SAP Where Filter with Power Apps variable

[Pokke]

Dear all,

my Usecase and Problem is the following:

I have a collection in Power Apps with values. I chain these values with the concat command to get a string that I can use as a Where Filter in Power Automate. Variable out of Power Apps:

Problem: 

The variable is displayed correctly in the overview in Power Automate, but the unformatted display contains exit characters that SAP does not accept.

Formatted output:

unformatted output (with Exitcharacters):

Error Massage: The calculated length of the value for the field exceeds the allowed value length.

Important hint:

If I copy the string directly out of the Power App, copy the Where Filter directly into it, and enclose with [], the flow will run through and return the correct data to me. But the copied string does not contain escape characters either.

What am I doing wrong? I've tried attaching the string to an array before, but it also doesn't work because the exit characters remain.

[scottwoodall]

Hello @Pokke -

My suggestion would be to create an array of the filters instead of building a long string.

This way the data types map cleanly to the Read Table function where-filter parameter. So instead of an array that contains a single string with all of your filters, build an array that has multiples values like so:

[
    "VBELN EQ '123'",

    "OR VBELN EQ '456'"

]

Cheers,

Scott

[Pokke · Accepted solution]

I tried it on the following way and it worked: 
With the string out of Power Apps:
1.

2. 

replace(first(body('Auswählen')),'OR ','')

3. 

union(outputs('Verfassen_2'),take(skip(body('Auswählen'),1),sub(length(body('Auswählen')),1)))

4. Where filter of SAP = Output of "Verfassen"

I think this is not the best way but it worked. Also this i can go this way for all the other Apps i plan to do.

[abhishja]

How about filter multiple in one column?  for example each 1000 materials in filters. However its not working due to length 72 only.

[Pokke]

There is a way to filter multiple values in one column. I found a solution in the SAP Procurement Template from Microsoft and SAP:

SAP Procurement template for Power Platform - Power Platform | Microsoft Learn

It is in the Flow "ReadPurchaseOrderList". 

First Step:
Parse List from former SAP Step.

2. Step Prepare IN Statement:

concat('''',item()?['VendorRaw'],'''',',')

3. Step Finalize IN Statement:

union(json('["LIFNR IN ("]'), body('Prepare_IN_Statement'), json('[")"]'))

Last Step: 

Maybe you import this solution in your tenant and have a look in this flow. 

Hope this will help you! But i think this solution is very slow!

[abhishja]

its not working as per your advice. its still error due to "the allowed value length is '72'. For fields of type byte array the value is base64 encoded and the decoded array length is used for length limit check."

[Pokke]

I don't know whether errors can occur due to the language setting. Just to be on the safe side, I work in Germany and have all settings set to German.

The following IN statement works for me and looks like this:

[
"LIFNR IN (",
"'00000XXXXX',",
"'00000YYYYY',",

")"
]

Here are pictures:

The limitation of 72 characters can be avoided by the correct use of , and “.

[abhishja]

ok thanks for sharing the screen. Are you talking about Language in SAP System. for Example {"AppServerHost": "XXXX","Client":"XX","SystemNumber":"XX","LogonType":"ApplicationServer", "Language" :"DE"} correct?

[Pokke]

sorry, please go back to the start. You want to search for several materials (probably material number) in one column and then filter. Is that correct?

If this is the case, you can actually enter the individual materials in the WHERE filter as follows:

As already mentioned, this works in the procurement template.

[abhishja]

yes this is correct, however its stuck like Several retries occurred if we added this like your compose else would get failed. Without this, its working i mean filters two material only.

[abhishja]

any Update to resolve the issue?

[Pokke]

i would look in ST22 in SAP to look what SAP says whats wrong. After that speak with someone in our company who can help you with SAP Knowledge.

[abhishja]

Hi, Another question. Is it possible to Read SAP Table as "Structure" in Power Automate?

[Pokke]

Sorry for the late reply. I hope i understand right and give you the answer:

You can create a Flow with the step with SAP and Function Read SAP table with parsing. 

For example the AUFK Table:

You can edit what columns you want to get from SAP. When you execute this flow you will get the Table as JSON Array and it is structured. 
All Columns will displayed in the sections Rows of this step:

If you want to use this Date in a Power App for example you have to give it back to the app:
Add a Step HTTP Response 

And after you execute the flow ones just copy the Rows Json from the SAP step into the "Generate from sample" of the HTTP Response Step. 


When you bring this flow in your app you are able to put the data in a Collection for example on Onstart or on a button control:

It will stored in a Collection and will remove after you close the App.

It is a Table but only with string columns.


When you only want to use the Data in Power Automate then you will find any Column / Row in the Rows Section of the Read SAP table with parsing output.

[abhishja]

Thank you for your explanations. I know how to create the flow with Power app. However this is not what i am saying Read SAP Table as "Structure". Let me give an example - SAP Table has different type - Transparent Table, Structure, Database View, Project View..  We are ABLE to get SAP Table Transparent Table or Database View. However we CANNOT get SAP Table Structure.. That is what i am asking.. how to get SAP Structure in the flow? its possible or NOT? i think your AUFK Table is Transparent Table... 

[Pokke]

I am not very familiar with SAP, but I will try to get a answer for you in the next days!!

I know that it was not possible to consume CDS Views out of the box, and we had to configure the ABAP that the Power Platform uses. This ABAP is called `RFC_BBP_READ_TABLE`. However, this function cannot consume CDS Views directly. To address this, we created a custom ABAP program. Now, when `RFC_BBP_READ_TABLE` tries to consume a CDS View, SAP redirects the request to our custom program, `Z_RFC_BBP_READ_TABLE`.