Workflow Configuration

The Canvas tab lists options that control how tools and information display on the workflow canvas.

• Layout Direction: Click to select the direction in which tools connect on the canvas: Vertical or Horizontal.
• Annotations: Click to select how annotations display on the canvas: Hide, Show, or Show w/ tool names. Hide shows annotations when you point to a tool.
• Connection Progress: Click to select how the processing progress displays on the canvas as a workflow runs. tools as a workflow runs displays on the canvas: Hide, Show, or Show Only When Running. Progress displays the record count on the first line and the total record size (KB) on the second line.

The Workflow tab contains information about a workflow file. File information displays for a workflow you have saved and are actively working on. If the workflow has not been saved, some of the information will be blank. To view the workflow in its containing folder, you can right-click the Workflow tab, and select Open Containing Folder.

Workflow Path: Displays the file location of the selected workflow.

Workflow Type: Displays the type of workflow that is open.

• Standard Workflow: A workflow (.yxmd) runs from beginning to end, as designed, with no additional parameters attached to it. See Build Workflows.
• Analytic App: An analytic app workflow (.yxwz) includes a custom interface and an underlying workflow. You can enter information in the interface to update the original workflow. See Analytic Apps.
• Macro: A macro workflow (.yxmc) can be run as a single tool within another workflow. Like an analytics app, a macro includes an underlying workflow and a custom interface in which you can enter information. Macros saved to the macro repository display as tools in the tool palette. See Macros.
• Batch Macro: A batch macro can be run repeatedly in the context of a workflow. It accepts an input called a control parameter that configures the macro using questions that map data. The macro runs after each incoming control record is received. See Batch Macro.
• Iterative Macro: An Iterative Macro will run through every record and then loop the records back through the workflow, repeating the entire process as many times as is specified, or until a condition is met. See Iterative Macro.
• Location Optimizer Macro: The Location Optimizer Macro is an iterative macro which determines the best score for each demand location and then assigns the best correlated supply locations according to those scores. See Location Optimizer Macro.

When a workflow is saved as an app or macro, each tool in the workflow gets a anchor. Only tools in the Interface category can be connected to the anchor. The anchor indicates interface elements and actions are updating a tool in a workflow.

Analytic app and macro properties, layout and testing can be set in the Interface Designer, View > Interface Designer. See Interface Designer Window.

Constants: Constants are global variables for a workflow that make it possible to change a value in a single location and have that change apply to the rest of the workflow. See Constants.

The Runtime tab includes settings that apply when the workflow is run. This tab is not available for macros.

• Dedicated Sort/Join Memory Usage
• Use Global Default: The global setting can be configured in User Settings or System Settings.
• Use Specific Amount: Define the minimum amount of memory the Engine will use to perform sort and join operations in a workflow. To change this setting for this workflow only, type or click to set a new value. Generally, this value should be not changed.

  For more information on how Alteryx uses memory, see Memory Use.

• Temporary Files
• Use Global Default: Select to use the global setting configured in User Settings or System Settings.
• Use Specific Folder: Displays the path to the default location where temporary files used in workflow processing are saved. To change the setting for this workflow only, type or click to browse to a different location.
• Conversion Errors
• Limit Conversion Errors: Select to set the maximum number of conversion errors reported for each tool in a workflow. See Conversion Errors.
• Maximum Errors per Location: Click or type to set the maximum number of conversion errors reported for each tool in a workflow.
• Stop Processing When Limit is Reached: Select to stop the workflow from running when a tool exceeds the set maximum number of conversion errors.
• Predictive Tools Code Page: Select the code page to use for Predictive Tools in your workflow. This setting is workflow-specific and overrides your selection in User Settings > Localization.
• Record Limit for All Inputs: Type the maximum number of records in any input. By default, there is no limit. Generally, this information should not be changed.
• Cancel Running Workflow on Error: Select to stop a workflow from running after an error is reported.
• Disable All Browse Tools: Select to disable all Browse tools in a workflow, as well as the Results window data for all tools. This optimizes workflow processing. Disabled tools appear grayed-out on the canvas.
• Show All Macro Messages: Select to report messages for all tools used in a macro workflow.
• Disable All Tools that Write Output: Select to disable any tool in a workflow that produces an output. When selected, the disabled output tool appears gray in the workflow, cannot be configured, and will not output data. Use this option while building or updating a workflow, and to troubleshoot issues, without generating an output. You can also disable individual Output Data tools via the tool configuration Disable Tool setting.

Macros that generate outputs will also be disabled, although macros do not appear disabled in the canvas. This option does not affect tools used for in-database processing, since all in-database processing occurs within the database.

• Enable Performance Profiling: Select to receive information about the performance of tools in a workflow. After you run the workflow, in the Results window, you can view the time it took to run each tool in the workflow. Use this option to troubleshoot a specific workflow because it may decrease workflow processing performance.
• Use AMP Engine: Select to use the AMP Engine, which relies on multi-threading to improve performance on large datasets. Select to make options related to AMP performance visible. See File Format Options, Sort Tool, and Unique Tool for more information.
  • Engine Compatibility Mode: Turn on Engine Compatibility Mode.

The Events tab contains options for configuring email notifications or run commands for specific events that occur when a workflow is run. This tab is not available for batch, iterative, and location optimizer macros.

Enable Events Select to enable events to trigger an email or run command.

Add a Run Command event

1. Click Add and click Run Command.
2. In the Edit Event window, click Run Event When and select when the event will run relative to the workflow event:
• Before Run: Runs the command before the workflow is run.
• After Run: Runs the command after the workflow is run.
• After Run with Errors: Runs the command after the workflow was run, but only if the workflow ran with errors.
• After Run Without Errors: Runs the command after the workflow was run, but only if the workflow ran without error.
• Disabled: Turns the event off.
3. For Command, click Browse to select the external command to run when the event occurs. Commands programs can be used to generate read results based on the write source. For more reasons to run an external command, see Run Command Tool.
4. In Command Arguments, type a command argument. Some commands require one or more arguments. For examples of command arguments, see Run Command Tool.
5. (Optional) For Working Directory, click Browse to select a different directory. By default, the directory is the same location where the workflow is saved.
6. In Timeout, type or click to set the time in seconds to execute the run command. The run command will stop if it is not complete in time.
7. Click OK to save the event.

Add a Send Email event

1. Click Add and click Send Email.
2. Click Run Event When and select when the event will run relative to the workflow event.
• Before Run: Sends an email before the workflow is run.
• After Run: Sends an email after the workflow is run.
• After Run with Errors: Sends an email after the workflow is run, but only if the workflow ran with errors.
• After Run Without Errors: Sends an email after the workflow is run, but only if the workflow ran without errors.
• Disabled: Turns the event off.
3. Enter your SMTP server. You can choose to use DCM to store the SMTP connection.
4. Enter a valid value for Port (you can add the port number as part of the SMTP URL instead if needed). The SMTP setting uses Port 25 by default. These default settings are provided (but can be overridden):
   • Port 25, when None is selected via Encryption.
   • Port 465, when SSL/TLS is selected via Encryption.
   • Port 587, when STARTTLS is selected via Encryption.
5. Select the Encryption: None, SSL/TLS, or START/TLS.
6. If you want to authenticate the event, check the Authentication box, and provide a valid Username and Password.
7. In From, enter the email address from which the email will appear to be sent. Must be a valid email address.
8. In To, enter the email address to which the email will be sent. Must be a valid email address.
9. In Subject, enter the text to appear in the email subject line.
10. Attachments: (Optional) Select files to attach to the email. Add up to 10 MB of attachments.
11. In Body, enter the text to appear in the email body.
12. Select OK to save the event.

The Meta Info tab lists details about a workflow. You can add information that saves when you save the workflow.

• Workflow Name
• Use File Name: By default, the file name is used as the workflow name. The name appears in the Custom box.
• Custom: Select to type a new name for the workflow.
• Description: Type a description of the workflow. For an analytic app, the description is used in the interface and Gallery. For macros, the description is used as a tool tip that appears when you click the tool in the tool palette.
• URL: Type a URL you want to associate with this workflow.
• Tool Settings: These settings allow you to create multiple versions of a macro. Macros saved to the macro repository display in the tool palette. These settings only apply to macros. For more information on the macro repository, see Macros.
• Root Tool Name: Type a name for the tool. You can have multiple tools with the same root name; however, only one tool will display in the tool palette.
• Tool Version: Type the tool version number. The most current version of a tool displays in the tool palette.

To access older versions of a macro tool, drag the tool to the canvas and right-click it.

• Tool In-Database?: Select this option if the tool can be used in a workflow with In-Database tools.
• Tool Palette: These settings control how macros display in the tool palette. Macros saved to the macro repository display in the tool palette. The settings only apply to macro workflows. For more information on the macro repository, see Macros.
• Category Name: Type the name of the category in which the macro should be displayed in the tool palette.
• Search Tags: Type terms that a user might use to search for and locate the macro. By default, File name, Custom Name, Author Name, and Company Name are included as search tags.
• Author
• Name: Type the workflow author's name.
• Company: Type the company with which the author is affiliated.
• Copyright: Type copyright information.
• Set to Default: Click to undo your work and use the default text.
• Remember as default: Save the text your entered as the default.

By default, the XML tab does not display. To enable the table, go to Options > User Settings > Edit User Settings, and, on the Advanced tab, select Display XML in the Configuration Window.

The XML View tab displays the code that makes up the workflow. Use the information to troubleshoot and to understand how a workflow works.