Table column names in Excel Online (business) causing flow errors.

[Anonymous]

I need to create a flow that will do scheduled analysis on an Excel workbook that is out on SharePoint. To avoid accidentally messing up the original, the first step in my flow copies the workbook to a new location, and then works with the copy. The flow then gets all rows from the DataDetails table in the workbook, and needs to conduct its analysis on this table's data.

Unfortunately, the person who maintains this workbook is using the newline character in a couple of the table column names. When my flow reaches the point where it needs to read data from these columns, it throws an error saying the column doesn't exist. For example, when trying to get data from one column in an apply to each container, I used the expression

item()['IT Owner\n(First & Last Name)']

I've also tried the expressions

item()['IT Owner
(First & Last Name)']

 and

item()['IT Owner'&char(10)&'(First & Last Name)']

These all caused the flow to throw an error at runtime. How do I reference these table columns? Is there a way to have the flow change the table column to something else, and then use the new name to reference the data? What is the best way to tackle this problem?

[Pstork1 · Accepted solution]

If you use the Data Select command on the Array returned by the Get Rows you should be able to substitute New Column names for existing column values.  That's what I would try first.

[DamoBird365]

Hi @Anonymous 

If you try "list rows present in a table"

and then click on output, you will be able to see your row names like so:

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Cheers,
Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here

[Anonymous]

Hi, @Pstork1.

I completely forgot about the Select action. Thanks for the reminder. It's giving me a strange error, though.

 I'm not sure why it's having a problem with the "Customer Service" column, or why it's trying to rename it as an empty string. That entry in my select action is...

[Pstork1 · Accepted solution]

Based on your screen shot isn't your mapping backwards?  The new Column name should go in the Key Column on the Left and the column value on the right. Your screenshot shows it the other way around.

[Anonymous]

Oh my goodness, you're absolutely right. 🤣 I have no idea what I was thinking there. That's what happens when you are too focused to really pay attention to what you're doing, I guess. I need to slow down!

Thanks!

[Pstork1]

As a developer, sometimes your eyes see what you expect.  I've done it myself where someone else sees an obvious flaw in my code.  A second set of eyes is always useful. That's why screenshots are so important.