Create empty collection

[ck25415]

Is it possible to create an empty collection?

[hnguy71]

You can create a collection with no data if that's what you need. For example:

ClearCollect(SampleCollection,
{
    Field1: Blank(),
    Field2: Blank()
});

[RezaDorrani · Accepted solution]

Hi @ck25415 

ClearCollect(colEmpty,Blank())

This will create a empty collection with a column called "Value"

Regards,

Reza Dorrani

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

[seadude]

Hi @ck25415 ,
For an absolutely blank Collection, you can do ClearCollect(colTestBlank, {}). The results of this one are:

[v-yutliu-msft]

Hi @ck25415 ,

Could you describe more clearly about the empty collection's structure?

Does the collection have fields?

Which do you extrally want

1)have fields with empty value?

2)have no field?

3)something else?

Best regards,

[ck25415]

@RezaDorrani Thanks, that worked. I tried ClearCollect(emptyCol,"") and other suggestions from this post but the count  showed 1 even though there are no items in the collection.

[NatEvansIT]

I wasn't sure what the official resolved resolution for this question was but I managed to work out how to create the default table layout I wanted and then to make sure it was empty. Posting here in case it helps others 🙂

//Create a Collection (table) that has column headers of SwitchID, SwitchModel, SwitchValue, SwitchPort, ConnectedDevicePort

ClearCollect(COL_SwitchHierachy,

{SwitchID: "",
SwitchModel: "",
SwitchValue: "",
SwitchPort: "",
ConnectedDevicePort: ""});

//The above creates a blank row, I want an empty table so I next clear the collection but keep the column headers

Clear(COL_SwitchHierachy)

[ell10706]

For anyone who's tried to use the above method but is dealing with integer values, I found that "Value("")" will create a blank number value in the table.  

[JordanDeVan]

If you want an empty collection with the fields from a datasource. ClearCollect(col_empty,FirstN(data_source,0))

[RJM07]

This also works real well if you just want a totally blank collection

ClearCollect(collEmpty,{Field1:Value(""),Field2:Value("")});
Clear(collEmpty)

You can swap out 'Value("")' for Blank() if it's for text opposed to numbers

The 'ClearCollect' makes a blank collection and the immediate 'Clear' removes the annoying blank row