Split array values from Flow into a collection

[RMDFA]

HI all, quick question here. I have a Power Automate flow (GetRunIDs) that returns an array of GUIDs:

Using the "Respond to a Power App or Flow" action should make those available to use in an app. However, when I try to load them into a collection via a button with OnSelect "ClearCollect(colRunIDs,GetRunIDs.Run( ))", the collection returns as empty. It seems to still be typed as a table?

How can I split those IDs out into their own fields in PowerApps? Thanks!

[Pstork1]

You can't use the Respond to Power Apps to return an array of values. You can return the array as a string and then use the ParseJSON() function to convert the string to a table.  That requires extra work because the values will all be untyped at that point.  The alternative is to use the HTTP Response action to return the array as an array and capture it in a collection. The one problem is that it requires a premium license.

[RMDFA]

Hi @Pstork1 - thanks for the response. Thankfully, I do have a premium license. Could you provide more information on using the HTTP Response action in the way you described?

My temporary workaround was to send everything over as a single string with added delimiters and then manually split it once in the app, but that seems terribly inefficient.

[Pstork1 · Accepted solution]

The response action works something like the Parse JSON action.  You load what you want to send back to power apps in the Body. Then use the output of that from a test run to generate the schema using the Generate from sample button under advanced.

Then in Power Apps you catch the output as a collection if you are returning an array or a variable if you are returning an object. Then in Power Apps you can access all the values in the collection or object.  this is the OnSelect I used in my sample to get the array returned by the Response above.

ClearCollect(MyData, '03SQLStoredProcFlowDemo'.Run(ddnCity.SelectedText.Value, ddnState.SelectedText.Value))

[RMDFA]

Hi @Pstork1 - thank you much for the explanation - I'm so close to making this solution so much more streamlined and easy.

I'm able to load the array into a collection via my button, and I can put it in a table and see individual columns:

However, when I try to reference that column elsewhere in the app, it throws an error. This is on a button OnSelect:

MyHTTPReunIDreturn.Master throws "Invalid argument type (Table). Expecting a Text value instead." As seen above, the Master value in my collection is a GUID that should be valid in my ADF function.

Am I doing something wrong? Thanks again.

[Pstork1]

To access individual records in a collection in an app you need to either put them in a table, do ForAll() function, or isolate a specific record using First() or Last().  But there is no way to access a column of values directly since collection records aren't indexed.

[RMDFA]

That did it. I isolated the records I needed and were able to access them. Thanks so much for your help, I learned a lot just trying to puzzle through this.