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Blue circle with a white square in the middle that is comprised of 9 smaller squares in a 3-by-3 configuration. Tile Tool

One Tool Example

Tile has a One Tool Example. Visit Sample Workflows to learn how to access this and many other examples directly in Alteryx Designer.

Use Tile to assign a value (tile) based on ranges in the data. The tool does this based on the user specifying one of 5 methods.

2 fields are appended to the data:

  • Tile number is the assigned tile of the record.

  • Tile sequence number is the record number of the record's position within the Tile.

Configure the Tool

Tile Method: Select the range pattern used to assign tile value.

Assigns tiles to cover a range of values where each tile has the same total of the Sum field based on the sort order of the incoming records.

Create Tiles with Equal Total Values

The total of the Sum field is as close as it can be for each tile without breaking a record.

  1. Number of Tiles: Specify how many groups to assign to the data.

  2. Sum Column: Specify the field to tile by that results in ranges where the sum of this number is equally distributed across the tiles.

  3. Sort Column (Optional): If you select a field from this dropdown list, the data is sorted on the specified field before it is assigned to a tile. If no field is specified, the records are assigned to tiles based on their incoming sort order.

  4. Sort Method: This option shows only if you select Sort Column (above). Set the sorting method that you want to use. Your options include...

    • Unicode Code Point

    • Dictionary Order: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish languages.

    • Gojūon: Japanese

    • Pinyin: Simplified Chinese

Input records are divided into the specified amount of tiles so that each tile is assigned the same amount of records.

Divide Records Equally

  1. Select the Number of Tiles to assign to the data.

  2. Do not split tile on column (Optional): If you select a field from this dropdown list, a tile is not split across this field. If no field is selected, the tile # takes preference over the specified field data, thus potentially splitting groups.

  3. Sort Column (Optional): If you select a field from this drop-down list, the data will be sorted (in descending order for numbers and ascending order for all other field types) on the specified field before it is assigned to a tile.

  4. Sort Method: This option shows only if you select Sort Column (above). Set the sorting method that you want to use. Your options include...

    • Unicode Code Point

    • Dictionary Order: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish languages.

    • Gojūon: Japanese

    • Pinyin: Simplified Chinese

The number of records in the input might not be equally divisible by the number of tiles you specify. This is based solely on the record's position in the input file unless the Sort field is specified.

Creates tiles based on the Standard Deviation of the values in the specified field. The tiles assigned indicate whether the record's value falls within the average range (=0), above the average (1), or below the average (-1), etc.

Sort Records by Variance from the Average

The tile value represents the mean of the data range. The tile numbers explain the range directly. The range always starts at -0.5 and ends at +0.5:

Title

Range

0

-0.5 to 0.5

-1

-1.5 to -0.5

1

0.5 to 1.5

  1. Tile Numeric Column (Must be Numeric): Choose the field to tile by. This field must contain a numeric value.

  2. Select the naming convention applied to the output field:

    • Do not output name column: No additional output field name is generated.

    • Output name column: An additional descriptive output field name is appended to the output. Descriptors include Average, Above Average, High, Extremely High, Below Average, Low, and Extremely Low.

    • Output verbose name column: In addition to the descriptors mentioned above, the value range that the tile indicates is listed in parenthesis. For example, High (12750 to 155000).

For every unique value in a specified field or fields, a unique tile is assigned. If multiple fields are specified, a tile is assigned based on that combination of values.

Create Tiles for Unique Values

  1. Unique Columns: Check the box of the field or fields to tile by.

  2. If the Leave Unsorted checkbox is unchecked, the table is automatically sorted by the field or fields you specified for the tile.

The user can specify the cutoffs for the tiles by typing a value on a new line for each range.

Set Up Rules Manually

  1. The Numeric Column (Must be Numeric): Select the field to tile by.

  2. Enter one or more tile cutoffs: Enter each tile's upper limit on a new line in the box provided.

Tiles are applied in Manual mode but the records are not sorted. You must add a Sort tool and specify the fields which to sort by, if that is how you want the data displayed.

Group by Columns (Optional): Tile records based on a group field. When you select a Group or Groups of fields, a series of tiles is for every record within the specified group.