Interacting with Data from Excel without a table

[ahall]

I have an excel file that is emailed to me that I want to add into a SQL database. My issue is the excel file is not configured with a table. How can I get these rows into a table format using flow?

I see the create table function from excel but that creates and empty table with the column headings I choose. Is it possible to create the table with data?

I can get my whole process to work if I start with a file that has a table in it, but my emailed report is not possible to be created with the table from the source so I have to automate that somehow.

[v-bacao-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @ahall ,

If the current configured Excel file does not contain a defined table, the related action cannot be used.

Create table action can only define a table, but it cannot insert data.

In addition, the existing action cannot obtain the data contained in the worksheet, so the data cannot be automatically inserted into the table through Flow.

I am afraid there is currently no way to achieve such a requirements.

If you want similar features to be supported, you could post your idea in the Flow Ideas forum, so it might be considered for future releases.

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Flow-Ideas/idb-p/FlowIdeas

Best Regards,

[ahall · Accepted solution]

A solution to this problem is solved here.

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Flow-Cookbook/Read-tab-delimited-CSV-and-write-records/m-p/24645...

[Anonymous]

Hey , I don't have access to the link. Can you share the permissions with me?

[GTMSWadmin]

Hi @ahall, I am not able to access this link, is there anyway I can access it?

I want to know how to read a csv file and iterate through them in Flow (Power Automate).

Thanks.

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Flow-Cookbook/Read-tab-delimited-CSV-and-write-records/m-p/24645...

[JoeBeckie]

What is the solution? I don't have access to that link.

[SomeOfficeGuy]

I have the same issue. I need to write a few fields (individual values and arrays) into a worksheet that does not have simple easy tables defined. We really need a PowerAutomate function that does not rely heavily on tables only!

[SomeOfficeGuy]

Says I dont have access

[gurujeet]

I get the Access denied message also.

[GeoffRen]

Just for exposure, this is now possible with Office Scripts, specifically Office Scripts with Power Automate. This is the 'Run Script' action on the Excel connector. With Office Scripts you can use the 'Run Script' action to execute javascript against a workbook. With Office Scripts, you can manipulate almost anything in Excel to do anything you want, since it's all just code. Even if you don't have experience coding, Office Scripts can help generate a script by recording your actions via the Action Recorder.

[majorfriend]

I thought this could be a solution, but not quite.

Since Power Automate can only run a script in an Excel file, it doesn't help much. Here is the situation:

I get an email with a report as an Excel file, but data is not formatted as a table. I want to run a flow to save the attachment to OneDrive or Sharepoint and then interact with the data. Obviously, I can't since it isn't a table, and since saving the attachment creates a new file that new file will not have any Office Scripts to run. 

[GeoffRen]

Office Scripts are workbook agnostic, you should be able to run any Office Script you created previously on a newly saved/created file. 

[majorfriend]

I'm an idiot, did not realize that.

This is amazing, going to solve so many issues for us!

[majorfriend]

Thanks @GeoffRen 

I'm running into another issue now I'm hoping you can help with. With this flow I'm getting a "The script couldn't create a connection with Excel" error.

[majorfriend]

Was able to figure this out. Looks like every file needs a unique name or the file will be corrupted by the create file step.

[CraigR76]

Hi @majorfriend 

What does your script do?

I'm struggling with trying to get a script to save a text file.

I could have the script format the data as a table and then back to PA to create the text file. Doesn't feel like a very clean solution going back and forth though.

[majorfriend]

Mine just formats the data as a table so I can use it in PA.

I haven't done too much with scripts, so I'm not sure if there is a way to create a file using one. I would probably just try your idea of formatting the table then using PA to create the text file.

[CraigR76]

Next problem is scripts won't run on a shared file (legacy shared not one drive shared).

[majorfriend]

Not sure I have a good solution to that one, other than changing to share on OneDrive or SharePoint, not sure that is an option for you though.

[ArshUser]

Hey majorfriend,
I need to do the exact same thing: convert the contents of my excel to table using flow. Can you help me with the scripting part? I am new to this so don't know how to go about it.