Alteryx Designer: The Definitive Guide

Chapter 8. Parsing Your Data

This chapter is the first in Part III of the book, which takes you beyond the basics. This part includes an action-packed eight chapters that are going to take you from a beginner just getting your feet wet to a full-fledged advanced user swimming in the deep end. You are going to learn how to parse even the most complex data to create attractive reports that are automated. We’ll also cover in-database tools and how to document, test, debug, and optimize your workflows—topics that are important to understand to become an advanced Alteryx Design user.

While you may have heard of some of these topics, many are going to be completely new to you. Please stick with me. I assure you that if you can practice and put forth the effort, you will see positive results. These tools are advanced not because they are hard to learn but because they provide superior results, so if they seem challenging just remember: you’ve got this!

Call me silly, but parsing data is one of the areas of data engineering I love the most. I know a lot of advanced Alteryx users who love it, too. There is just something about turning a nasty, uncleaned, seemingly useless data set into something that can tell you the difference between a million-dollar opportunity and a dud. I suppose it’s like the process of diamond cutting, since diamonds are found as rough, dirty rocks. Only until an expert diamond cutter analyzes, cleans, and cuts it does that diamond really show its true value.