Populating an html table in an email from a form - its all coming out on one row

[B33bop]

1.  Person fills form.
2.  Form populates email incl email address to send to.
3.  Email is sent.
The email body contains an html table which may require anything from 1-10 rows depending on the amount of policies that are referred to on the form.

The form that the data comes from is divided into sections, each with the same 3 questions that can be filled out as many times as necessary.  Each one of the question sections filled needs to populate a row in the table, but instead they all end up in the right columns but all in one row.

So, the majority of my flow seems to work BUT, it is only populating one row.  See below image - this is one that should have 3 lines.

I am sure it is doable but whether or not the form is in the right format or if my flow (also snipped below) is missing something I am unsure. I have seen a few answers such as putting in a apply to each and using | both of which dont seem to do anything (but I could be doing it wrong! ;))  I have tried putting an apply to each before, over and under various different actions (I have added an image of the flow below) and nothing seems to work - I just get the below table.

Help! - and be quite descriptive in your answers please as my knowledge of power automate is in its early stages!

[ManishSolanki]

Hi @B33bop 

You need to add "Append to array variable" two more times. Each time you need to add JSON code with values for different sections of the form. Once values are added in the array then pass the array to "Create html table" to get the final html table for all 3 sections.

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[B33bop]

Hiya Manish - thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!

So - I need to add another append array for each column heading?  Do I add them one after another?  And what does adding the JSON code for each section of the form look like.  If there are 10 sections, do you need to add 10 values for each append array?  Sorry if I am asking so many questions but I don't even know where to start with JSON code or where to put it.

[ManishSolanki]

Hi @B33bop 

I was talking about the JSON code used in "Append to array variable" action. Yes, you need to append the JSON object for section data using "Append to array variable" action to create data rows in create html table action.

Alternatively, if there are more sections (>3), then you could use a single compose action to create an array of JSON objects. Add objects in that array for each section with dynamic values from MS form and pass it to "Create HTML table" action. If you could share me the code use in "Append to array variable", I would be better position to share the JSON object.

[B33bop]

Hiya Manish - Funnily enough I had a play but what I did created 3 lines but just duplicated the same data three times.  So I am on the right track but not quite I guess.  

This was the code in the variable and what the flow looks like now

{

    "inputs": {

        "name": "FormResponses",

        "value": "@{body('Get_response_details')?['r20078d0aacba46eeb3f3aaea34ca8ebc']}@{body('Get_response_details')?['r0ab9c7202caf4b64bc9c5f4f461a380b']}@{body('Get_response_details')?['rc76cd056e4e747c98915e3094165f694']}@{body('Get_response_details')?['rc7c3e6b9ceb14629bd378ae4834865a4']}@{body('Get_response_details')?['r06a0220d82b74849a2fe31c7938f06f7']}"

    }

}

[ManishSolanki · Accepted solution]

Hi @B33bop 

Pls use compose action and add the below JSON code:

[
{
"Policy Number": <dynamic value for policy in section 1>,
"Policy Type": <dynamic value for policy type in section 1>,
"Cancellation Date": <dynamic value for Cancellation Date in section 1>
},
{
"Policy Number": <dynamic value for policy in section 2>,
"Policy Type": <dynamic value for policy type in section 2>,
"Cancellation Date": <dynamic value for Cancellation Date in section 2>
},
{
"Policy Number": <dynamic value for policy in section 3>,
"Policy Type": <dynamic value for policy type in section 3>,
"Cancellation Date": <dynamic value for Cancellation Date in section 3>
}
]

Pls replace values from dynamic content for respective section in the above code.

Next, pass the output of compose to create html table action with "Columns" parameter set as "Automatic".

Here is the example with hard coded values in compose action:

[
{
"Policy Number": "Policy 1",
"Policy Type": "Type 1",
"Cancellation Date": "01/30/2024"
},
{
"Policy Number": "Policy 2",
"Policy Type": "Type 2",
"Cancellation Date": "01/31/2024"
},
{
"Policy Number": "Policy 3",
"Policy Type": "Type 3",
"Cancellation Date": "01/29/2024"
}
]

Next, add "Create html table" action to get the html table:

Output:

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[B33bop]

That looks like what I am after - why when I am putting the code into the above am I getting 'the expression is invalid'?  Am I inputting it in wrong? Or have I put it in the wrong order?  I assumed you meant that I didn't need to have the multiple append to array actions anymore (apologies - as I said I am relatively new to this.)

[ManishSolanki]

No problem 🙂

You don't need to add expression in compose action. Just create an array of object in compose action textbox as shown below:

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[B33bop]

Hiya Manish - got it!  You are amazing! but how am I able to make it expandable or am I able to do that - so sometimes someone might have one response, sometimes 2, sometimes more, but I only want it to show the rows that are populated.  So the above creates a 3 line table, but if there are only, say, 2 responses, how do I stop the 3rd line from appearing (there might be up to 10 rows required but different responses every time)?  

[eliotcole]

Manish, I might have read this wrongly, but this might not help if the person submitting the form only answers the first question, as it will possibly error if the other answers are not there.

[eliotcole]

Just curious, @B33bop, do you have any branching set in the form?

(like at the end of section one does it ask if they have any more to add, then if not it moves them to submit, if so onto the next section?)

[B33bop]

Hiya - yes it does. @eliotcole @ManishSolanki 

The form looks like the below