Outlook 365 Calendar to Excel update

[JMN77]

Hello,

I try to put my Calendar events to an Excel sheet, because I use excel to analyze my activities.

Now, I use the export-function to a csv-file and so on... A lot of work, and exportfunction is very slow (in our company netwerk).

But I'm wondering if it is possible with Flow. I think yes, because new items works fine. (the only thing I doubt about is the refreshing frequency of the flow. It think it is not realy real-time)

But the update of an event (and the update of the Excel-row as well) don't work because there is trouble with an specific ID.

In Excel appears automatically an column, such as _PowerAppID_ . But I can't this column choose in the connections or the Dynamic content which appears when I build the Flow.

So, which kind of specific columns I have to make in Excel? And which of the Dynamic Content connect with it to specify the event to update? Especially the Row-ID?

I hope you understand my bad 'school-english'. 😞

Kind regards,

Johan

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @JMN77,

Could you please share a screenshot of your flow's configuration?

Could you please show a bit more about your excel file which is used to store your Outlook Calendar events?

We use the __PowerAppsId__ column to keep track of changes in the row of excel file, so if we need to update the rows of excel file, we should obtain the __PowerAppsId__ column value and type the value within Row id field of "Update row" action.

We could not get the __PowerAppsId__ value of specific row which you want to update with from the Dynamic content tab in Microsoft Flow currently, so we need to add a identity column to identify each row of excel file uniquely. I have create a excel file on my side and the data structure of it as below:

Note: The Event ID column is a identity column in my excel file, which is used to stored the event id of Outlook calendar event. 

I have made a test on my side and please take a try with the following workaround:

• Add a "When an event is modified (V2)" trigger.
• Add a "Get rows" action, specify File Name and Table Name.
• Add a "Apply to each", input parameter set to output of "Get rows" action.
• Within "Apply to each", add a Condition, left input box set to Event ID dynamic content of "Get rows" action, right input box set to Id dynamic content of the trigger. Within middle drop down, choose is equal to.

         Within "If/yes" branch of Condition, add a "Update row" action, Row id field set to Row id dynamic content of "Get rows" action.

Image reference:

The flow works successfully as below:

Best regards,

Kris

[JMN77]

Hi,

Thanks for reply!

Happy to meet you, I realy look for a solution...

Your workaround gives only a filled column of _PowerAppsID_.

A few questions:

- What's the difference between Get Row and Get Rows?

- What's the meaning of 'value' in the Apply to each-structure?

- You used in the condition an Event_x0020_ID, while in your Excel-file only a EventID column is made. Where comes the first one from?

- How can I ensure that the column EventID in excel, will be filled with the specified ID of an event? Where can I link the ID to the column?

I hope it will finaly work. I'm enthusiastic about Flow en its possibilities.

 

Kind regards,

Johan

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @JMN77,

For your first question, the "Get row" action retrieves a single row from an excel table, the "Get rows" action retrieves all rows from an excel table. More details about the "Get row" action and the "Get rows" action, please check the following article:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/excel/#Get_row

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/excel/#Get_rows

For your second question, the value within the "Apply to each" structure is the output of the "Get rows" action. In other words, the value is the result that the "Get rows" action returned.

For your third question, there is a column called Event ID (there is a space between Event and ID) which is used to store the event id of Outlook calendar event. For Excel table that contain column names with spaces, we should specify each space as "_x0020_". More details about the usage of "_x0020_", please check the following article:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/common-issues-and-resolutions#recently-addedchanged

For your forth question, you should create another flow to create the event in the Excel file when a event is created in your Outlook calendar. The flow's configuration as below:

Store the event id of Outlook calendar into the Event ID column of my excel file using above solution.

Best regards,

Kris

[JMN77]

Thanks again! I begin to understand it... The update flow is working so far. Only, when I remove an event, the row in Excel is still visible. I see an action, called Excel-Delete Row But no Connector on Outlook which said: When an event is removed... Only 'when an event is changed'. I think I have to build a if-construction for it with some kind of conditions? Or is it a bit more simple? J.

[JMN77]

Sorry, the create event flow works as well.

I'm only struggling with a removed event.

It seems to be a removal of an event isn't an update.

That is also logical, because when I delete an event, the specific ID is removed and won't send to Flow. Is that right?

J.

[JMN77]

Is there any solution for removed items?

As I said: i find no connector which do something like that.

I tried with a updated event and look for a construction with If - Else. But to this time nothing works.

Thank you in advance!

johan