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Session Id : sv7u0YcgFJP6E3EcIr7wZf
Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate - Building Flows / How to loop through ob...
Power Automate - Building Flows
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How to loop through object variable to get random records and populate them to an array

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Posted on 5 Jul 2024 13:48:09 by maxon 25

Hi,

I have the following problem with my flow. Namely, I have a variable 'sourceData' of type array based on which I group the data into an object variable 'groupedData' based on one column 'Service'. This works fine, as a result I get a variable containing data in the following format:

 

{
 "body": {
 "name": "groupedData",
 "value": {
 "Digital Private": [
 {
 "@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "c2e3b85b",
 "Number": "31266",
 "Service": "Digital Private",
 "Approval": "2024-05-07T07:57:37.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 }
 ],
 "Trading": [
 {
 "@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "9d967542",
 "Number": "29756",
 "Service": "Trading",
 "Approval": "2024-05-16T15:15:17.000Z",
 "State": "Closed",
 },
 {
 "@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "6b1b6998",
 "Number": "31519",
 "Service": "Trading",
 "Approval": "2024-05-06T13:02:21.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 }
 ],
 "Digital Guide": [
 {
 "@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "89a40159",
 "Number": "31585",
 "Service": "Digital Guide",
 "Approval set": "2024-05-01T10:26:17.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 }
 ]
 }
 ]
 }

In the next step, out of each group (Digital Private, Trading, Digital Guide etc., I need to take one random record and create a 'finalData' variable of type array, which I will use later.

I have no idea how to do that, I were trying with using keys(), but I have an error 
"The variable 'keysArray' of type 'Array' cannot be initialized or updated with value of type 'String'. The variable 'keysArray' only supports values of types 'Array'."

 

I have already lost my ideas.

 

Thank you in advance for help!

Max

Categories:
Business Process Flows
I have the same question (0)
  • maxon Profile Picture
    maxon 25 on 24 Jul 2024 at 07:06:16
    How to loop through object variable to get random records and populate them to an array
    Hi,

    Thank you CassioM & Chriddle, its working, I had to only add the step to parse JSON before select nodes. 
     
    Thanks!
    Max
  • CassioM Profile Picture
    CassioM 13 on 08 Jul 2024 at 12:23:48
    Re: How to loop through object variable to get random records and populate them to an array

    A solution without an apply to each loop is always a better solution.
    Nicely done!

  • Chriddle Profile Picture
    Chriddle 8,243 Super User 2025 Season 2 on 06 Jul 2024 at 09:53:36
    Re: How to loop through object variable to get random records and populate them to an array

    I also fiddled around with this 😉

    Getting the keys is already shown by @CassioM 

    Chriddle_0-1720260220266.png

     

    Compose (Your JSON sanitized)

    Spoiler (Highlight to read)
    {
 "body": {
 "name": "groupedData",
 "value": {
 "Digital Private": [
 {
 "@@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "c2e3b85b",
 "Number": "31266",
 "Service": "Digital Private",
 "Approval": "2024-05-07T07:57:37.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 }
 ],
 "Trading": [
 {
 "@@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "9d967542",
 "Number": "29756",
 "Service": "Trading",
 "Approval": "2024-05-16T15:15:17.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 },
 {
 "@@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "6b1b6998",
 "Number": "31519",
 "Service": "Trading",
 "Approval": "2024-05-06T13:02:21.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 }
 ],
 "Digital Guide": [
 {
 "@@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "89a40159",
 "Number": "31585",
 "Service": "Digital Guide",
 "Approval set": "2024-05-01T10:26:17.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 }
 ]
 }
 }
}
    { "body": { "name": "groupedData", "value": { "Digital Private": [ { "@@odata.etag": "", "ItemInternalId": "c2e3b85b", "Number": "31266", "Service": "Digital Private", "Approval": "2024-05-07T07:57:37.000Z", "State": "Closed" } ], "Trading": [ { "@@odata.etag": "", "ItemInternalId": "9d967542", "Number": "29756", "Service": "Trading", "Approval": "2024-05-16T15:15:17.000Z", "State": "Closed" }, { "@@odata.etag": "", "ItemInternalId": "6b1b6998", "Number": "31519", "Service": "Trading", "Approval": "2024-05-06T13:02:21.000Z", "State": "Closed" } ], "Digital Guide": [ { "@@odata.etag": "", "ItemInternalId": "89a40159", "Number": "31585", "Service": "Digital Guide", "Approval set": "2024-05-01T10:26:17.000Z", "State": "Closed" } ] } } }

    Select

    From: ["Digital Private", "Trading", "Digital Guide"]

    Map:

     

    outputs('Compose')['body/value'][item()][
	rand(
		0,
		length(
			outputs('Compose')['body/value'][item()]
		)
	)
]

     

     

     

    Result:

     

    [
 {
 "@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "c2e3b85b",
 "Number": "31266",
 "Service": "Digital Private",
 "Approval": "2024-05-07T07:57:37.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 },
 {
 "@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "6b1b6998",
 "Number": "31519",
 "Service": "Trading",
 "Approval": "2024-05-06T13:02:21.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 },
 {
 "@odata.etag": "",
 "ItemInternalId": "89a40159",
 "Number": "31585",
 "Service": "Digital Guide",
 "Approval set": "2024-05-01T10:26:17.000Z",
 "State": "Closed"
 }
]

     

     

  • CassioM Profile Picture
    CassioM 13 on 05 Jul 2024 at 16:48:21
    Re: How to loop through object variable to get random records and populate them to an array

    I guess this is what you need:


    CassioM_0-1720197361923.png

    Select Nodes From:

    xpath(
 xml(json(concat('{"Root":', variables('varSourceData')['body/value'], '}'))),
 '/Root/*'
)

    Select Nodes Map:

    xpath(
 item(),
 'name(/*)'
)

    (Amazing reference from @Chriddle - Solved: Re: array of keys() and array values() expression ... - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com))

     

    CassioM_1-1720197755800.png

    Inputs:

    union(body('Select_nodes'), body('Select_nodes'))

     

    CassioM_2-1720197829477.png

    node Inputs:

    replace(item(), '_x0020_', ' ')

    rand inputs:

    rand(0, sub(length(variables('varSourceData')['body/value'][outputs('node')]), 1))

    Append to array variable Value:

    variables('varSourceData')['body/value'][outputs('node')][outputs('rand')]

     

    This is the final result:

    [
 {
 "ItemInternalId": "c2e3b85b",
 "Number": "31266",
 "Service": "Digital Private",
 "Approval": "2024-05-07T07:57:37.000Z",
 "State": "Closed",
 "@odata.etag": ""
 },
 {
 "ItemInternalId": "9d967542",
 "Number": "29756",
 "Service": "Trading",
 "Approval": "2024-05-16T15:15:17.000Z",
 "State": "Closed",
 "@odata.etag": ""
 },
 {
 "ItemInternalId": "89a40159",
 "Number": "31585",
 "Service": "Digital Guide",
 "Approval set": "2024-05-01T10:26:17.000Z",
 "State": "Closed",
 "@odata.etag": ""
 }
]
  • David_MA Profile Picture
    David_MA 12,395 Super User 2025 Season 2 on 05 Jul 2024 at 16:40:52
    Re: How to loop through object variable to get random records and populate them to an array

    I am not the best at this and I always struggle with the expressions, but are you familiar with how to get one of the values out of your array using expressions such as: outputs('Get_items')?['body/value'][2][outputs('Get_response_details')?['body/YourColumnInternalName']]

     

    If so, then you know the [2] would represent the third item in your array. To get a random item use the rand expression and set the minimum value to 0, since 0 represents the first item in the array. For the max value of the of rand, use the length expression to get how many items are in the array and subtract 1 to account for the first item starting at zero. The expression would be something like this: rand(0, length(variables('myArray')) - 1) that you can set in an integer variable.

     

    Then use the variable in place of the 2 in [2] to return a random item from the array.

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