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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Concat function empty ...
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Concat function empty value and separator

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Posted on by 5

Hi All

 

Trust someone can help me out

Scenario

I have 3 columns in the sharepoint list, which I want to combine using a powerautomate flow.

 

In the flow, I am using Concat function as below with a separator

 

concat(triggerOutputs()?['body/Group1'],', ',triggerOutputs()?['body/Group2'],',' ,triggerOutputs()?['body/Group3'])

 

Group1: Test 1, Test 2

Group2: empty column

Group3: Test3, Test4

 

The output is: Test 1, Test 2, ,Test3, Test4

 

I need to remove the extra separator if any of the columns are empty.

 

Thanks in advance

 

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  • Ellis Karim Profile Picture
    11,683 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

    Hi @Shefimonbasheer ,

     

    The flow will need to handle a combination of blank values, for example:

    Snag_73a3b2.png

    One solution could be to put the values into an array (using createArray function), filter out blank values (using Filter Array function) and then joining the remaining values as a string separated with a comma (using the Joing function):

     

    createArray(variables('triggerOutputs')?['body/Group1'], variables('triggerOutputs')?['body/Group2'], variables('triggerOutputs')?['body/Group3'])

     

    Snag_7a341e.png

    Here is the sample runtime output:

     

    Snag_7d28d5.png

    Snag_7d8f6e.png

    Snag_7dea31.png

     

    Snag_81d0d9.png

     

    Hope this helps.

     


    Ellis
    ____________________________________
    If I have answered your question, please mark the post as Solved.
    If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

  • ShefiBasheer Profile Picture
    9 on at

    @ekarim2020 

    Hi Ellis

     

    Thank you so much for the detailed explanation, and the solution worked. In my flow the, group1, group2, and group 3 are from a SharePoint list, so the initialize variable I had to add separately, I am not sure that is the correct method, and in the filter array applied this 

    createArray(variables('Group1'), variables('Group2'), variables('Group3'))

    Untitled.jpg

     Regards

    Shefi

  • Verified answer
    Ellis Karim Profile Picture
    11,683 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

    Hi @ShefiBasheer ,

     

    I had a chance to test this with an existing SharePoint list where I added with three text columns Group1, Group2 and Group3.

     

    The createArray action will be:

     

    createArray(triggerOutputs()?['body/Group1'], triggerOutputs()?['body/Group2'], triggerOutputs()?['body/Group3'])

     

     

    As the data source is SharePoint and not a variable as in my previous example, you will need to modify the Filter array to remove null values:

     

    Snag_407074c.png

     

    The reason is that if no value is entered for Group1, Group2 or Group3 - then those Properties will be missing from the triggerOutputs. For example, if no text for the Group2 column was entered (i.e. it is left blank):

    Snag_40e9486.png

     

    the property Group2 is missing from the triggerOutputs:

     

    Snag_40c9e15.png

    Based on the above values for Group1 (Test 1, Test 2), Group2 (which is empty) and Group 3 (Test3, Test 4), the createArray action will create an array with the following values; the missing property value will be set to null

     

    [
     "Test 1, Test 2",
     null,
     "Test3, Test4"
    ]

     

    The filter array acton will remove the null values:

    Snag_41414d9.png

    Here is a sample runtime output of the filter array action:

    Snag_4159010.png

    Snag_416252b.png

    Try the above and see how you get on with your List.

     

    A final note, you could also create the array in a variable:

    Snag_41d43fc.png

    Hope this helps. 


    Ellis
    ____________________________________
    If I have answered your question, please mark the post as Solved.
    If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

     

  • Shefimonbasheer Profile Picture
    5 on at

    @ekarim2020 

    Hi Ellis

     

    Tested and worked. Thanks again😊

     

    Regards

    Shefi

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