EXCEL OUTPUT

Please include the FME versions of Form and Flow (they should be the same). 

Excel may retain schema or cell formatting beyond visible data, especially if the schema was defined with more columns than needed. On the writer, double-check the writer’s schema definition and ensure no extra attributes are being written… go to the ‘user attributes’ align with the incoming attribute names of the reader/attributemanager. Add a screen shot of this tab. Having Manual definition might be better than automatic for this use case

If using AttributeManager, review their configuration for any attributes beyond column DL.

Check writer’s advanced parameters like “Write Blank Columns” or “Preserve Schema” can affect output structure

I am using 2024 version of FLOW and FORM. 

I have used the manual attribute definition and  the attributes extend up to DL. They align with the excel columns that i am trying to populate. 

The base base template that I am trying to use does not have any special characters / carriage returns / white space and even to be sure, I did clear all on DM onwards column before feeding it to FME. 

Republished the workspace, the issue still exists.

When you say you cleared from DM onwards, did you actually delete the columns?

Try actually deleting the columns.

I’ve had to do this in the past to fix Excel issues outside of FME. It’s been a while since I’ve done this so I hope this method still works:

• select column DM, then hold Ctrl + Shift + right arrow (this will select all of the columns from DM onwards)
• then do Delete → Delete Sheet Columns:

  

   

• Save the sheet (you should see the scroll bar on the bottom go from being really small to being long again to show that the extra columns were deleted):

  

  

Not related to your issue but just added info, you can similarly delete extra rows at the bottom of the sheet if FME starts reading in a bunch of blank records at the bottom of the sheet where there’s no actual data.

Hi ​@sammy 

I did delete all the columns after DL on the base excel template and the search bar did expand as you have mentioned. 

the other thing i noticed is when i generate the output through FME form, it seems to be working. However the same workspace when published and the output it generated has this issue

Oh darn! Sorry, that was the only suggestion I have.

If you make a change in Excel… you need to come back to FME Form

• on readers… you go to reader > update reader…. check the columns its reading in
• then on the writer, I can see you have manual attribute definition. If the above reader changed, then you will need to revert to automate. Scan to the bottom row definition to see if it stops at DM etc.

  

   

Hi ​@j.botterill

Thank you for the response. 

There was no change made to the reader and to your point when i scroll down on the manual attribute definition bar it ends on DL. 

To verify to an extent, I converted the produced excel and confirm if the dimension is beyond DL which is not the case either. No auto filters  detected as well

Other troubleshooting steps that I have followed is to clear all contents from DM to XFD column and then delete columns. 

The output when produced through FME FORM seems to be fine, however when generated by FLOW there is a persistent issue

Sorry if this is a rudimentary question but just checking: after you clean up the Excel file to make sure here are no extra columns, are you also saving it in the location that FME Flow is accessing it from?

Yes, I am saving it to a location and I am also ensuring to clear the Template from the writer and re-upload it.  and then save the workspace to the location 

Maybe escalate this Flow issue, of different behaviour, to Safe support 

https://support.safe.com/hc/en-us/p/Support

Submit a ticket. Include this URL

Hi ​@j.botterill,

I have already opened the ticket on my end. 

I further investigated on this issue and the latest is that the error message of something present in DM-XFD was misleading from the downstream system.

We attempted to just open FME produced file and re-save it (absolutely 0 changes) and then it seems to be working. 

Any possible areas that you think of that I should investigate?

Thank you