Workflow Basics

Overview

Designer Cloud enables analysts, data specialists, and other domain experts to quickly cleanse and transform datasets of varying sizes for use throughout the enterprise. Using an innovative set of web-based tools, you can import complex datasets and wrangle them for use in virtually any target system. Key capabilities include:

• Import from flat file, databases, or distributed storage systems

• Locate and remove or modify missing or mismatched data 
• Unnest complex data structures
• Identify statistical outliers in your data for review and management
• Perform lookups from one dataset into another reference dataset
• Aggregate columnar data using a variety of aggregation functions
• Normalize column values for more consistent usage and statistical modeling
• Merge datasets with joins
• Append one dataset to another through union operations

Most of these operations can be executed with a few mouse clicks. This section provides a basic overview of common workflows through Designer Cloud.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, please verify the following:

• Alteryx account: You have a Alteryx account and can login. 

• Example data: You should use a sample set of data during this workflow.

Basic Workflow

1. Import data: Integrate data from a variety of sources of data.
   

   Tip: When you login for the first time, you can immediately upload a dataset to begin transforming it.

   
   See Import Basics.

2. Profile your data: Before, during, and after you transform your data, you can use the visual profiling tools to quickly analyze and make decisions about your data. See Profiling Basics.
3. Build transform recipes: Use the various views in the Transformer Page to build your transform recipes and preview the results on sampled data. See Transform Basics.

4. Sample your data: In  Designer Cloud, you create your recipes while working with a sample of your overall dataset. As needed, you can take new samples, which can provide new perspectives and enhance performance in complex flows. See Sampling Basics.

5. Run job: Launch a job to run your recipe on the full dataset. Review results and iterate as needed. See Running Job Basics.

6. Export results: Export the generated results data for use outside of Designer Cloud. See Export Basics.

Object overview: You should review the overview of the objects that are created and maintained in  Designer Cloud. See Object Overview.

Example Flows

New users of Designer Cloud can learn by example! When a new workspace is created, the first user can access example flows through the product. You can learn more about how to build a flow and perhaps acquire some tips on how to apply to your uses.

Steps:

1. Log in to the Designer Cloud application.
2. In the left navigation bar, click the Flows icon.
3. Select any of the Example Flow flows.
4. Each flow contains detailed notes on the various objects in the flow, as well as recommended practices for building your own flows.

• To invite other users, select User menu > Admin console > Users. Click Invite Users. For more information, see Users Page.
• After users have been invited, you can share these example flows with them. Open one of the flows. From the flow context menu, select Share. Specify the usernames of the users with whom you wish to share the flow. For more information, see Share Flow Dialog.