ISO 8601 Issues

[Jasper_P]

I am trying to use the date that a file was last modified, and convert it into ticks.

The result is an array that I have converted into a string via the "string()" expression.

However, I am finding it very difficult to actually apply this data in Power Automate.
No further expressions seem to accept the string as a valid date, even though the string it shows as failed seems by every indication to match ISO 8601 formatting.

Even when I try to format it properly, it simply will not accept this string as a formattable date whatsoever. I think I could just be misunderstanding this function, but I just want to yell back "I know, that's what I called YOU for in the first place!!!!!!!"

Can someone please help me bridge the gap to turn this string into an "acceptable" date so I can move forward? Thank you!!!!!

[v-qiaqi-msft]

Hi @Jasper_P,

Do you want to format the date column in your excel file in ISO format?

addDays('1899-12-30',int(item()?['StartDate']),'yyyy/MM/dd')

Note that you should replace the StartDate with your real column name.

[Jasper_P]

Thank you very much @v-qiaqi-msft !
Yes, I would like to format the date in ISO format.
I did replace 'StartDate'; 

I referenced both the 'ModifiedDate' from this Data Operation, and I also tried again and referenced a Data Operation which converts that into a string.
It does not seem to be accepting that in either scenario, this is the error message it is giving me now

[SebS]

Hi @Jasper_P 

Here is code what should help you with resolving this format issue The template issue also happening when the cell is empty and you need to handle it just try 

I'm not sure if You taking data from the Apply to each or not if not take it out and refer to get_item

if(empty(items('Apply_to_each')?['StartDate']),null,addDays('1899-12-30',int(items('Apply_to_each')?['StartDate']),'yyyy-MM-dd'))

Regards

[Jasper_P]

@SebS 
I am taking data from within the "Apply to Each". I am referencing the Data Operation called "ModifiedDate" here (pic below), that is the date I am trying to format, and then convert into ticks.
However, when I copied in that formula and replaced 'StartDate' with 'ModifiedDate', it still returned an error.

I'm sorry, I'm still pretty new to Power Automate. I have a larger flow elsewhere and I built this as a sample to test this function so I can implement it into the larger flow.
In the grand scheme of things, I am trying to pull the modified date of the most recently modified file in a SharePoint folder; then I am trying to convert that date into ticks. I want to convert the current date into ticks, and then subtract the number of ticks from the SharePoint file modified date.
I then want to convert the final tally of ticks into a number of days, and then send an alert if the number of days exceeds a certain number.

I believe I do have the expressions in place for every other step, other than getting anything to recognize the array provided within the "Modified" column from my "Get Files (properties only)" action, as an actual date.

[SebS · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jasper_P 

Personally I will set trigger to when file is modified so that when any of the file is modified it will trigger

than rather  Get File  option I will use Get File metadata than I will not need to use Apply to each only place to Your converter variable

formatDateTime(body('Get_file_metadata')?['LastModified'],'yyyy-MM-dd')

And work from there

Also look in to this Topic this may help as well

Solved: Check if if the latest file in folder is more than... - Power Platform Community (microsoft....

Regards 

[Jasper_P]

@SebS 
I don't want to set the trigger to when files are modified myself. I'm trying to find folders who's most recent file not been modified in a while. My little sandbox flow that I'm sharing images for here probably doesn't need an "apply to each", but the actual flow I'm trying to build does, because it is looking through multiple folders.

However, I think that topic has the solution to my issue, in a much simpler format than all these extra Data Operations. I believe that's my exact quandary.
I very much appreciate it!