format a string with leading zeros in MS Flow

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Posted on by livingstonep

358

we have this formula in our MS Flow - Update Item task...

concat(items('Apply_to_each')['T_x002d_Code']
,'-'
,items('Apply_to_each')['BoxNo']
,'-'
,
items('Apply_to_each')['ID'])

but we need to add leading zeros to the BoxNo and ID so it ends up like this:

A02-00001-000235

How can we format those fields like that please?

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Building flows

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Harry_G 367 on at

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Hi @livingstonep,
I have Produce 5 digits leading zero base on your box number length for your box number you can flow these steps to produced other leading zero numbers.
Set some variablesUse Do Until loopCOmpose and update values of your Variable to update stringLast Compose give you final valueoutput Starting Value is 1OutPut End value is 00001

If you find this Helpful Please Accept it as Solution.

Thanks,
Harry_G

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livingstonep 358 on at

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Hi,

thanks so much for your truly excellent and very detailed answer

I ended up doing it in a similar way, but I used Switch Case in the Apply to each, then concatenated zeros that way using pre-defined padding variables

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Hirsty2000 2 on at

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Hi livingstoneP.

Would you mind sharing your solution with us. I'm really struggling with getting this working at the moment.

Thank you in advance

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livingstonep 358 on at

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Hi, we found an even better solution, and that is to use Substring and concat...

so we create the values we need in variables using substring and concat:

set a variable with the maximum leading zeros: variables('PaddingForBoxNo') = '00000'
PackedBoxNo = concat(variables('PaddingForBoxNo'),variables('BoxNo'))
get length of PackaedBoxNo: length(variables('packedBoxNo'))
set cut point for PackedBoxNo: sub(variables('lenPackedBoxNo'),variables('lenPaddingForBoxNo'))
generate formatted (packed) variable: substring(variables('packedBoxNo'),variables('startCutPackedBoxNo'),variables('lenPaddingForBoxNo'))
so basically we simulate the Right function using LEN and SUBSTRING in several steps...

and se end up with '00024' ...

the only alternative is to use a Switch case, or follow the answer above...

HTH
Philip

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Lam01007 231 on at

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I got one more simple solution, only use 1 step:
Just put the Expression in the value of "Set Variable" step:

concat(substring('00000', 0, sub(5,length(variables('FormID')))), variables('FormID'))

Where the '00000' is pad left zero template, the length is the maximum number of digit.
And '5' is the length of the above template
And replace 'FormID' to your variable name
Easy?

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Axal 945 on at

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@Lam01007 This trick is so cool.

GBU ! 😁

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Community Power Pla... on at

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Just to clarify...
First, I need to Initialize variable with name: FormID, string value: 1
...then Set variable name: FormID, ID (for me its the SP ID)
...then when I Update item, in the my running number field I use
concat(substring('0000', 0, sub(4,length(variables('FormID')))), variables('FormID')) ...

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teylyn1 362 on at

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This can also be done with a simple formatNumber() function. Use the expression

formatNumber(variables('myVariable'),'000000')
Setup in the editorresult in the run window

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Murderbot 132 on at

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Best value!

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kwilsson 8 on at

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You can just use the "Format number" function this will return 0001 if the number 1 is inserted.

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