Flow not terminating correctly

[Derricks]

I have a flow that 'getlist's from SharePoint so that it can create an expense approval process.  Currently, it tries to create an approval even with no items on the list.  I tried this:

But it doesn't recognize that there is nothing.  I can't have it check for specific values in Sharepoint (like username of submission) to trigger a termination at a null result as creates a new 'apply to each' to get the value and terminate can't be nested under that.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Derrick

[edgonzales]

@Derricks 

Hi there.  So, I think you want to switch to check if the array is empty, rather than null...here's why:

When you use get items (or any list, really), that action will return an array.  And even if it's empty, it will have characters in it, like "[" and "]" which is very not-null.  You can double check this by looking at the output of the Get Items step from previous runs to see what is being passed to the next step.

The way around this is to use empty(<dynamic output from Get Items>) - This will return 'true' if there's nothing in the array, and false if there is.

Hope that helps.  Keep us posted.

-Ed

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[Derricks]

Okay, that sounds promising.  I didn't know that about arrays.  So to be clear, I would use that expression as the left side of the condition and then true or false respectively on the right?

[edgonzales]

Yep, you got it!

[Derricks]

Amazing.  Thank you very much.

[Derricks]

Apologies, I may have to ask for further clarification.  I edited the fields and it now looks like this:

Which pulls the info form my "getitems" command from just above it.  Now, no matter what the flow gets terminated.  I tested with and without information in the fields, and both terminated.  Thoughts?

[edgonzales]

hmmm - try taking the 'true' bit out of the expression, so it just has the word 'true'.

[Derricks]

Okay,

So now it creates an approval if there is no content or if there is content.  It has seemingly inverted the problem.

[edgonzales]

@Derricks 

Sorry for the delay, thought I had already posted something.

Can you post a screenshot of the output of your Get Items step from previous runs.  Both examples, empty and not, please.

Thanks!

-Ed

[Derricks]

Okay.  Teh output of an empty one is:

{

  "value": []

}

and one with content is (having anonymized the data):

{

  "value": [

    {

      "@odata.etag": "\"4\"",

      "ItemInternalId": "19",

      "ID": 19,

      "Title": "TEST",

      "SubTotal": 2,

      "PST": 1,

      "GST": 3,

      "Total": 4,

      "Code": "1234",

      "User_x0020_Name": "NAme of Submitter",

      "EmailAddress": "submitter@email.ca",

      "Created_x0020_at": "2020-10-05T17:00:00Z",

      "Modified": "2020-10-05T17:48:47Z",

      "Created": "2020-10-05T17:48:04Z",

      "Author": {

        "@odata.type": "#Microsoft.Azure.Connectors.SharePoint.SPListExpandedUser",

        "Claims": "i:0#.f|membership|approval@email.ca",

        "DisplayName": "Derrick S",

        "Email": "derricks@rside.ca",

        "Picture": "test url",

        "Department": null,

        "JobTitle": null

      },

      "Author#Claims": "i:0#.f|membership|approval@email.ca",

      "Editor": {

        "@odata.type": "#Microsoft.Azure.Connectors.SharePoint.SPListExpandedUser",

        "Claims": "i:0#.f|membership|approval@emial.ca",

        "DisplayName": "Derrick S",

        "Email": "approval@email.ca",

        "Picture": "test reciept",

        "Department": null,

        "JobTitle": null

      },

      "Editor#Claims": "i:0#.f|membership|approval@email.ca",

      "{Identifier}": "Lists%252fExpenses%252f19_.000",

      "{IsFolder}": false,

      "{Thumbnail}": {

        "Large": null,

        "Medium": null,

        "Small": null

      },

      "{Link}": "test url",

      "{Name}": "TEST",

      "{FilenameWithExtension}": "TEST",

      "{Path}": "Lists/Expenses/",

      "{FullPath}": "Lists/Expenses/19_.000",

      "{HasAttachments}": true,

      "{VersionNumber}": "1.0"

    }

  ]

}

[edgonzales · Accepted solution]

@Derricks 

Ok, got it.  Sorry for missing this:

When you build your Empty() expression, you want to select "value" for inside the expression, rather than body.  See below.  (My expression interface is the new 'preview' one, but you'll be able to do the same thing from either.

Keep us posted.

-Ed

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[Derricks]

Thank you very much!  That has fixed it.  Whew!

Take care,

Derrick