Generating PDF in Flow using Word Connector

[rebeccas]

Real life example of how I use this: Equipment is tested before being shipped.

* The PM uses PowerApps to enter in the equipment details 

* Engineering uses PowerApps to pull the equipment description the PM has entered and they input the design specs for that unit

* Tesing uses PowerApps to view the equiment details from PM, design specs from Engineering and they then input the actual readings they get when they are testing the untit. 

All three people have put in different parts of the data for this one item on a SharePoint list. A flow is triggered by 'Item Modification' and looks to see that all three have done their part and then gets the item details, puts them in a Word Template already created, generates a pdf of the final "Test Report" and attaches it back to that item on the SharePoint list. The test report can then be viewed, emailed or printed by any of the involved parties within minutes of the last person inputting their data.

See below:

First create a word document that is laid out how you would like. Put text as a place holder (the column name of that field on your SharePoint list is a good choice) in all the places you want to pull in data from your SharePoint List. Hightlight each of those text fields one by one and in Word under Developer click on "Plain Text Content Control"

Save this Word document on your SharePoint site.

Flow Breakdown:

* When an item is created or modified

* Condition (making sure your required fields are all complete..mine makes them actually mark it as complete so there are two Yes/No columns)

* Get item (ID of item modified)

* Populate a Microsoft Word template (select Word document, items on left side are fields from Word document, the items you select on that show on the right side are the fields from your SharePoint List)

* Create file (OneDrive)

* Convert file (OneDrive)

* Update item (I like changing to status to easily flag this as complete and attached)

* Add attachment (OneDrive pdf)

* Delay (most systems take a minute or two to add an attachment so this is to allow for that..I use 2 minutes)

* Delete file (OneDrive)

See screen shots below:

I have found this to be very useful and much easier and nicer looking than the HTML method so I hope this helps you out too!! 

Thanks for reading!