Can't figure out how to use an item in a for each loop

[ThD7]

Hi,

I have a for each loop, in which I compare phones numbers with a database. If the length of the filtered array is 0, then the phone number is not in the database.

But I then want to add this phone number in a row in an excel sheet. Issue is that PowerAutomate keeps creating for each loops, which return the "...type null. The result must be a valid arrray." error. 

Any idea?

[Expiscornovus]

Hi @ThD7,

If you want to use the outputs of your Filter array action in an apply to each you could use the body function for this.

Try the below expression in your apply to each action:

body('Filter_un_tableau')

[ThD7]

Hi, thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately I can’t use the output from the filtered array, since it is empty when the phone isn’t in the database. 

[Expiscornovus]

Hi @ThD7,

You could check the outcome of your Filter Array action first, in a condition action. If it is empty you can skip your loop or some other action (in the If Yes section). If it is not empty you can use your apply to each logic.

Try something like

length(body('Filter_un_tableau'))

is greater than 0

[ThD7]

Hi,

I’m already using the 

length(body('Filter_un_tableau'))

formula to determine wether or not the item belong to my database. If length=0, then it doesn’t belongs to it, so I want to write this item to an excel file. The issue is not about the filter array, but about how to use the item that passed the if conditions, after filtering and checking the lengths of the filtered array. 

[Expiscornovus · Accepted solution]

Hi @ThD7,

Ok, thanks for giving some more details.

That second loop (Applique a chacun) should not be necessary (unless you are using nested arrays).

It looks like you already looping through the details of the items of the value property. If that is the case you can use the item() function and refer to a specific field of the item by using the item()['nameoffield'] syntax

Below is an example of that approach

item()['participant']

[grantjenkins]

Just to jump in 🙂. @ThD7 Are you just going to add the missing Emails, or Nom and Prenom too?

If both sources are Excel Tables and you just wanted the Email, then this is how I would likely build my flow (removing the need for a condition in the loop).

I've got two Excel Tables. One Table called EmailList that contains a list of all the emails (master list), and another Table called EmailsToCheck that contains the emails you want to check for in the master list. The ones highlighted in yellow are missing from the master list, so should be added as part of the flow.

See full flow below. I'll go into each of the actions.

The two List rows present in a table retrieves the data from both tables.

Select extracts out all the emails from List rows present in a table Email List. Note that Map is set to Text mode (see screenshot).

Filter array uses the output from List rows present in a table Emails To Check and checks if the array of emails from our Select does not contain the current email we are checking. This will give us an array of emails that are missing from the master list.

We can then use an Apply to each to iterate over each of the items in our Filter array which are all the emails that are missing. And within the Apply to each we can use Add a row into a table and add the email using the following expression.

item()?['Email']

//or

items('Apply_to_each')?['Email']

//Note that 'Email' is the name of my header in the Excel table.

After the flow runs, we should see the two missing emails added.

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[ThD7]

It worked! Thanks!

[ThD7]

Hi,

Tanks for your answer. Actually, i'm trying to add people that are not missing from my SP list to a newer SP list.

The first half of my flow is working : it detects when a phone number is missing and then it adds it to an excel table.

But I am running into a problem trying to make the second half works. When I use the filter array, when the phone number belongs to the list, information about people are returned such as his unique ID. I need to find a way to get this ID, and then modify another SP list adding this ID to a record.

The issue I have is that I tried using the Parse Json function to get ID from filter array and then modify SP record, but it keeps adding a foreach loop on this last function. How can I get the ID from the filter array and put it into a modify SP item without having a loop appearing ?

Thanks.

[EDIT] I figured out actually. Sentence I used : outputs('Obtenir_ID_membre_SP')['body'][0]['ID']

The [0] was missing previously.