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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Numbers come back as #...
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Numbers come back as ##### in "Read from Excel worksheet" if Column is not expanded

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Posted on by 929 Super User 2024 Season 1

I save down an Excel document from a web app, and then I open that document, not visible, to read a column of dollar amounts.

However, if you go into the document, the report's column width is not wide enough for some of the numbers, making them look like #######. This causes issues for the Excel actions apparently, as PAD also pulls them as #####......has anyone else ran across this and have any solutions, outside of opening it up as a visible instance first, expanding the column, and saving.....?

 

I'd have to think this is a bug......

 

ryule_0-1659989256190.png

 

Excel view

ryule_1-1659989641104.png

 

If I expand the column, save, and run the bot from the point of just the Excel stuff, it works:

ryule_2-1659989673237.png

 

 

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  • Verified answer
    MichaelAnnis Profile Picture
    5,727 Moderator on at

    Use the "Get cells as text" option in the "Read from Excel" parameters window.

     

    Or maybe, uncheck it; I forget which one, but the other stops this from happening.

  • ryule Profile Picture
    929 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

    Oh interesting; I have it checked. I'll uncheck it and give this a shot tomorrow; thank you!

  • ryule Profile Picture
    929 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

    Yep, that did the trick. I'm embarrassed I didn't try that first, although, still seems silly to me!

  • MichaelAnnis Profile Picture
    5,727 Moderator on at

    Yeah, I thought it was silly also.   It literally just reads whatever is on the screen, so in this case, the column just isn't long enough and it read #####.

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