Are there any inbuilt alteryx functions to list the names of columns?

[Lalith27]

Hi,

I have a workflow where sometimes i may not get all the required columns that i need.
I need to have all columns for the data to get uploaded successfully to downstream platform.

Scenario: My API yielded 7 columns like Created_date, event_name, event_id, form_name, event5, event6, event7
But sometimes i get columns missing and i will get only 4/5 cloumns.
So I want to find what are the columns that are missing and create those columns dynamically with null values.

I don't see functions/ways to extract the output column names and to dynamically create a missing column name by comparing the output name with above list.

Appreciate any help on this.

Thank you

[DavidSkaife · Accepted solution]

Hi @Lalith27 

The Basic Data Profile tool can get this for you, in conjunction with the Select/Unique tools and a Join to a master list of fields. Please see screenshot below and the attached workflow

You could then use this to create the column that was missing.

Edit: Expanded it to include adding in the missing column(s) which also includes a control column for when all original columns match - see revised workflow

[JosephSerpis]

HI @Lalith27 as well as the suggestion by @DavidSkaife you can also use the Field Info Tool to get the list of the column names. 

[Raj]

You can Use data Profile tool to get the Information Of Columns present and then you can easily compare them with your standard Columns,

[AndrewDMerrill · Accepted solution]

Other much sneakier way to get all columns: Union Tool will add columns based on standard list (with all nulls):

[Tam]

HI @Lalith27 

If you know exactly the columns required, then appending the API output to the template should add the column and place null in the field missing. 

HTH 

Tam  

[Lalith27]

Thank you very much David! It worked.