Engine Works
Under the hood of Alteryx: tips, tricks and how-tos.
by Hannah Erlsten and Tonya Smith (@TonyaS)
Alteryx App Builder is a powerful tool within the Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform that simplifies the process of creating modern web analytic applications in the cloud. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, App Builder provides a user-friendly, drag-and-drop UI for easy, no-code, cloud-native application building. App Builder is continuously evolving, with ongoing refinements to enhance the user experience, and we’ve got some exciting new features to share with you this month.
Application Publishing
First, we’re excited to share that app publishing is now available in Alteryx App Builder. With App Publishing, you can experiment with your changes in a sandbox version of your app and get reviews and feedback from other creators. Once the app is ready for others to use, publishing is easy! To publish or republish an app, simply select the new "Publish" option.
One of the key advantages of this new feature is that changes made in sandbox apps won't immediately impact the published version, providing you the freedom to test, iterate, and gather feedback from others before going live. And, if you need to update a published app, you can easily republish it with the most recent changes from your sandbox app. Keep in mind that deleting an app removes all versions, whether published or unpublished. App creators also have the option to add a customized path during publishing, updating both the sharing link and the iFrame URL link. For more information on publishing apps, see the App Builder User Interface documentation.
Undo/Redo with Keyboard Shortcuts
Have you ever found yourself deep in the app-building zone, meticulously configuring a tool, and then oops! You accidentally hit the delete button? And when you frantically press CTRL + Z, you're hit with that sinking feeling - no undo magic and it's back to square one?
Coming soon in November, you'll be able to easily get your precious work back using the new "undo" functionality in App Builder. The “Undo” functionality allows creators to undo/redo up to 10 recent changes and is accessible through the Edit menu or via standard keyboard shortcuts:
- On Windows: CTRL + Z to Undo, CTRL + Y to Redo.
- On Mac: Command + Z to Undo, Command + Y to Redo.
App Builder has also improved the saving experience, now providing users with a progress indicator while saving. Additionally, the save button is now disabled during the saving process and a helpful tooltip indicates the time of the last save. Keyboard shortcuts are available as well:
- On Windows: ALT+ S
- On Mac: CTRL+ S
Visual App Design Enhancements
We know designing modern apps is important to many of our users, and we’re excited to share new visual design enhancements to App Builder that allow creators to add additional style and functionality to their apps. The Spacer and Divider tools, alongside additional spacing configuration options in Display and Interactive tools, provide greater control over the placement of design elements in your apps. Some visual design feature updates to note:
- The Building Blocks category of the Design tab now includes the Spacer tool.
- The Divider tool has been enhanced to allow corner-drag resizing, definition of stroke width, and solid or dashed line styles.
- Both Spacer and Divider tools enable creators to specify the desired color.
Moreover, all tools in the Display and Interactive categories now offer added configuration options to specify spacing around design components, giving creators more freedom to customize the appearance of their apps.
In conclusion, Alteryx App Builder simplifies the creation of modern web analytic applications in the cloud, catering to users at all levels. With ongoing improvements and exciting new features, App Builder offers a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface for effortless cloud-native application development.
Application Publishing is a notable addition, enabling sandbox testing and collaboration before publishing. The new Undo/Redo functionality enhances the app-building experience, and improvements in the saving process make it more efficient. Finally, visual design enhancements with Spacer and Divider tools, as well as additional spacing configurations, provide creators with more control over their app design elements.
App Builder is designed to empower app creators, whether they're beginners or experts. To try App Builder for free for 30 days – Sign up for the free Alteryx Analytics Cloud trial. Happy building!
