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Session Id : r2NcABxFzcvQFTGl0oLlwW
Power Automate - Building Flows
Answered

Send HTTP Request Patch action not setting only the column configured in it

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Posted on 24 Jan 2023 17:09:25 by

I have an HTTP Send request Patch action to set a text column in SharePoint Online list with the value of a variable. (See image below)

DWTKBrook_1-1674579752938.png

Which works, but it also sets the value of another text column in SharePoint to the same thing.

DWTKBrook_2-1674580038748.png

There are no other HTTP Send request Patch actions in the flow that would set the column DivisionManager

 

How can I get it to set just the column that is noted in the action?

 

Any and all help would be greatly appretiated.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

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  • wskinnermctc Profile Picture
    6,517 Moderator on 25 Jan 2023 at 20:13:23
    Re: Send HTTP Request Patch action not setting only the column configured in it

    Glad you have it working. I had just made something hopefully it could help you in the future.

     

    1. Put quotes "" around your field names since that can help the step recognize text.
      • "ManagerText": "Derek" instead of ManagerText: "Derek"
      • "DivisionManager": "VP Sally" instead of DivisionManager: "VP Sally"
    2. Spell the values in the "Accept" header correctly since you had application spelled as apllication
      • application/json;odata=verbose
      • (This header isn't even required for a POST or PATCH since it is instructing the response that is returned, not instructing the action patch/merge being done.)
      • It is saying "I'll Accept responses from my HTTP request as format application/json and I want ALL response data so my odata is verbose.")
    3. The header X-HTTP-METHOD only works for requests that have an initial POST selected Method and then changes it into whatever the X-HTTP-METHOD value is.
      • A request as POST with a header X-HTTP-METHOD of MERGE turns the http request into a MERGE
      • A request as POST with a header X-HTTP-METHOD of PATCH turns the http request into a PATCH
      • A request as PATCH with a header X-HTTP-METHOD of MERGE does nothing since a PATCH doesn't recognize a header X-HTTP-METHOD it is basically ignored. Remains a PATCH request.

    Below I'm showing a step that would be considered a MERGE request:

    HTTP Request POST with X-HTTP-METHOD MERGEHTTP Request POST with X-HTTP-METHOD MERGE

     

    Below I'm showing a step that would be considered a PATCH request:

    HTTP Request PATCHHTTP Request PATCH

    Below is showing that a PATCH action is the same as a POST action that has X-HTTP-METHOD PATCH

    HTTP Request PATCH is same as POST with X-HTTP-METHOD PATCHHTTP Request PATCH is same as POST with X-HTTP-METHOD PATCH

     

    Below explains how the X-HTTP-METHOD functions in a request

    Microsoft Learn - Header Fields - X-HTTP-METHOD 

     

    Below explains what the Accept header is used for in a request

    Microsoft Learn - Basic Operations REST Endpoints - Reading Data 

     

    For sharepoint - the PATCH and MERGE methods are going to produce the same results. 

    Learn Microsoft - Protocols - PATCH/MERGE 

    The only difference between an HTTP request that uses MERGE or PATCH and PUT is client intent.

    Since MERGE is not one of the verbs that is defined in the HTTP specification [RFC2616], using the MERGE verb might not flow through network intermediaries as seamlessly as methods that are defined in the HTTP specification. The HTTP PATCH verb is preferred over HTTP MERGE when working with data services that support the OData 3.0 protocol. 

     

    I guess we never really figured out why you were getting duplicate postings in the fields, but hopefully some of this content helps with making other HTTP requests.

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on 25 Jan 2023 at 18:15:13
    Re: Send HTTP Request Patch action not setting only the column configured in it

    Hello @wskinnermctc 

     

    Thank you that worked perfectly. I didn't realize the encoding was different (or I didn't pay attention).

     

    Thank you so much for your help

     

    Cheers!

    DWTKBrook

  • Verified answer
    wskinnermctc Profile Picture
    6,517 Moderator on 24 Jan 2023 at 21:41:47
    Re: Send HTTP Request Patch action not setting only the column configured in it

    Ok, a couple of things to look at here because you made new columns. The name of the column when using http requests has to match the internal/entitypropertyname of the column. These names are kind of encoded, but they use SharePoint's special encoding, not the usual encodeUrl.

     

    You can see the name that will be used in the browser address bar when looking at the column settings. I made the same columns in a list and highlighted what is in the address bar.

    New SharePoint Column NamesNew SharePoint Column Names

     

    Also, you can send an HTTP request to the list using the endpoint "/fields" and it will get all columns/fields for the list and the properties of each. I'm putting an example below, and I specifically selected some properties to trim up the output. But you could just end it with /fields and get every property for each column/field.

     

     

    _api/lists/getByTitle('@{variables('ListName')}')/fields?$select=
    DefaultFormula,
    DefaultValue,
    Description,
    EntityPropertyName,
    Id,
    InternalName,
    Required,
    StaticName,
    Title,
    FieldTypeKind,
    TypeAsString

     

     

    Below is an example of the get fields http GET request.

    HTTP GET Fields selected propertiesHTTP GET Fields selected properties

    Below is the output when running the http GET fields. 

    HTTP GET Fields Output ResultsHTTP GET Fields Output Results

     

    So even though I named the columns "Line Manager Approval" and "Division Manager - Approval_Test" the names to use in the http request will be "Line_x0020_Manager_x0020_Approva" and "Division_x0020_Manager_x0020_x0" even though they seem incomplete. 

     

    Here is an example of the Patch when using the new column names. 

    Patch Step with New ColumnsPatch Step with New Columns

     

    And the Outputs of the step look like this:

    Patch New Columns OutputPatch New Columns Output

     

    All of the above will help you get more specific info on what to put in the name of the field for the PATCH request, but it doesn't explain why you are getting duplicate results for those columns. 

     

    Could you run the HTTP GET request for the fields and then find the two columns in the output and see if there is anything that might be causing them to be the same. You could run the GET request without the selected properties and then then screen shot the results for each of the columns ManagerText and DivisionManager. Maybe we can see something within those column properties that is causing this issue?

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on 24 Jan 2023 at 19:31:09
    Re: Send HTTP Request Patch action not setting only the column configured in it

    Thanks @wskinnermctc 

     

    tried what you suggested, there are no defaults, calcs or lookups on either. I did create a test column also a single line of text but it didn't populate.

     

    I deleted the columns and created 2 new text columns in their place;

    DWTKBrook_3-1674588372423.png

     

    I updated the HTTP Request to below

    DWTKBrook_4-1674588467490.png

    I got an error;

    DWTKBrook_5-1674588547886.png

     

    replaced the spaces with %20 but I get the same error.

     

    Not sure what this issue is now.

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on 24 Jan 2023 at 19:12:40
    Re: Send HTTP Request Patch action not setting only the column configured in it

    Hello  @wskinnermctc 

     

    Thank you for look at this. I really appreciate it

     

    See image below for the column settings

    DWTKBrook_0-1674583484565.png

    Refresh the browser screen: Done, no change

     

    Why use the PATCH method and then step on it with the X-HTTP-Method: MERGE?

    • The X-HTTP-Method will make the request a MERGE and not a PATCH.
    • So just put MERGE in the initial method and take the X-HTTP-Method out of the header.

    Do you mean like so:

    DWTKBrook_1-1674583693732.png

    Or did you mean 

    Why use the PATCH method and then step on it with the X-HTTP-Method: MERGE?

    • The X-HTTP-Method will make the request a MERGE and not a PATCH.
    • So just put PATCH in the initial method and take the X-HTTP-Method out of the header.?

    I have also created another text field and it did not populate, so I deleted the ManagerText and Division Manager columns and created 2 new ones in thier place called Line Manager Approval and Division Manager Approval

     

    I set the Http request to

    DWTKBrook_3-1674587552962.png

     

     And it failed with the result 

     

    Invalid JSON. A colon character ':' is expected after the property name 'Line', but none was found.
    clientRequestId: d83f7f9f-36a0-4cfc-b1ff-75df1a9af82a
    serviceRequestId: 10758fa0-6055-3000-2ec0-47e3caa00cf3

     

    I swapped out the spaces

  • wskinnermctc Profile Picture
    6,517 Moderator on 24 Jan 2023 at 17:58:02
    Re: Send HTTP Request Patch action not setting only the column configured in it

    I'm just taking a couple of guesses that you might be able to check.

     

    SharePoint Columns are Linked by Calculated or Lookup:

    • (DivisionManager is calculated to equal ManagerText)
    • Go to the list settings and see the column types.

    SharePoint Column is default to equal the other column:

    • Check to see if there is a default value for the DivisionManager column which may be automatically pulling in the ManagerText column when a new item is created.
    • Go to the list settings and then into the column settings and see if there is a default value.

    Refresh the browser screen:

    • Sometimes when power automate posts things to a list it can appear that values are in different columns when really it is just the view of the browser trying to catch up.
    • Click refresh to make sure all the values are in the columns.

    Why use the PATCH method and then step on it with the X-HTTP-Method: MERGE?

    • The X-HTTP-Method will make the request a MERGE and not a PATCH.
    • So just put MERGE in the initial method and take the X-HTTP-Method out of the header.

    Add a new column to the list and test again to see if you get same results for the test column being filled like the DivisionManager column.

    • Can show if it is an individual column issue or all columns issue

    Add the DivisionManager field to your http request and test it by filling with another text to see if it is still writing the ManagerText or if it accepts your new test text.

     

     

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