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IF NULL: This should be easy!!

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Posted on by Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee

Not sure why this doesn't work. Can you spot the issue?

I just want to check if the timestamp coming across ("Observation_Date_Time") is null or not. If its null, write "1970-1-1 00:00:00", otherwise convert the timestamp from unix to human readable.

Works fine without the IF statement. "Invalid Expression" error with the IF.

if(
 items(
 'For_each_childRecord')?
 ['attributes']?
 ['Observation_Date_Time']
 = null, //also tried = 0 //same error "invalid expression"
 '1970-1-1 00:00:00',
 addseconds(
 '1970-1-1',
 Div(
 items(
 'For_each_childRecord')?
 ['attributes']?
 ['Observation_Date_Time'],
 1000
 ),
 'yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss'
 )
)

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ScottShearer 25,280 Most Valuable Professional on at

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@ericonline
Have you tried checking for an empty string? Try two single quotes and it may work

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Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

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Hi @ScottShearer

Just pasted this in:

if( items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'] = '', '1970-1-1 00:00:00', addseconds( '1970-1-1', Div( items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'], 1000 ), 'yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss' ) )

Results:

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RezaDorrani 12,145 on at

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Hi @ericonline

write a compose action and check output for
items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time']

Regards,
Reza Dorrani

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

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RezaDorrani 12,145 on at

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Hi @ericonline

you can also try

empty(items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'])
which should return a true or a false

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Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

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Hi @RezaDorrani ,

The Compose action for the null record yeilds:

Note: All non-null Observation_Date_Time records showed the Unix time value

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RezaDorrani 12,145 on at

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@ericonline

perfect now try

equals(items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'] ,null)
empty(items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'])

In compose actions to see the results

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Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

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@RezaDorrani

`empty()` failed all records in the Flow.

Tried:

if( empty( items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'] ), '1970-1-1 00:00:00', addseconds( '1970-1-1', Div( items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'], 1000 ), 'yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss' ) )

Results:

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RezaDorrani 12,145 on at

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Hi @ericonline

and what about

equals(items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'] ,null)

equals(items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'] ,'')

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Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

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@RezaDorrani

NICE!

`equals(XYZ,null)` worked.

Solution:

if( equals( items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'], null), '1970-1-1 00:00:00', addseconds( '1970-1-1', Div( items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'], 1000 ), 'yyyy-MM-dd hh:mm:ss' ) )

Results for the null-value timestamp record:

Thank you both for the Flow expertise!

Take care!

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Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

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Esoteric syntax! Would have loved to use:

if( items( 'For_each_childRecord')? ['attributes']? ['Observation_Date_Time'] = null

Ah well, these are the types of things that make us valuable I guess.

Thank you again Reza. I look forward to the TDGI event!

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