So, I'm using the SP REST API to update a date field in a sp.list via the SharePoint connector HTTP action. However, in some scenarios I won't submit a date (datevalue = ""). If you're not aware, the REST API gets cranky if you attempt to post an empty string for a date. That is, if you don't have a date to post, it wants a null instead. If you send it an empty string, the specific error message you'll get back is:
"Cannot convert a primitive value to the expected type 'Edm.DateTime'."
IMO, this is wonky as all getout, because any date that you pass IS A STRING. But I digress...
Unfortunately, I can't use an IF statement to rewrite the date value as null if the incoming json date value is an empty string, because the null gets stringified by the IF statement. Doh.
My current hack of a workaround for this is to use a Condition to see if the incoming date is empty. If it includes a date, I include it in a Compose action. If it's empty, I exclude it. Like this:
It works, but it's just unpleasant to look at. If anyone else has a better solution, I'd appreciate it. If this is currently the only solution, hopefully someone else finds this helpful.
PS: Of course, this begs the question "why not just use the SharePoint connector Create Item action, which handles dates gracefully?" I started with that, but I need to update a hyperlink fieldtype in the list in the same action. The Create Item action doesn't give you access to the Description attribute of the SP.FieldUrlValue type, which I need.
PPS: "Why not just push two separate updates to the list item, and use the HTTP action only to push the Description attribute?" Good question. Unfortunately, there are other Flows triggering off of changes to this list, and the downstream Flow owners were getting a little annoyed I was using up their quota by sending them two triggers for every row update I was making.
