SharePoint column date -1, but acknowledge weekends?

[nikola_bgd]

Hi, 

I'm trying to figure out how to set a flow, which will take a already set date from a SharePoint column (date1) and than take -1 day and place it in another SharePoint column (date2). But the issue here is that if a date (date1) is set for Monday, -1 is Sunday, I want it to be set to the previous working day which is Friday(date2). 

Let say the date 1 is 30. July (Friday), date 2 should be 29 July(Thursday).

But if date 1 is 2. August (Monday), date 2 should be 30 July(Friday)

[eric-cheng]

Hi @nikola_bgd ,

Please refer to one of my previous posts here.

Thanks

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[eliotcole · Accepted solution]

@nikola_bgd I would expand slightly on @eric-cheng's excellent answer, by using a very quick Do until method with a list of days.

1. Create a "prvDayVAR" string variable, a "prvDateVAR" string variable, and an array variable that is either "weekDaysArrVAR" or "wkdDaysArrVAR".
2. Create a "Do until"
3. Subtract from your prvDayVAR date until your array contains the value in your prvDay. 🙂

Here's the flow, I'll break it down in an edit, or followup post, soon. But accounting for bank hols, etc, is a different matter, and you'd need an extra condition that checks if the date exists (for example) on a SharePoint list, or something.

Setup - The Variables

Ignoring my dateVAR, which I would use whether or not I had a source from elsewhere, this is all pretty much as mentioned.

The reason that the prvDay and prvDate are set to the current date in the initialising state, is because your 'Do until' will fail with blank variables, and if you perform one date minus before the 'Do until' you'll need to add a condition.

Execution - 'Do until' Action

This will keep running until the prvday value is one that matches any of the values in the list inside the workDaysArrVAR. Once it has reached that, the prvday and prv date variables will be set to the previous working day value and usable elsewhere in the flow.

Expressions Used

There's only one expression used here, the one to display the date/time as just the name of the day. The "Calculated time" reference in the 'Do until' set prvDate action refers to the step before it which subtracts 1 day from the date.

Here it is in the initialising step:

formatDateTime(variables('dateVAR'), 'dddd')

... and here it is in the set step inside the 'Do until':

formatDateTime(body('Subtract_from_time_1_day_repeater'), 'dddd')

That's actually it!

The bonus with this method is that you'll also now have those variables set and usable elsewhere in the flow for other stuff (if you perform all this early on).

[nikola_bgd]

Thanks! Works well

Btw do have a solution, to a situation where the user has not set any date? so the date input to another field is also empty? 
When I use this flow it fails.

[eliotcole]

I do, @nikola_bgd !

In short (I will go long when I can, but I'm busy right now) there are a few choices that I can think of quickly (there are other options, too!) so I've listed them below:

1. Error Branching - You can create an error branch using the "Configure run after" option and set a failure branch only to run on "Failed". If you do this, you must ensure that afterwards you set a follow up action with TWO "run after" setups in it that will run whatever happens in either success or failure branches.
2. Condition - You can set a "Condition" action to check if there is a value there, and if not, to place a defined, old, date in there, or trigger some other action (maybe an email to the person, I don't know).
3. SharePoint Verification - You can set up certain fields as required (if the usage allows it) in SharePoint, to always get a date.
4. SharePoint Auto-Date - You could set up a default value for the field in SharePoint, or an additional calculated column that checks for data there. Then if the default value is still set when submitted you can have the flow act however you like with that information. 🙂

Of all of these, the easiest to implement is the "Condition" one, which you can figure out the logic for yourself. Perhaps even one day distil it into one expression! But it will at least check for blank data.

Here's what the run after option looks like on any action in Power Automate, just click the action's menu dots:

There's lots of documentation on how to use that, but if you're unsure, just make some test flows elsewhere with dummy inputs. 🙂

Oh ... and ... finally ... if you're using SharePoint, you could do some of this work in the columns there, using the default values, and using calculated columns, etc. This allows you to rely less on Power Automate, should you wish to have some data be native for other integrations.

[nikola_bgd]

Hey @eliotcole, 

I've tried the first method but somehow the flow fails:

Update item on the left is when the flow is successful, 

Update item on the right is when it's not and let say I enter a blank date, the right update item activates, but the entire flow is marked as failed.  

Btw, thanks a lot for helping

[eliotcole]

Yep, that's good, @nikola_bgd , that's why I said that you need to create *another* action after those, to kind of "close the loop" as it were.

[nikola_bgd]

Can you help with another problem here, I've tried to figure it out, no luck.. 

The solution you posted here is perfect, however can I have another "IF" here, if the date = TODAY, just leave it than to TODAY