Dynamic table headers do not change appropriately

[leonhekkert]

I'm trying to make subheaders for another table. These subheaders more or less only display the years the data below (in the other table that is later added with a layout tool) entails.

Its part of an analytic app where users select a 'firstyear' and secondyear' to compare data.

When 'firstyear' = 2023 and 'secondyear' = 2024 I would expect 2023 to appear left from 2024 in the table.

When 'firstyear' = 2024 and 'secondyear' = 2023 I would expect 2023 to appear right from 2024 in the table.

The strange thing is that I do see this behaviour when I click on the input anchor of the table tool, but when I inspect the results of the table tool through the browse tool the results do not change.

I'm testing the behaviour by changing the constants of the dropdown values in the 'workflow' part of the configuration window.

What can I do to solve this?

[leonhekkert]

@OTrieger 

When I create a render to PDF at the end of the flow and run the app twice from the gallery, first with 2023 as first year and 2024 as second and the 2nd time the other way around, the PDF shows 2023 at the left both times. :(

[CoG · Accepted solution]

This is indeed a cache issue. You are being hindered by a helpful process (unfortunately another strange behavior of Reporting Tools that is difficult to correct).

That being said, a workaround to this problem is to not open the configuration pane for the tool. That seems to be when the cache is captured. Here are the steps you need to take:

1. With everything connected, ensure that the tool is configured as you need it to be (already done, based off of the .yxwz that's been shared)

2. Ensure that the "Dynamic or Unknown Fields" box is checked:

3. Delete the connection to the Table Tool

4. Check the configuration of the Table Tool, which should now look like this:

5. IMPORTANT!!! Now Deselect the Table Tool, by clicking the empty canvas, or another Tool in the workflow.

6. Connect the Table Tool back into the workflow

7. IMPORTANT!!! Do NOT select the Table Tool again. The moment you do the configuration will cache the field names and every time those particular field names come through they will inherit the column order that has been cached. 

^I cannot say that this is definitely how Alteryx is working on the backend, but it at least appears to function this way.

There is another way that I can think of that involves creating a meaningless cache, but that takes more work to set up.

Hope this helps and Happy Solving!

[leonhekkert]

@CoG You've made me so happy! It now works like a charm. So it was indeed a cache issue.

I was already struggling for so long with this flow and invested a lot of time in this way of working, so was very keen on getting the right results.

Thanks also @OTrieger for taking the time to think along.