How to repeat column headers of the first table in a combined layout of 2 or more tables

[anirudh1]

I have a workflow with 2 individual input files that need to be combined into a single table report. It worked fine until I observed a particular record where the table flows into the 2nd page. Number 4222.

The column headers of the first input file don't seem to repeat when I combine the 2 tables into a single vertical layout.

I observed that if I use just one table in the record then it repeats. Any idea how I can get the behavior where the headers of only the first table repeat if the number of records flows to the second page?

I am attaching the files and workflow here.

Any help from the community is really appreciated.

[DavidP · Accepted solution]

I think what happening is that you're creating 2 reporting snippets and then stitching them together (a bit like cutting out 2 pictures and then gluing and pasting them together on a sheet of paper). Only one of the 2 has a header, which appears at the top of page 1 and since it is report 2 that spills onto page 2, it doesn't repeat report 1's header. Does that make sense?

My suggestion is to combine the datasets first with a Union tool (use the Auto config by position option) before turning it into a report, like so (note that you can specify the order in which the datasets are unioned):

Also see workflow attached.

[anirudh1]

Thank you so much David! Your solution really solved my problem superbly. 

I have one more question though.

With the very same table, I've added two text boxes one which indicates the Number1 as a heading which I've placed above the table

and the other that indicates a note for each table at the end. I understood what you said about stitching them together, but is there any way to repeat just this first heading text boxes on each page when it goes beyond one page?  

These are probably really newbie questions but I looked at the sample workflows that are provided within the alteryx application and still couldn't figure this out.

[DavidP]

You're very welcome!

Maybe text boxes are not the way to go as I can't think of a way that you could replicate them on every page. But that's what headers and footers as designed to do, right? I see from your screenshot that you do have headers and footers in there.

I'll have to play around with it a bit, so will get back to you shortly.

[DavidP]

Ok, so I so I learn something new every day with Alteryx! It seems you can use Text tools as header and footer inputs for the Render tool - in fact, it looks like you can use pretty much any reporting object as a header or footer.

Now the problem is that you probably wanted something else as a header and a footer and with the Render tool you can only pick one header object and one footer object. 

So, how about combining a header tool and a report tool together into a layout tool to create a new "header object" and do the same with the footer. To my surprise, it actually works! Have a look at this (workflow also attached)

[anirudh1]

That was super neat! Really solved my problem. Thank you so much David. I learned a lot from you!