Generate blank row when no data is present

I am writing a workflow which breaks and sorts a data set into 4 separate parts and then generates a file for each data set. Occasionally, one of the 4 sorted data sets will have no information. I am looking to conditionally generate a blank row of dummy data when this happens. Is that possible?

Thanks!

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Accepted answers

DavidP

You can use the Count Records tool like this and append it to your dataset. That ensures that even if there are zero records, one record will be created to overwrite the sheet. The value for your empty columns will be null.

If your columns are numeric, a Data Cleanse tool can be used to change the nulls to zeros.

Hope this helps.

zero records count.png

If you don't want the Count column in your output, can can add a dynamic select tool with formula [Name]!='Count'.

Sample workflow attached.

output zero rows.yxmd

All comments

MarqueeCrew

@BrooksR189 ,

That isn't so straight-forward. The output that you are looking for is a blank row of dummy data. Dummy data would likely need to be consistent with the data types of other output values for the fields. If you union a dummy row (make it 1st), then you can use a multi-row formula and create a NEW field "DELETE" if the DUMMY data is detected and more data is present afterwards. Then you could filter to keep/drop the dummy data if DELETE result says that more data is present. Now you can use a SELECT tool to remove the fields.

Cheers,

Mark

DavidP

If your columns are numeric, a Data Cleanse tool can be used to change the nulls to zeros.

Hope this helps.

zero records count.png

If you don't want the Count column in your output, can can add a dynamic select tool with formula [Name]!='Count'.

Sample workflow attached.

output zero rows.yxmd

BrooksR189

Both solutions above worked for me. I went with the count record solution for simplicity.

FreeRangeDingo

The solution above works when there are zero rows, but when i don't have zero rows, I get an error that says -- there were more than 16 records in the source.

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