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Multiple choice columns in SharePoint library – Output repeats row 4 times instead of 1

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Posted on by J-lee

@ChadVKealey I actually did first create my flow using the video you suggested here: https://youtu.be/T10-JRtgCaE?t=951. But I got the ActionFailed error and the Same row is repeated 4 times (as detailed below). Since you recommend this method can you help me solve this issue?

The Flow runs Quarterly. It looks at files in a SharePoint Document library. If the files have a specified Owner the data is put into a CSV table. Then the table is saved as a file on the SharePoint. These steps match the screenshots below.

Recurring – quarterly
(Ignore the Initialize variable 1 year ago).
Get Files (properties only) – get the following information from a SharePoint Library. Using ODATA filter to only get documents where the Owner = Data Analytics.
1. Name – title of document
2. Owner of document single choice column
3. Modified Date
4. Department – a multiple choice column (and therefore an array)
Compose – pulls in the Department data as an array.
Select – selects just the value from the array
Join – joins the Select with a comma
Condition – make sure that the file contains at least one row.
Create CSV table – put data in a table. For the Department use the output of the Join.
Create a file –save file on the SharePoint.

What the SharePoint library looks like. Only the Department column is multiple choice

Error Message: ActionFailed. An action failed. No dependent actions succeeded.

Same row is repeated 4 times for all columns

What the file should look like

@tobor58 this is similar to your post. Can you provide more detail on how you got your solution to work?

@tom_riha

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v-jefferni Microsoft Employee on at

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Hi @J-lee ,

Please try and initialize an array variable with below structure at the beginning of your flow:

[ { "Name":"", "Owner":"", "Modified":"", "Department":"" } ]

In Apply to each loop, use the Append to array variable, move the Create CSV table and Create file actions out of the loop.

Best regards,

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J-lee 47 on at

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@v-jefferni Thanks! I tried your solution and it seems closer but maybe I did not set the actions correctly. Please show me what I may have done incorrectly.

Output

Department Output is still the same on all 4 rows. At least the text that should be on each row is now grouped together by quotes and separated by a comma. I don’t know why the text in bold appears.

[{"Name":"","Owner":"","Modified":"","Department":""},"Data analytics,Happy,Innovative,Process management,Project Mgmt,SharePoint users","Project Mgmt,Happy","Data analytics,Process management","SharePoint users,Innovative"]

All the text in red should be on the first row
All the text in green should be on the second row
All the text in blue should be on the third row
All the text in purple should be on the fourth row

The CSV Table and Create File actions are outside of the Apply to Each.
Thanks for any assistance you or anyone else can provide!!!
@ChadVKealey

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J-lee 47 on at

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@Expiscornovus Hello! I noticed that you posted a solution that is similar to my issue of stringing output together in this post Solved: Styling flow output multple choice - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)
I would really appreciate it if you could review my post and see if you have any insight. I've been trying to solve this for a long time !

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Expiscornovus 33,488 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @J-lee,

I don't think you would need to initiate those properties without values. I would just leave the initialize variable empty. And the CSV table action should recognize the properties from the data itself. You would not need the mapping. You could add that logic to your append action.

Can you try something like below?

{"Name":"@{items('Apply_to_each')?['{Name}']}","Owner":"@{items('Apply_to_each')?['Owner/Value']}","ModifiedDate":"@{formatdatetime(items('Apply_to_each')?['Modified'], 'M/dd/yyyy')}","Department":"@{join(body('Select'), ', ')}"}

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J-lee 47 on at

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@Expiscornovus I tried your solution but got this error. Any clue as to why?
Unable to process template language expressions in action 'Append_to_array_variable' inputs at line '0' and column '0': 'The template language function 'join' expects two parameters: the array of elements to join as the first parameter, and the element separator as the second parameter. The function was invoked with '1' parameter(s).

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J-lee 47 on at

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@Expiscornovus IT WORKED !!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!
Just had to make one change in the Append to Array format

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