Managing Date Format from a Sharepoint List Item

[AllanMartins]

Hello Community!

I have designed a flow that it is working like a charm. It uses a PowerApp trigger, saves data to a Sharepoint List, updates, populates data and sends email at the end. Everything working with no problem, but... When I use the O365-Outlook to send an email using a data from a Sharepoint List Item, it changes it to the UTC format, and the dates are displayed as:

2017-02-08T19:50:14Z

While, I would like to have it on "d/mm/yyyy hh:mm AM/PM" format, and converted to EST. Is it possible? Note, I use the date as a Dynamic entry on the e-mail Body.

thanks!

[michowl]

Try using a compose action with "@formatDateTime([date from sharepoint],[custom format specifier])"

workflow definition language: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/logic/definition-language#operators

datetime formatting: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/8kb3ddd4%28v=vs.110%29.aspx

To force the timezone, you might need to nest the formatDateTime functions:

formatDateTime(concat(formatDateTime(mydate,'yyyy-MM-ddThh:mm:ss'),'-3:00'),'d/MM/yyyy hh:mm tt')

something like that?

[AllanMartins]

Thanks for replying the message.

Here is What I did for test:

Created a simple PowerApp that triggers the flow with an ID item from a SP list.

Created the Flow that from that triggers, get the item (using the ID) and emails me the Modified date.

On the flow function where I returns the date, added on the body the following:

@formatDateTime(concat(formatDateTime(Modified×​​,'yyyy-MM-ddThh:mm:ss'),'-3:00'),'d/MM/yyyy hh:mm tt')

Note that the item modified date is the dynamic content from the item.

And the output is an email with the body:

@formatDateTime(concat(formatDateTime(@{body('Get_item')?['Modified']},'yyyy-MM-ddThh:mm:ss'),'-3:00'),'d/MM/yyyy hh:mm tt')

And the output from the flow (manage) is:
Body

{ "To": "allan.martins@domain.com", "Subject": "Date/Time Test", "Body": "@formatDateTime(concat(formatDateTime(@{body('Get_item')?['Modified']},'yyyy-MM-ddThh:mm:ss'),'-3:00'),'d/MM/yyyy hh:mm tt')", "IsHtml": true }

I am missing something while implementing the flow?

[michowl]

You need to wrap the whole thing in double quotes ""

[AllanMartins]

Hi @michowl

When I add the double quotes and save/update the flow, it "blocks" that field (in this case I am using the body field), so I am no longer able to edit it (have to delete, and create that new action, but it is not a problem).

But still... no luck, so, just to confirm what could be causing the problem, I did a simple thing: tried different functions (replace, less, etc) and them all with, or without double quotes, or @ and still, all I got on the body of the email message is the function itself. Seems that only the @{body('Get_item')?['Modified']} retrieves the right results (in this case, the modified date from a "Get Item" action that was requested before that send email action.

Is there a list of functions and how to get them to work on the Flow?

thank you for you patience and time 🙂

[michowl]

No problem, @AllanMartins.

List of functions are here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/logic/definition-language

Sorry, I thought I'd included that earlier.

The issue with the Compose Action preventing edits after the first run is something that bugs me too.

I've opened a feature request to correct this. If you follow the link and kudos the feature request, it has a greater chance of getting implemented. Thanks!

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Flow-Ideas/Compose-field-should-be-editable-after-running/idi-p/...

[AllanMartins]

Yes, you did mentioned that reference list earlier. I thought that maybe there would be one specific for PowerApps/Flow.

So, I did tried all the different functions (from that reference), but still, seems that none of them works...

I created a flow and simply set it to email me with a subject, and on the body field I wrote the function @utcnow() (with, or without double quotes). And I all I get is the text with the function itself "@utcnow()"

Is there anything we need to enable in order to get these functions to work on a flow?

[michowl · Accepted solution]

@AllanMartins you need to put the function inside a Compose action and use the output from that action in the body.