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Intro to Alteryx: February Events

This guide contains information to introduce the new user to Alteryx.

Preparation tools

Select tool       

The Select tool allows you to include, exclude, or reorder the columns of data that pass through a workflow. You can also use this tool to modify the type and size of data, rename a column, or add a description.


To include a column in data, select the check box to the left of the column name. Deselect the check box to exclude the column.  You will notice that we have an Unknown field listed.  This field is for adding new fields to your work and is present for many of the tools. For the workflow,  select Date, SB, and Winner.  Once this is done, click the Run button.

 

In checking the results, only the date, SB and the Winner  are seen.

 

 

Filter tool  

The Filter tool queries records by using an expression and splits data into two outputs: True, where the data meets the specified criteria, and False, where the data does not meet the specified criteria. Use this tool to identify records in your data that meet a specified criteria. 

Select the type of filter to use

Basic filter: Use the basic filter to quickly build a simple query on a single column of data.

  1. Click Select column to select the data to filter.
  2. In the next drop down, select the operator to use depending on the data type of the selected column.
  3. Complete the expression by typing a value or selecting the available date values.

Custom filter: Use the custom filter to build a more complex expression or to query from multiple fields in the data stream.

Select the Basic filter, then select Pts as the data to filter.  Choose the >= from the menu of operators.  Then type 50 in box for the value.  Click the Run button.

By clicking on the T anchor, the data can be seen which meets criteria. Clicking on the F anchor reveals data that did not meet the criteria. 

Custom Filter

With the Custom Filter, we build the filter expression.  Using LoserScore, we will filter scores and look for when the losing team scored 10 or fewer points.

After hitting the RUN button, we have the following results

Formula tool   

The Formula tool creates a new column, or updates a column by using one or more expressions to perform a variety of calculations and operations. 

Configure the tool

Using the Input Data tool, bring the SportFanMarketSize datafile into the workspace.  Drag the Formula tool onto the workspace and connect it to the Input Data tool.

In the Configuration window, select an Output Column of data in "Select Column"; choose an existing column or add a new column.

  • Click on Select Column
  • Click + Add Column and type the new column name.
  • Click the expression editor and build an expression.

Once the workflow has been run, the Data Preview box displays the first row of data from the specified column with the expression applied.

To get started,  select +Add Column.  For the column name, type in Total.

For the expression, type in [2020]+[2021]+[2022]   As you type the [, a dialog box will pop up and allow you to select data columns that wiil be use to calculate our new column.

Once the expression is entered, click the Run button.

Once you have run your workflow, the Results pane should show the first rows of your data.  Notice that a new column, Total, is now the last column in the results.

Imputation tool   

The Imputation tool allows you to replace a specified value within one or more numeric data fields with another specified value.  This is particularly heplful in replacing NULL values or empty spaces in our datasets.

Configure the tool:

  1. Select the field to be imputed
  2. Incoming value to replace: Specify one of two choices.
    • Null()
    • User specified value: Use the text box to enter a value.
  3. Replace with value: Specify one of four choices.
    • Average: Average of all values, not including “Incoming value to replace”.
    • Median: Value separating the higher half from the lower half, or the “middle” value.
    • Mode: Value that appears most often.  
    • User specified value: Use the text box to enter a value.

Download the datafile SportsFanMarket to your desktop, then use the Input data tool to bring the file into your workspace.  This spreadsheet details the size of the sports fan market.  Since there are blanks (NULL values) in the data, you can use the Imputation tool to change these values.  Drag the Imputation tool onto the workspace and connect it to the Input Data tool.

This connection will bring up the Configuration box which lets you decide which fields to correct.

In the Configuration box, you can decide which fields to impute, which values to replace and what value to replace them with.   Replace all the NULL values with a zero (0).  Make the appropriate selections for this and click on RUN.

Once the workflow has run, you can see the results,  All the NULL values have been replaced with zero.

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