Render tool suggestion

[TerriLH]

I use the Render tool daily to generate Excel reports with multiple worksheets.The page layout/format is global. Many of my report include 30+ columns of data in multiple tabs, along with a summary tab, with fewer columns.

When formatting the page size, if I don't set "Custom" and some very large number (30-50), Alteryx randomly truncates the headings and any text in the data. If set the page size to such a large number, the "summary" Excel tab (which may only contain 5 columns) is set to the same page format as the larger worksheets. I actually have end-users complain that they have to resize the summary page. A "page format by worksheet" would allow a landscape orientation, with a page size of 8 1/2 X 11 for the "summary" worksheet, and "custom" for the others.

The version of Excel in the "Temp Excel Output" is still 2007. Can we get this updated?

[archana986]

Has this been updated in the latest version of Alteryx? I am interested in this too. 

[fharper]

I have used Alteryx for 3 years abut early on avoided the reporting tools because of their limitations and klugieness.  But recently I have started to force myself to use them and figure them out so I am not well versed in these tools but I have a question on this topic.

When using the Output tool to write different worksheets in the same workbook, because of schema differences in part I do not have an issue because each worksheet gets its own output tool.  would this be a solution to your use of Render Tool?  write the data tabs of common schema in one tool and the summary via a different render tool?  Not sure if you are leveraging table tool or other feature to do what you do but if the data on the summary is in its final form prior to rendering then I would think this works?

Going to add some additional ideas in separate thread but mentioning here to get cross reference lookers.

1. In Table tool column headings using the tables and render tools should offer ability to wrap and justify (horizontal and vertical).  right now you can justify a column and the heading may or may not stack (wrap) based on table size and the width configuration in the table tool.
2. In Render tool you can use a field to group by and use that field to alter the output file name somewhat similar to the output tool.  Unfortunately it is not exactly like the output tool.  Usually you have a table tool and or layout or visual layout tool before the Render.  In my most recent scenario I have several outputs I use the Table tool for to format, the text tool to generate headings and the visual layout tool to organize these headings and tables into coherent sections on a final output used as a dashboard.  Fine and dandy except a new requirement now divides these data based on client so I tried to find a way to pass the Client code through to the Render tool so it could dynamically alter the output file so each client gets their version without manually creating multiple replicated streams to format.  But the Render tool requires a field and if I am passing a table it can't reference columns (fields) within the table and if I build a client code field to pass outside the table I can't seem to find a way to tag it to the table  and text going into the layout or in some way pass it into the layout tool in a meaningful way to reach the Render tool for use in dynamic rename of output file.

[missiecyclone]

I have the same issue trying to output formatted summary and detail sheets to Excel form Alteryx. As a work around, I am using the Render tool to create my detail sheets as the number rows changes with each run.  I then use the Output tool to write the summary sheets to a prebuilt Excel template as the number of columns and rows is the same.  I then manually combine the sheets in Excel. Not ideal, but the end result meets my requirements.  Would be so much simpler if the Render tool allowed different widths for each sheet.