Evaluating a column through steps without hardcoding the steps' names

[StefanoT1982]

Assume I have a simple table with 2 steps:

let

    Step1 = #table (type table[Names = Text.Type, Money = Int64.Type], {{"John", 1}, {"Jack", 2},{"Mary", 4} }),

    Step2 = Table.Skip(Step1,1)

in

Step2

If I want to check the evolution of the total sum of the “money” column I can create a record like this:

  CheckManual = [

        Step1 = List.Sum(Table.Column(Step1, "Money")),

        Step2 = List.Sum(Table.Column(Step2, "Money"))

        ]

But this hard codes the previous steps names. Is there a way to work this around?

Also something that would required a simple copy paste in the advanced editors of the steps I want to evaluate would be fine.

Eg I tried to transform the steps names into a list like in the example below, but could do a similar thing with the “money” column through the steps…

  StepsNames = Record.FieldNames([

        Step1 = #table (type table[Names = Text.Type, Money = Int64.Type], {{"John", 1}, {"Jack", 2},{"Mary", 4} }),

        Step2 = Table.Skip(Step1,1)

        ])

Thanks!

[AlienSx · Accepted solution]

let
    steps = 
        [
            Step1 = #table (type table[Names = Text.Type, Money = Int64.Type], {{"John", 1}, {"Jack", 2},{"Mary", 4} }),
            Step2 = Table.Skip(Step1,1)
        ],
    money_evolution = ((fields) => Record.FromList(List.Transform(fields, (x) => List.Sum(Record.Field(steps, x)[Money])), fields))(Record.FieldNames(steps))
   
in
    money_evolution

[StefanoT1982]

that's great! would you mind explaining how it works? I'm little familiar with the "=>" function syntax

[AlienSx]

"steps" is record. 

Record.FieldNames(steps)

reads it's fields' names and gets list of names (of steps). 

List.Transform

 goes over the list, picks up every other (step) name and calculates List.Sum of Money column values. 

Record.FromList

folds the results into another record with steps names and Money totals. 

M is functional language so get used to functions syntax and usage.