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Ron House Sprint Retail Strategy & Reporting. Creating an Alteryx Wizard for Retail Market Analysis and Site Selection . Agenda. Actions Conditions Converting the Sample Module Questions Actions Updating Values Throw Errors Example Actions Show Values Test Output. What are Wizards?
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Ron HouseSprint Retail Strategy & Reporting Creating an Alteryx Wizard for Retail Market Analysis and Site Selection
Agenda • Actions \ Conditions • Converting the Sample Module • Questions • Actions • Updating Values • Throw Errors • Example Actions • Show Values \ Test Output • What are Wizards? • Wizard Guidelines • Creating a Wizard • Questions & Actions • Wizard Interfaces • A Sample Module • Tool Naming • Tabs • Questions \ Parameters
What are Wizards? • Wizards are Alteryx modules with a user interface • Users can run multiple scenarios with a single module • Standard dialog features with file browse, select menus, radio buttons, checkboxes, etc. • Extend the availability of your module to a variety of Alteryx users • Created by Power Users, used by many • Individually using Alteryx Desktop or via the web using Alteryx Enterprise (Web Wizards)
Wizard Guidelines Begin with completed module Don’t try to create the module and wizard at the same time Give all Tools in your module a unique name A “must” for referencing the correct tool Make a list of Wizard variables beforehand Determine what the module needs to run, thus defining what user needs to provide Inputs, Outputs (required formats and data types) What variables will the user want to set? Example – if a Buffer Tool is used within the module, decide if the radius value can be changed by the user or if a standard value will be used Do not overload user with questions, KISS
Creating an Alteryx Wizard From the View pull down menu Choose the Show Properties Window option Change the Module Type to Wizard Then use the File Save As… command Change the Save as type:…select list to Alteryx Wizard (*.yxwz) Select the Create button to begin
Questions, Actions & Properties • Questions • Prompt the user to provide information or set a value • Also defines how the Wizard Environment, because each question is associated with a interface parameter which define how it looks • Actions • Result of a Question • Implemented as a result of user interaction • Wizard Properties • Specific properties are defined • Wizard Graphic, custom Help button, etc. • For this class, we will focus on Wizard Q&A
Questions Asking What the User Wants to Do Choose the Add button to add a parameter to the Wizard Environment or interface A question is associated with each parameter prompting a response from the user
Actions Applying User Changes and Executing Processes Choose the Add button to add the desired Action parameter to the interface It is a good practice to provide an Action parameter to both True and False conditions
Legend Inputs Variable Outputs Working With a Sample Module
Vicinity = x mile buffer around store 2 1 3 Determining the Store Vicinity: Creating aVicinity & Selecting Customers within
Creating the Store Trade Area: Defining the StoreTrade Area & Customers Within 4 7 5 6 Trade
What Did You Call Me? • Make certain all tools are named with a unique custom name – no defaults • Right-click on a tool and choose the Properties option • Select Annotation and edit the Name
Tabs A Good Way to Group Questions • Choose the Add button to add a Tab to the interface • Or if already in the interface, select the Edit button to modify the Tab description
File Browse Parameters - Input Store Location File & Customer File Choose the Add button to include separate File Browse parameters to input the Store Location file and Customer file Provide a Input Name and Description Define any Arbitrary File Specification if desired
Numeric Up\Down Parameter Edit Store Vicinity Radius Select the Add button to add a Numeric Up/Down parameter for the Store Vicinity Radius Provide a Input Name and Description Set the Minimum, Maximum, Increment and Default Radius values
File Browse Parameters - OutputStore Drive Time File & PDF Report Use the Add button to include separate File Browse parameters to output the Store Average Drive Time file Check the Save As Dialog checkbox Provide a Input Name and Description Define any Arbitrary File Specification, such as a PDF File (*.pdf)|*.pdf Note: Input and Output Parameters are similar with the exception of choosing the Save As Dialog Checkbox when defining Output Parameters
Select the Test button to preview the Interface and to verify values are being set correctly Testing the Interface • Use the Show Values button to view values while testing • Test Output… creates • a test module to run
The Action Process • Each Action is assigned a Condition • The Condition is evaluated and returns a True or False value • A specific process is executed depending on whether the value is True or False
Highlight the specific Action and select the Edit button The default Action is set to Always True Modify the Action Description and choose the Add button to assign a Condition to each Action and True\False value Actions Tab - Defining Actions
Use an expression to evaluate the value for the condition Example – test to see if the user supplied an Input filename by using the ISNULL function Editing Conditions
Applying Conditions to True\False Values • Next, highlight the True\False value and assign a Condition • Selecting Update\Change Value opens the Edit Update\Change Value dialog box
Throw Errors • If a False value is returned due to a file not being selected, a Throw Error condition can be applied • This is an alert to the user that a required file was not provided
Edit the Action Description Then select the Value or Attribute to Update This is where giving each tool a unique name pays off Choose the parameter that will update this value Check the Replace a specific string: checkbox Only what is replaced Example: Store Location Input File Edit Update / Change Value
Edit the Action Description giving each Action a unique name Then select the Value or Attribute to Update Choose the parameter that will update this value Check the Replace a specific string: checkbox Example: Store Vicinity Radius Edit Update / Change Value
Edit the Action Description Then select the Value or Attribute to Update Choose the parameter that will update this value Check the Replace a specific string: checkbox Example: Report PDF Output File Edit Update / Change Value
Using Show Value \ Test Output Test the Wizard by entering sample data and verify using Show Data and check to see if the Action Conditions were run using Test Output…
Begin work with a completed Module Name all Tools Keep the Wizard Interface simple and use Tabs to group similar type Questions Define Arbitrary File Specifications to limit file input\output types Test the Wizard Interface as a user Assign a Condition to every Action, execute a process for every True \ False value Use Throw Error to trap required files \ values not being defined or use defaults Test Using Show Values and Test Output In Conclusion