Alteryx Designer: The Definitive Guide

Alteryx Designer: The Definitive Guide

by Joshua Burkhow
Released November 2023
Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 9781098107529

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Book description

Analytics projects are frequently long, drawn-out affairs, requiring multiple teams and skills to clean, join, and eventually turn data into analysis for timely decision-making. Alteryx Designer changes all of that. With this low-code, self-service, drag-and-drop workflow platform, new and experienced data and business analysts can deliver results in hours instead of weeks.

This practical book shows you how to master all areas of Alteryx Designer quickly. Author and Alteryx ACE Joshua Burkhow starts with the basics of building a workflow, then introduces more than 200 tools for working with intermediate and advanced analytics functionality. With Alteryx Designer's all-in-one toolkit, you'll migrate from legacy analytics software or Excel with ease.

Ready to work with data quickly and efficiently? This guide gets you started.

  • Learn the fundamentals of cleaning, prepping, and analyzing data with Alteryx Designer
  • Install, navigate, and quickly become competent with the Alteryx Designer layout and functionality
  • Construct accurate, performant, reliable, and well-documented workflows that automate business processes
  • Learn intermediate techniques using spatial analytics, reporting, and in-database tools
  • Dive into advanced Alteryx capabilities, including predictive and machine learning tools
  • Get introduced to the entire Alteryx Analytic Process Automation (APA) Platform

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Table of contents

  1. Forewords
  2. Preface
    1. Who This Book Is For
    2. How This Book Is Organized
    3. Conventions Used in This Book
    4. O’Reilly Online Learning
    5. How to Contact Us
    6. Acknowledgments
  3. I. Getting Started
  4. 1. Introduction to Alteryx
    1. Introduction to Alteryx Designer and the Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform
      1. Versions and Upgrades
    2. Download, Install, and Activate Alteryx Designer
      1. Downloading Alteryx Designer
      2. Installing or Upgrading Alteryx Designer
      3. Activating Alteryx Designer
    3. The Alteryx Community
      1. Alteryx Academy
      2. Certifications
      3. Discussion Boards
      4. Knowledge
      5. Ideas
      6. Blogs and Podcasts
      7. User Groups
      8. Use Cases
      9. Alteryx Support
    4. Conclusion
  5. 2. Configuring Alteryx Designer
    1. The Alteryx Designer Interface
      1. The Tool Palettes
      2. The Canvas
      3. The Configuration Window
      4. The Results Window
    2. Important Features
      1. Global Search
      2. Workflow Configuration
      3. User Settings
      4. Shortcuts
      5. Sample Workflows and Datasets
      6. Starter Kits
      7. Favorites Tool Palette
      8. Finding Help
    3. Let’s Build Your First Workflow
      1. Step 1: Tool Palette
      2. Step 2: Canvas
      3. Step 3: Configure
      4. Step 4: Results
      5. Practice Using Three Common Tools: Filter, Select, Browse
    4. Conclusion
  6. II. Basics
  7. 3. Getting Data into Alteryx Designer
    1. In/Out Tool Palette
      1. Types of Data Sources
      2. The Input Data Tool
    2. Working with Files
      1. Connecting to Comma-Separated Values Files
      2. Connecting to Excel Files
      3. Connecting to Text Files
      4. Connecting to Multiple Files at One Time
    3. Connecting with Databases
      1. Data Connection Manager
      2. Making a Connection to a Database
      3. Drivers and DSNs
      4. Connecting to Data Using ODBC and DCM
      5. Connecting to Data using OLEDB
    4. More Tools in the In/Out Tool Palette
      1. Browse Tool
      2. Date Time Now Tool
      3. Directory Tool
      4. Map Input Tool
      5. Text Input Tool
    5. Conclusion
  8. 4. Getting Data out of Alteryx Designer
    1. Files Versus Databases
    2. Output to Files
      1. Output to a CSV File
      2. Output to an Excel File
      3. Output to a YXDB File
    3. Output to Databases
      1. Output to Microsoft SQL Server
      2. Output to Multiple Sources
    4. Conclusion
  9. 5. Cleaning Your Data
    1. Knowing When You Have Dirty Data
      1. The Results Window
      2. The Browse Tool
    2. Filtering Your Data
      1. Filter Tool
      2. The Expression Window
      3. Select Tool
      4. Select Records Tool
      5. Unique Tool
      6. Sample Tool
    3. Cleaning Your Data
      1. Auto Field Tool
      2. Data Cleansing Tool
      3. Imputation Tool
      4. Sort Tool
    4. Writing Expressions
      1. Compound Expressions
      2. Formula Tool
      3. Multi-Field Formula Tool
      4. Multi-Row Formula Tool
    5. Creating Data
      1. Creating New Columns
      2. Creating New Rows
    6. Conclusion
  10. 6. Joining Your Data
    1. Vertical Joins
      1. The Union Tool
    2. Horizontal Joins
      1. The Join Tool
      2. The Join Multiple Tool
      3. The Append Fields Tool
      4. The Find Replace Tool
      5. The Fuzzy Match Tool
      6. The Make Group Tool
    3. Conclusion
  11. 7. Transforming Your Data
    1. The Summarize Tool
      1. Building Aggregations
    2. Cross Tab Tool
    3. Transpose Tool
    4. Arrange Tool
    5. Count Records Tool
    6. Running Total Tool
    7. Weighted Average Tool
    8. Make Columns Tool
    9. Conclusion
  12. III. Beyond the Basics
  13. 8. Parsing Your Data
    1. What Is Parsing?
    2. Text To Columns Tool
    3. DateTime Tool
    4. XML Parse Tool
    5. RegEx Tool
      1. Regular Expressions
      2. How to Build RegEx Strings with RegEx101
      3. Using the RegEx Tool
    6. Parsing Using the Formula Tools
    7. Conclusion
  14. 9. Reporting
    1. Report Elements
      1. Image Tool
      2. Interactive Chart Tool
      3. Report Footer Tool
      4. Report Header Tool
      5. Report Map Tool
      6. Map Legend Splitter Tool
      7. Map Legend Builder Tool
      8. Report Text Tool
      9. Table Tool
    2. Report Layout
      1. Layout Tool
      2. Visual Layout Tool
      3. Overlay Tool
    3. Report Output
      1. Email Tool
      2. Insight Tool
      3. Render Tool
    4. Advanced Reporting Topics
      1. Things to Consider When Building a Report
      2. Batch Reporting
    5. Conclusion
  15. 10. In-Database Tools
    1. What Problem Do In-DB Tools Solve?
    2. How Does an In-DB Workflow Work?
    3. The In-DB Tool Palette
      1. Connect In-DB Tool
      2. Browse In-DB Tool
      3. Summarize In-DB Tool
      4. Select In-DB Tool
      5. Sample In-DB Tool
      6. Union In-DB Tool
      7. Join In-DB Tool
      8. Formula In-DB Tool
      9. Filter In-DB Tool
      10. Dynamic Output In-DB Tool
      11. Dynamic Input In-DB Tool
      12. Write Data In-DB Tool
      13. Data Stream In Tool
      14. Data Stream Out Tool
    4. Transparency in Using In-DB Tools and Designer
    5. Additional Tips and Tidbits
    6. Conclusion
  16. 11. Calgary Tools
    1. Calgary Loader Tool
      1. Calgary Indexes
    2. Calgary Input Tool
      1. Field Categories
      2. Linked Tables
    3. Calgary Join Tool
    4. Calgary Cross Count Tool
    5. Calgary Cross Count Append Tool
    6. Conclusion
  17. IV. Macros and Apps
  18. 12. Interface Tools
    1. The Interface Tool Palette
      1. Macro Input Tool
      2. Macro Output Tool
      3. Text Box Tool
      4. Action Tool
      5. Numeric Up Down Tool
      6. Radio Button Tool
      7. Drop Down Tool
      8. Check Box Tool
      9. List Box Tool
      10. Folder Browse Tool
      11. File Browse Tool
      12. Date Tool
      13. Tree Tool
      14. Map Tool
      15. Condition Tool
      16. Error Message Tool
      17. Control Parameter Tool
    2. Conclusion
  19. 13. Macros
    1. Types of Macros
    2. Managing Macros
    3. Building a Standard Macro
      1. Step 1: Build a Workflow
      2. Step 2: Add Interface Tools
      3. Step 3: Set to Standard Macro and Save
      4. Step 4: Insert Macro and Test
    4. Building a Batch Macro
    5. Building an Iterative Macro
    6. Conclusion
  20. 14. Apps
    1. Why Use Analytic Apps?
    2. Building Your First Analytic App
    3. The Interface Designer
    4. Chained Apps
    5. Conclusion
  21. V. Spatial Analytics
  22. 15. Spatial Tools
    1. Introduction to Spatial Data
      1. What Is Spatial Analysis?
      2. Types of Spatial Analysis
    2. The Spatial Tool Palette
      1. Building Spatial Objects
      2. Modifying Spatial Objects
      3. Analyzing Spatial Objects
    3. Spatial Functions in Other Tools
    4. Conclusion
  23. 16. Address Analysis
    1. Introduction to Address Analysis
    2. The CASS Data Set
    3. The Address Tool Palette
      1. CASS Tool
      2. US ZIP9 Coder Tool
      3. Street Geocoder Tool
      4. Reverse Geocoder Tool
      5. Parse Address Tool
      6. US Geocoder Tool
    4. Conclusion
  24. VI. Alteryx Server and Analytics Cloud
  25. 17. Introduction to Alteryx Server
    1. What Is Alteryx Server?
    2. The Main Capabilities of Alteryx Server
      1. Workflow Deployment and Scheduling
      2. Collaboration and Sharing
      3. User and Group Permissions
      4. Monitoring and Logging
      5. Scalability and Performance
      6. API and Web Service Integration
      7. Data Governance and Compliance
      8. Scalable Analytic Apps
    3. Conclusion
  26. 18. Introduction to the Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform
    1. Why Platforms Are Valuable
    2. The Move from All-Purpose to Purpose-Built
    3. The Influence of AI
    4. The Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform
      1. Designer Cloud
      2. Alteryx Machine Learning
      3. Auto Insights
      4. App Builder
      5. Location Intelligence
      6. Plans
      7. Future Applications
    5. Conclusion
  27. Index
  28. About the Author

Product information

  • Title: Alteryx Designer: The Definitive Guide
  • Author(s): Joshua Burkhow
  • Release date: November 2023
  • Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
  • ISBN: 9781098107529