Alteryx Foundation Micro-Credential Practice Exam

What tool can be used to limit a data stream to a set number or percentage of records?

1. Sample

2. Filter

3. Sort

4. Join

The correct answer is: Sample

The Sample tool is designed specifically for limiting a data stream to a specific number or percentage of records. By using this tool, you can choose to take a random sample of your data or specify an exact count of records to retain, making it very effective for scenarios where you only need a subset of the overall dataset for analysis or processing. The functionality of the Sample tool allows users to easily manage large datasets by selecting relevant portions of data, which is particularly useful in performance optimization and when conducting preliminary analysis. This enables users to work with smaller, more manageable datasets without overwhelming system resources while still obtaining insights from the selected sample. In contrast, the Filter tool is intended for evaluating and processing records based on specific conditions, rather than limiting them to a set number or percentage. The Sort tool organizes records based on the designated sorting criteria, and while the Join tool combines datasets based on common fields, it does not provide any mechanism for limiting the number of records in the output. Hence, the Sample tool is the appropriate choice for this specific requirement of limiting a data stream.