. If the R tool is contained within a macro, the message is not displayed.

  AlteryxMessage("message", msg.consts$INFO, priority.consts$LOW)

• Normal Priority Transient Message: The message is displayed in place of an existing message issued by the same tool.

  AlteryxMessage("message", msg.consts$INFO, priority.consts$LOW, 5)

• Medium Priority Warning: The message is displayed when the R tool is visible on the canvas of the running workflow or is contained within a macro in the running workflow.

  AlteryxMessage("message", msg.consts$WARNING, priority.consts$MEDIUM)

• Field Conversion Error: The message is displayed when data cannot be converted from one field type to another or when the data could not fit in the field specification.

  AlteryxMessage("message", msg.consts$FIELD_CONVERSION_ERROR)

• High Priority Error: The message is displayed regardless of the R tool's relation to the running workflow. Field Conversion Errors are treated as high priority.

  AlteryxMessage("message", msg.consts$ERROR, priority.consts$HIGH)

Write Output: An option to output a data stream from an output anchor. All anchors can produce data or a graph.

Each output can only produce either data or a single graph.

Optional parameters

Source: An optional parameter to add a string to the Source column in the metadata output.

write.Alteryx(dataVariableToWrite, 5, source="customer data from 2012 repo")

Row Names: An optional parameter to include a new column titled RowNames, populated with the first column of data as row headers. By default, this parameter is set to FALSE.

write.Alteryx(dataVariableToWrite, 5, TRUE)

Packing dependencies

Extra files that accompany the R Code will not automatically be detected as workflow dependencies. Therefore, if you need to package your workflow and your R code has its own dependencies, be sure to include any additional files using Tool Configuration in the Configuration window.

Create Graph: An option to output a graph of the analysis. The output is treated as a reporting snippet that can be read by Reporting tools. Select one of the graph size options:

• 6x6 Inches - 96 dpi
• 8x10 Inches - 300 dpi

AlteryxGraph(5, width=576, height=576)
xPoints <- c(1,2,3,4)
yPoints <- c(2,4,6,8)
plot(xPoints, yPoints)
invisible(dev.off())

if(AlteryxFullUpdate)...: A function that works with the global variable [AlteryxFullUpdate].

write.AlteryxAddFieldMetaInfo: A function that adds the metainfo from a single column to the named output. This function cannot be used when AlteryxFullUpdate = FALSE.

Optional Parameters

Any combination of the following parameters may be used.

nOutput: The output to which the column's metadata is added.

name: The column name whose metainfo is output. This option verifies that the provided name is valid or an error occurs.

fieldType: A string representing the column's datatype. This option verifies that the provided fieldType is valid or an error occurs. Size and Scale may need to be manually updated depending on the fieldType. Several fieldTypes are accepted entries that are converted to valid Field types.

size: The size of the column.

Many fieldTypes are assigned a value automatically.

scale: The number of decimal places for column values.

This option is required for FixedDecimal fieldTypes, but is ignored by all other fieldTypes.

Valid FieldType strings	Size overridden	Scale overridden	Converts to valid FieldType
Bool	automatic		logical
Byte	automatic
Int16	automatic
Int32	automatic		integer
Int 64	automatic
FixedDecimal	manual	manual
Float	automatic
Double	automatic		numeric
String	manual
WString	manual
V_String
V_WString			factor; character
Date	automatic
Time	automatic
DateTime	automatic
Blob
Spatial Object

source: An optional column that can be populated with a string describing the column's origins.

description: An optional column that can be populated with a description string.

write.AlteryxGraphMetaInfo: A function that sets the metainfo of the named output to an R Script Graph by calling the function AlteryxGraph(). This function cannot be used when AlteryxFullUpdate = FALSE.

Optional Parameters

nOutput: The output to which the column's metadata is added.