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Power Automate - Using Connectors
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Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

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Posted on by 64

Hello,

 

I have a long SharePoint List which contains some lookup columns. I need to do the following:

 

1) Duplicate an entire lookup column.

2) Have the duplicate column display the lookup values as text.

 

I have been trying to figure out how to do the above all at once using Power Automate, but I am very new to designing flows, so have not been successful. Specific details are below:

 

In the below LB_List table, I am trying to copy and make a text version of the Custodial_Group column. This column is a lookup column, which is pulled from the below Faculty_Units table.

 

If this can be done (in PowerAutomate or through any other means), I would be grateful for detailed instructions that a novice can follow. 

 

Thank you 🙂

 

 

Tes_20210225_LB_list table.png

 

 

Tes_20210225_Faculty Units table.png

 

 

  • JesSS Profile Picture
    2 on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    Help please! I am trying to do the same and I dont want to give up. I really want to crack up the code. 

  • ckovac Profile Picture
    on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    I am looking to do the same thing in order to bypass the lookup column threshold. Can I create a column with multiple lines of text and have it pull from a lookup column? Basically need a text column to pull from a people/group lookup column to get the data. I created a power app for my SharePoint form, is there a way to do this within PowerApps?

  • Nicol_ Profile Picture
    64 on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    Unfortunately I had to give up on using PowerAutomate with this- lookup columns make everything so much more complicated!

    In the end I sorted my data by the lookup column and after typing in the name of each category once, I used Edit in grid view to manually drag down to apply to all items in the text version column and repeated this process for each lookup column category. Very low-tech but it ended up taking me far less time than trying to get to work in  PowerAutomate!

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    Hi @Nicol_ ,

    I am trying to do the same thing. I want to create a text column using the lookup column that contains information and have them be identical. Both columns should have essentially the same information but one would be a lookup while the other is an editable text field. Have you found a way to resolve your issue?

  • Nicol_ Profile Picture
    64 on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    Hi Qi,

     

    Thank you for your reply and apologies for the delay in getting back to you (my work is part time).

     

    Sorry, perhaps I have not been clear. I want to display the text values as another column in the same Sharepoint List. Below is an example- I need to populate the Custodial_Group_copy column, which I want to display the values from the Custodial_Group column as text (rather than a lookup column type). 

     

    Screenshot 2022-03-25j.png 

     

    Would the method that you have proposed result in the data being re-entered back into the new Sharepoint List column?

     

    Many thanks,

    Nic

  • Nicol_ Profile Picture
    64 on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    Hi Resolver II,

     

    Thank you for your suggestion and my apologies for the delayed reply- my work is part time.

     

    I tried to put your suggestion into a flow, but it looks like something went wrong (see below for the flow that I have put together and the error in the flow run). The 'Apply to each 2' popped up automatically.

     

    I would be very grateful if you have any further advice for correcting my error.

     

    Thank you,

    Nic

     

    Screenshot 2022-03-25f.pngScreenshot 2022-03-25g.pngScreenshot 2022-03-25h.png

     

    Flow results:

    Screenshot 2022-03-25i.png

  • v-qiaqi@microsoft.com Profile Picture
    on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    Hi @Nicol_,

    Do you want to display the entire LookUp column value as text?

    Could you please tell me where do you want to display the text value?

     

    I think there is no need to use the Power Automate, you could achieve this easily using Power Apps collection.

    1). Sign in Power Apps

    2). Set the OnStart property of the App as below, run OnStart as the following screenshot.

    ClearCollect(colLookUp,Ungroup(ForAll(LB_List.Custodial_Group,Custodial_Group.Value),"Value"))

     

    vqiaqimsft_0-1648018649493.png

    3). Add a Gallery and set the Items property as colLookUp

     

  • PowerAppsWizard Profile Picture
    388 on at
    Re: Create a text version/copy of a lookup column in a Sharepoint List

    Hi

    This should be not too complicate:

    1. Get items action

    2. Create item action and add the desired column items as dynamic content into the action (that will create an apply to each looping through all the items which was received from step 1.)

     

    I am not sure if I understand your requirements fully...

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