Dynamically rename headers in the Table tool

[EVH]

Hello Alteryx folks!

I think it would be awesome to be able to dynamically rename headers right in the Table tool so that the headers can stay in their intended position. For instance, if you use a Dynamic Rename tool, the Table tool will put the new "unknown" column at the end of the output. We have the ability to rename and add formulas to the fields, but we cannot do the same with the headers.

Thanks!

[DavidP]

@EVH- I know @patrick_digan provided an awesome solution to your community post (https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Discussions/Dynamic-rename-in-Table-Tool-for-heade...) on how to rename table headers.

The interesting problem you bring up here is how to deal with the sort order of columns in the Table tool. Can you elaborate on how you would like to see this work, specifically in dealing with unknown fields?

[EVH]

Hey there @DavidP ! 

Of course, I'm only speaking from my perspective and I'm sure other users might have bigger/brighter ideas and use cases on the Table tool. Please feel free to chime in ye smart folks! Here goes my $.02 worth:

For existing fields in a workflow, I think the ability to use a formula on the table headers would be the easiest and most flexible solution. That way you have your known fields coming into the tool, the tool knows where they should be, and the formula updates the name. In my case, it was the need to add some begin and end dates to the row headers (balance as of [begin date] and balance as of [end date]). We can do that with the data in the table, I'm just thinking we should expand that to the table headers.

For unknowns, I don't really have a strong opinion. They are unknown coming in so the developer didn't expect them to be there and the end consumer probably didn't expect them either. As long as you have the ability to update any header in the Table tool with a formula, you could deal with that as a developer. I could see a use case like this: Let's say some kind of new field popped up on an excel sheet or DB pull, you could have a formula to rename those headers as "previously not available" + [unknown field name] vs just passing them through as new fields. Developers and end consumers would know that there's a new field available and can discuss if/how it should be used.