Merge Two Array Values in Power Automate & SharePoint
Power Automate
Jan 17, 2024 12:00 AM

Merge Two Array Values in Power Automate & SharePoint

by HubSite 365 about Damien Bird

Power Platform Cloud Solutions Architect @ Microsoft | Microsoft BizApps MVP 2023 | Power Platform | SharePoint | Teams

Citizen DeveloperPower AutomatePower SelectionLearning Selection

Merge SharePoint List Fields with Power Automate Select and Expressions

Key insights

  • Trigger and Retrieve SharePoint List Items: Start with a trigger and use "Get items" to fetch data from your SharePoint List.
  • Select to Transform Data: Employ "Select" to restructure the items, using expressions to join two fields from the SharePoint list.
  • Create a New Array: With "Select" action's output, generate an array of objects containing the concatenated values of two fields.
  • Utilize the Concatenated Array: Use the created array to further your workflow, like creating items or sending emails.
  • Optional Further Actions: Add extra actions as needed for data processing or integration with other services.

Expanding on Power Automate and SharePoint Integration

Power Automate is a versatile tool for automating workflows and integrating various services, such as SharePoint. Using Power Automate to manipulate arrays and lists from SharePoint enhances productivity by streamlining complex processes into simpler tasks. Manipulating data structures within Power Automate allows users to tailor data to fit their business needs seamlessly. Whether it's sending out customized emails, updating databases, or combining list items, Power Automate's ability to integrate and transform data with SharePoint lists makes it an invaluable asset for businesses looking to automate and optimize their operations.

 

Understanding Data Manipulation in Process Automation

How to join two values in an array using workflow automation tools, a data management system, and by leveraging data selection and expressions is detailed in a recent tutorial. To accomplish this task, specifically with a data management system like a SharePoint List, using the "Select" action and expressions, one can follow a simple series of steps.

  • Trigger and Get Items from SharePoint List:
    - Initiate your automation with an appropriate trigger.
    - Use the "Get items" action to fetch entries from your SharePoint List.

  • Apply the Select Action:
    - After obtaining the items, append a "Select" action. This function lets you alter the list items into a different format.
    - In the "Select" action's "From" section, input the outcome from your "Get items" action.
    - Within the "Map" area, designate the new format. To merge two fields, for instance, 'Field1' and 'Field2' from your SharePoint list items, assign a key (the name of the novel field in your altered object) and as its value, utilize an expression like "item()?['Field1'] & ' ' & item()?['Field2']" which concatenates 'Field1' and 'Field2' from each object with a space in between.

  • Construct an Array of Joined Values:
    - The result of the "Select" action is an array with objects, each bearing the key you've set and the connected value of the two fields.

  • Employ the Resulting Array:
    - The array forged by the "Select" action is now ready for use in later phases of your automation. This array could help create new items, push data via email, or serve other roles necessary in your process.

  • Additional Actions (Optional):
    - As per your needs, you're able to insert extra actions to process the data further or synchronize with other platforms.

This method is notably efficient and streamlined, a formidable choice when handling extensive lists, as it reduces the count of actions and cycles in your workflow.

About Workflow Automation

Workflow automation is a powerful tool to streamline business processes, reducing the need for manual data handling and increasing efficiency. Tools like Power Automate facilitate complex tasks such as data manipulation and integration with various services. They enable users to set triggers, collect data, transform it, and utilize it in numerous automated tasks, proving invaluable in managing and analyzing large data sets and performing repetitive tasks without the need for human intervention. Learning to use these automation tools effectively can significantly optimize business operations and workflows.

 

People also ask

How do you join an array in Power Automate?

In Power Automate, you can join an array of strings into a single string by using the join expression. For example, you would use the expression join(variables('yourArray'), ', ') to join all the items in the 'yourArray' array using a comma followed by a space as the separator.

How do you concatenate two values in Power Automate?

To concatenate two values in Power Automate, you can use the concat function. For instance, if you want to concatenate two strings, you would use concat(variables('firstString'), variables('secondString')) to combine 'firstString' and 'secondString' into a single string.

How do you select and append to an array in Power Automate?

To select a value and append it to an existing array in Power Automate, you can use the 'Append to array variable' action. This allows you to choose a value and add it to an array variable that has previously been defined in the flow.

How do you select one value from an array in Power Automate?

To select one value from an array in Power Automate, you can use the expression item() if you are in an Apply to each loop. Outside of a loop, you can use expressions like variables('yourArray')[0] to get the first item of the 'yourArray'.

 

Keywords

Power Automate array join, SharePoint list join fields, concatenate array values Power Automate, merge data Power Automate, SharePoint select expression, combine SharePoint list items, automate array manipulation, join array elements workflow, Power Automate expressions join, SharePoint array concatenation.