Alteryx Designer: The Definitive Guide: Simplify and Automate Your Analytics 9781098107529

Table of contents :
Forewords
Preface
Who This Book Is For
How This Book Is Organized
Conventions Used in This Book
O’Reilly Online Learning
How to Contact Us
Acknowledgments
I. Getting Started
1. Introduction to Alteryx
Introduction to Alteryx Designer and the Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform
Versions and Upgrades
Download, Install, and Activate Alteryx Designer
Downloading Alteryx Designer
Installing or Upgrading Alteryx Designer
Activating Alteryx Designer
The Alteryx Community
Alteryx Academy
Certifications
Discussion Boards
Knowledge
Ideas
Blogs and Podcasts
User Groups
Use Cases
Alteryx Support
Conclusion
2. Configuring Alteryx Designer
The Alteryx Designer Interface
The Tool Palettes
The Canvas
The Configuration Window
The Results Window
Important Features
Global Search
Workflow Configuration
Canvas options
Workflow options
Runtime options
Events options
Meta Info options
User Settings
Defaults
Dataset Defaults
Canvas
Data Connection Manager
Advanced
Macros
Localization
Customization
Shortcuts
Showing and hiding windows
Adding a tool to the canvas
Aligning tools
Open, close, save, move, and run
Sample Workflows and Datasets
Starter Kits
Favorites Tool Palette
Finding Help
Let’s Build Your First Workflow
Step 1: Tool Palette
Step 2: Canvas
Step 3: Configure
Step 4: Results
Practice Using Three Common Tools: Filter, Select, Browse
Conclusion
II. Basics
3. Getting Data into Alteryx Designer
In/Out Tool Palette
Types of Data Sources
The Input Data Tool
Working with Files
Connecting to Comma-Separated Values Files
Connecting to Excel Files
Connecting to Text Files
Connecting to Multiple Files at One Time
Using the * wildcard
Using the ? wildcard
Connecting with Databases
Data Connection Manager
Making a Connection to a Database
Drivers and DSNs
Connecting to Data Using ODBC and DCM
Connecting to Data using OLEDB
More Tools in the In/Out Tool Palette
Browse Tool
Date Time Now Tool
Directory Tool
Map Input Tool
Text Input Tool
Conclusion
4. Getting Data out of Alteryx Designer
Files Versus Databases
Output to Files
Output to a CSV File
Configuration options
Viewing the output file
Output to an Excel File
Configuration options
Output to a YXDB File
Output to Databases
Output to Microsoft SQL Server
Configuration options
Output to Multiple Sources
Append Suffix to File/Table Name
Prepend Prefix to File/Table Name
Change File/Table Name
Change Entire File Path
Conclusion
5. Cleaning Your Data
Knowing When You Have Dirty Data
The Results Window
The Browse Tool
Filtering Your Data
Filter Tool
Basic Filter
Custom Filter
The Expression Window
Functions
Columns and Constants
Recent and Saved Expressions
Save Expression
Filtering examples
Finding missing data
Finding specific values
Select Tool
Configuring the Select tool
Data types
Select tool options
Select Records Tool
Unique Tool
Sample Tool
Cleaning Your Data
Auto Field Tool
The Metadata tab
Auto Field tool + Select tool combo
Data Cleansing Tool
Imputation Tool
Sort Tool
Writing Expressions
Compound Expressions
Formula Tool
Modifying an existing field
Creating a new field
Creating multiple calculations
Multi-Field Formula Tool
Multi-Row Formula Tool
Creating Data
Creating New Columns
Record ID tool
Tile tool
Creating New Rows
Generate Rows tool
Scaffolding
Conclusion
6. Joining Your Data
Vertical Joins
The Union Tool
Auto Config by Name
Auto Config by Position
Manually Configure Fields
Horizontal Joins
The Join Tool
The Join Multiple Tool
The Append Fields Tool
The Find Replace Tool
The Fuzzy Match Tool
Prepping for fuzzy matching
The fuzzy matching process
Preconfigured match styles
Finding matches
Purge Mode
Merge
The Make Group Tool
Conclusion
7. Transforming Your Data
The Summarize Tool
Building Aggregations
Cross Tab Tool
Transpose Tool
Arrange Tool
Count Records Tool
Running Total Tool
Weighted Average Tool
Make Columns Tool
Conclusion
III. Beyond the Basics
8. Parsing Your Data
What Is Parsing?
Text To Columns Tool
DateTime Tool
XML Parse Tool
RegEx Tool
Regular Expressions
How to Build RegEx Strings with RegEx101
Using the RegEx Tool
Replace
Tokenize
Parse
Match
Parsing Using the Formula Tools
Conclusion
9. Reporting
Report Elements
Image Tool
Interactive Chart Tool
Building an interactive bar chart
Create a layer
Create a template
Create transforms
Style fonts
Style layers
Style charts
Style axes
Style legends
Style notes
Batch
Report Footer Tool
Report Header Tool
Report Map Tool
Settings
Data
Layers
Legend
Map Legend Splitter Tool
Map Legend Builder Tool
Report Text Tool
Create a new field
Attach text to existing field
Expert Mode
PCXML
Table Tool
Table Mode
Table Configuration
Table Width
Pivot Style
Bar Graph
Per Column Configuration
Default Table Settings
Create Row Rule
Report Layout
Layout Tool
Layout Mode
Layout Configuration
Per Row Configuration
Visual Layout Tool
Overlay Tool
Report Output
Email Tool
Insight Tool
Render Tool
Configuration
Advanced Reporting Topics
Things to Consider When Building a Report
Batch Reporting
Convert to batch mode
Conclusion
10. In-Database Tools
What Problem Do In-DB Tools Solve?
How Does an In-DB Workflow Work?
The In-DB Tool Palette
Connect In-DB Tool
Connecting to your database
Setting up your first in-database connection
Browse In-DB Tool
Summarize In-DB Tool
Select In-DB Tool
Sample In-DB Tool
Union In-DB Tool
Join In-DB Tool
Formula In-DB Tool
Filter In-DB Tool
Dynamic Output In-DB Tool
Dynamic Input In-DB Tool
Write Data In-DB Tool
Data Stream In Tool
Data Stream Out Tool
Transparency in Using In-DB Tools and Designer
Additional Tips and Tidbits
Conclusion
11. Calgary Tools
Calgary Loader Tool
Calgary Indexes
How do I know which fields to index?
Where are my indexes stored?
Calgary Input Tool
Field Categories
Linked Tables
Calgary Join Tool
Calgary Cross Count Tool
Calgary Cross Count Append Tool
Conclusion
IV. Macros and Apps
12. Interface Tools
The Interface Tool Palette
Macro Input Tool
Macro Output Tool
Text Box Tool
Action Tool
Numeric Up Down Tool
Radio Button Tool
Drop Down Tool
Check Box Tool
List Box Tool
Folder Browse Tool
File Browse Tool
Date Tool
Tree Tool
Map Tool
Condition Tool
Error Message Tool
Control Parameter Tool
Conclusion
13. Macros
Types of Macros
Managing Macros
Building a Standard Macro
Step 1: Build a Workflow
Step 2: Add Interface Tools
Step 3: Set to Standard Macro and Save
Step 4: Insert Macro and Test
Building a Batch Macro
Building an Iterative Macro
Conclusion
14. Apps
Why Use Analytic Apps?
Building Your First Analytic App
The Interface Designer
Chained Apps
Conclusion
V. Spatial Analytics
15. Spatial Tools
Introduction to Spatial Data
What Is Spatial Analysis?
Types of Spatial Analysis
The Spatial Tool Palette
Building Spatial Objects
Create Points tool
Poly-Build tool
Trade Area tool
Spatial Process tool
Modifying Spatial Objects
Smooth tool
Generalize tool
Poly-Split tool
Buffer tool
Analyzing Spatial Objects
Spatial Match tool
Make Grid tool
Heat Map tool
Find Nearest tool
Distance tool
Spatial Info tool
Spatial Functions in Other Tools
Conclusion
16. Address Analysis
Introduction to Address Analysis
The CASS Data Set
The Address Tool Palette
CASS Tool
US ZIP9 Coder Tool
Street Geocoder Tool
Reverse Geocoder Tool
Parse Address Tool
US Geocoder Tool
Conclusion
VI. Alteryx Server and Analytics Cloud
17. Introduction to Alteryx Server
What Is Alteryx Server?
The Main Capabilities of Alteryx Server
Workflow Deployment and Scheduling
Collaboration and Sharing
User and Group Permissions
Monitoring and Logging
Scalability and Performance
API and Web Service Integration
Data Governance and Compliance
Scalable Analytic Apps
Conclusion
18. Introduction to the Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform
Why Platforms Are Valuable
The Move from All-Purpose to Purpose-Built
The Influence of AI
The Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform
Designer Cloud
Alteryx Machine Learning
Auto Insights
App Builder
Location Intelligence
Plans
Future Applications
Conclusion
Index