Approval flow - get first and last approver of the approval flow

[sachk1]

Hi,

I want to get first approver and last approver in multiple approver approval flow. I don't know the approvers count. Is this something can do? 

I explain by getting an example as below;

As an example flow which is multiple approval for leave requests. when employee request leave it will goes to employees manager and wait for 2 days and if no response it goes to that managers manager.

#buildingflows #approvalflow #multipleapproval

[Expiscornovus]

Hi @sachk1,

You can use the responses array for this. Unfortunately, that is not sorted on the ResponseDate column.

However, you could convert the response date values to ticks and use a min and max function to find the first and last approver.

Below is an example approach.

1. In the Select action switch the Map field to text mode and add this expression to it:

ticks(item()?['responseDate'])

2. In Both Filter Array actions use

ticks(item()?['responseDate'])

is equal to

3. In case of the First Responder use this expression to compare it to

min(Body('Select'))

4. In case of the Last responder use this expression to compare it to

max(Body('Select'))

 

[sachk1]

@Expiscornovus  thank you.

How can I get all the approvers name to a sharepoint people group column?

[Expiscornovus]

Hi @sachk1,

You could use another Select action for this. This approach has been described in a nice blog by @tom_riha :

https://tomriha.com/how-to-update-multiple-people-or-group-column-in-power-automate/

It could look like below with the Responses array.

Make sure you switch the input of the person field to entire array input btw.

[sachk1]

@Expiscornovus  Thank you. Its work for without loop. I got the outputs through an array, output format attached. Here output not comes with curly brackets which is the format needed for people/group column. 

How can I convert this output. I got the output but need to convert. 

help please?

[muralidharan]

@sachk1 

You can use Parse JSON to convert the JSON values to other format that you need.

Hope this helps. 

Thanks,

Murali

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[sachk1]

@muralidharan 

How this parse to json and get output as in the above image?

[muralidharan]

@sachk1 

Here you go.

Input JSON:

[
"manager1",
"manager2",
"manager3"
]

Schema:

{
    "type": "array",
    "items": {
        "type": "string"
    }
}

Output JSON

[
    {
        "claims": "manager1"
    },
    {
        "claims": "manager2"
    },
    {
        "claims": "manager3"
    }
]

Hope this helps. 

Thanks,

Murali

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[Expiscornovus]

Hi @sachk1,

Did you use the Claims column in the key field of the map field within the Select action?

[sachk1]

@muralidharan 

After compose used that json , no change same output.  

Can you post a one pic of all steps.

what is the item used in compose 5?

[sachk1]

yes. that outputs with curly bracket. in my scenario this is do inside a do until. so through the select only get one value.

[muralidharan · Accepted solution]

@sachk1 

Here you go.

Hope this helps. 

Thanks,

Murali

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[sachk1]

@muralidharan  yes that's correct. I made a mistake previously.  This works for me. Thank you.

[Expiscornovus]

Hi @sachk1,

Thanks for confirming.

How are you referring to an item of the array from the Select action within your Do until? Which expression did you use? 

You could for example combine a skip with a first function. 

Below is an example of this approach:

first(skip(body('Select_-_Claims'),iterationIndexes('Do_until')))

That should return one item of the array with the right format/syntax.

[sachk1]

I didnt use select. I did by appending all to array and use the above mentioned steps to get the output.