Render and blob output to the same file.

[PuffinPanic]

Hi, 

I'm wondering if anyone has a solution which allows you to output both a render and a blob to the same file?

I have a situation where I need to achieve two outputs in the same excel file:-

1. A render output which is needed so that only the tabs which contain data from a potentially 15 tab sheet but conditional formatting of the output can be maintained. Sometimes only 7 of the 15 are needed and we don't want to output any of the unneeded tabs as they will all have to be checked. 

2. A blob output which is needed because the output must contain named ranges. 

If I output both render and blob to the same file they overwrite each other. That's to say if I do the blob first then the render, I only see the render output, and vice versa. Which means that at the moment, we're outputting 2 files and then copying the blob output into the render file, but I would like to automate this so that all data is output into the same file. 

Things that I know don't work:

- I can render and then add additional data to the same file using a standard output tool, but this doesn't resolve my issue with needing named ranges in the output document. 

- I could set up all 15 tabs in a blob template, but this would mean that all 15 are output every time. Which means someone will have to check all 15 every time before the next stage in the process which happens in a different system.

- Outputting the render then reading it in as a blob and combining two blobs - doesn't work because of the nature of blobs.

Any help is appreciated. 

Nicola

[jrlindem]

@PuffinPanic  Okay this is a wild idea, so bear with me...

If you only ever have up to 15 tabs and you can make your output work that way using BLOB, but the downside is empty tabs...  Could you consider making 15 templates, one template per number of tabs.  Then have your workflow detect how many tabs will be necessary and based on that grab the corresponding correct template with the right number of tabs ready to be populated?

Obviously, this requires 15x maintenance anytime the template needs to change, but it could offer some level of solution to get you by for now?  -Jay

[PuffinPanic]

Thanks Jay, I'll definitely look at that as an option. 

Nicola