Adding attachments from email to Planner task with link to email itself (saving attachments to sharepoint and adding the link to email itself)

[DaTeusz]

Hi Guys!

I have created a flow that triggers when user gets an email that mentiones him/her and then:

1. Flow gets email attachments and saves it in specific folder at sharepoint.
2. Creates a task in Planner.
3. Assigns user who is mentioned in the mail to the task.
4. Adds links to saved attachments to the task (using append to array).
5. Assigns due date (if there is specific text in email body) - if not leaves it empty.

The Flow looks like this:

(sorry for the Polish names of items and actions).

This works great but what i want to do is to add a link to emai itself as well in the task.

I have worked it out how to get the link to an email (steps from the 2nd screen):

• Compose emailLink:  
• Compose emailLinkout: (resourcelink takes outputs from compose emailLink).
• Append to array 2: (value takes outputs from compose emailLinkout

In the 3rd screen we have steps that gets the attachments, gets attachments properties, compose that looks like this: 

and append to array with outputs from compose that is above.

I have put it under condition because all of our company emails has our company logo at the bottom of each email and I don't want to save it to the sharepoint so I am skipping attachments called like our company logo file.

In the final steps (updating task details) we have this:

("Załączniki" is the reference to append to array I just mentioned above).

I have some issues with "merging" two arrays to Update task details. Using only one of them in Update task details references works perfectly well - it adds links to attachments saved to sharepoint or link to an email. I can't combine it into one so it will give mi the task with links to attachments and link to an email itself.

I have tried to do it step by step by Updating task details twice:

but this is not working.

Do you have any ideas how to solve it?

[ManishSolanki · Accepted solution]

Hi @DaTeusz 

You can use union function to merge 2 arrays. Here is the sample:

[
{
"alias": "test1",
"resourceLink": "link1",
"type": "others"
}
]

[
{
"alias": "test2",
"resourceLink": "link2",
"type": "others"
}
]

Add another compose action to merge both arrays using an expression. To apply function, expression need to be added in the expression box as shown below:

union(outputs('Compose'),outputs('Compose_2'))

You can pass the final merged array to the update task details action.

Output:

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[DaTeusz]

Hi @ManishSolanki !
We are few step closer to the result for sure but still I have some issues.
An error occured:

The output of the merge compose is correct:

But the error remains as above.

As far I as I am concerrned it's about setting here:

But I thought that it has to be an array so flow will add as many attachments as it finds with for each action?

[ManishSolanki]

Hi @DaTeusz 

Pls try using a compose action for merging the arrays. Use union function in the form of expression in compose action to get the final array.

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[DaTeusz]

Hi @ManishSolanki 

I did it right at the beginnign as you mentioned in first reply, and it's here:

It's build as you said:

Should I delete the final step (append to array)?:

But what should I do with outputs from this compose?

1. Put it to append to array - then output from it to references in update task details?

or

2. Put it stright to references in update task details?

Sorry if questions are silly but I can't move on with this.

[ManishSolanki]

Hi @DaTeusz 

Firstly, pls verify the array elements values in compose action from the flow run instance. If compose contains all the reference links, then pass the output of compose action directly in update tasks details action.

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[DaTeusz]

Hi @ManishSolanki.

Yes, compose action has all of the links - and the structure is correct I belive:

I put the outputs of this compose directly to update task details references but an error came up:

[ManishSolanki]

Hi @DaTeusz 

Pls pass the output of compose action directly into references parameter as shown below:

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[DaTeusz]

Hi @ManishSolanki 

It's not possible. Or I'm doing it wrong. 

First compose (with links from email) is in the loop for each. Second compose (with links from sharepoint) is in the same loop for each but under condidion. Then there is compose wit union expression.

When I try to add it in update task details in references I can't see compose 'Połącz' (with union expression).

That is why I added it earlier as an expression I have sent before.

[DaTeusz]

What may be important:
the output from compose with sharepoint links is:

Output from compose with email links is:

But the output from compose with union expression has more brackets and the null value:

[ManishSolanki · Accepted solution]

Hi @DaTeusz 

The issue is appending json object in compose action inside loop. I would suggest using variables and append object in each variable inside loop. Don't use [] while appending object in array variables, just use the below object:

{
"alias": "<dynamic content>",
"resourceLink": "<dynamic content>",
"type": "others"
}

Take union of both variables outside "Apply to each" action in a compose action and pass that compose in references parameter.

If this helps & solves your problem, please remember to give a 👍 and accept my solution as it will help others in the future.

[DaTeusz]

Finally!
I tried to use your advice with not to use the brackets [] but then union expression didn't work - output was only one attachment, not the link to mail.

What I did was:

1. Put compose with union expression outside the for each loop.
2. Had to add next step with filter an array to exclude the null result that came up in output from union expression compose.
3. Then put the body from filter an array in update task details in references.

So the final steps in the flow looks like this:

@ManishSolanki thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and a lot of patience for beginners like me!