Excel Power Query inserting column between other columns - excel

Question

I'm importing a bunch of columns to do some analysis on in Excel power query. Some of the analysis columns need to be inserted after a certain column, but every option for adding a column only lets me append the column to the very end. I want to insert the new columns after the one named "Total" for readability.

Answer 1

Bellow a function than outputs the list of re-arranged column names.
ReorderList:
(tableName as table, toBeMovedColumnName as any, optional afterColumnName as text) as list=>
//tableName - the name of the table we want to reorder.
//toBeMovedColumnName - the name of the column you want to change the position. Can be a list of column names.
//columnName - the name of the column you want the toBeMovedColumnName to be positioned after. If omited toBeMovedColumnName will be placed as the first column.
let
columnNames = Table.ColumnNames(tableName),
positionOf = if afterColumnName is null or afterColumnName = "" then 0 else List.PositionOf(columnNames, afterColumnName) + 1,
toBeMovedList = if Value.Is(toBeMovedColumnName, type list) = true then toBeMovedColumnName else {toBeMovedColumnName},
intermediaryList = List.Combine({List.FirstN(columnNames,positionOf),toBeMovedList}),
intermediaryList2 = List.RemoveItems(columnNames,intermediaryList),
reorderList = List.Combine({intermediaryList,intermediaryList2})
in
reorderList
Usage like this:
let
Source = Excel.CurrentWorkbook(){[Name="Table1"]}[Content],
#"Added Custom" = Table.AddColumn(Source, "Custom1", each 4),
#"Reordered Columns" = Table.ReorderColumns(#"Added Custom", ReorderList(#"Added Custom","Custom1","Total"))
in
#"Reordered Columns"

Answer 2

Sample below.
let Source = Excel.CurrentWorkbook(){[Name="Table1"]}[Content],
// get baseline column names. Use this before inserting new analysis columns
Names = Table.ColumnNames(Source),
TotalSpot = List.PositionOf(Names,"Total"),
// add any code or steps here ; this is random sample. don't use
#"Added Custom" = Table.AddColumn(Source, "Custom1", each 4),
#"Added Custom1" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Custom", "Custom2", each 5),
#"Added Custom2" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Custom1", "Custom3", each 6),
// insert this after all your new columns are added
// it moves all new columns to the right of the Total column
// replace #"Added Custom2" in step below with previous step name
#"Reordered Columns" = Table.ReorderColumns(#"Added Custom2",List.Combine ({List.FirstN(Names,TotalSpot+1),List.RemoveItems(Table.ColumnNames(#"Added Custom2"),Names),List.RemoveFirstN (Names,TotalSpot+1)}))
in #"Reordered Columns"