Flow to update SharePoint items based on ID

[Julien2]

Hello everyone !

I have created a new Flow that will trigger user location, and current time using the Flow mobile app.

Inside my flow i have dropdown list contain 2 values are: Check-In & Check-Out.

When the user Check-In the flow will create new item in SharePoint list and it will update the CheckIn location and CheckInTime columns. 

On Check-Out i have a problem occur which update all items created to the current Date & Time in CheckOutTime column, and location of Check-Out column.

Different Items but same user

This is the flow i created:

I have also tried to use Filter Query in get items but i got no results:

EmployeeName/EMail eq '@{triggerOutputs()['headers']['x-ms-user-email-encoded']}'

Suppose i have different users and each user have many daily visits, how can i trigger and update the fields in the list based on item ID of the specific user. Can someone provide example how to deal with this issue ?

Thank you!!

[Pstork1]

I think the problem is that when you update the checkout you are filtering just on the user, so it will update the checkout time on every record for that user.  What you need to do is query on both the user and the current value of the checkout time or a status field that the user is checked in.  That should only return one record since the user shouldn't be checked in at two places.  Then update that record.  I would suggest adding a status field that shows whether the user is checked in or not because that will be easier to filter on than the checkout time column.  But either will work.

[Julien2]

Hi @Pstork1 

I created Status column in SharePoint list, and i add the values of the status based on the input of the user when he run the flow.

As i understand from you i have modified the query to:

EmployeeName/EMail eq '@{triggerOutputs()['headers']['x-ms-user-email-encoded']}' and Status eq 'Check-In'

Now the query works and it updates the date and time to the right user.

But now another problem occur when i test it on 2 different users and i run the flow at the same time.

User1 check-in at 4:59 check-out at 5:02:18 (When the user1 came back to checkout again the flow fails and the fields are not updated in the list).

Here is the flow result of Bassily when he check-out after julien did:

The update item is not clickable to check for results..

User2 check-in at 5:01 check-out at 5:02:15 (Here this row is affected and updated successfully).

Many users will use this flow, so how to deal with this issue ?

Thank you!

[Pstork1]

how can user 1 check out again without checking back in?  When a user checks in his status should be set to checked In.  Then when they check out it will find them and record the check out.  You can't do a check out without a check in.

[Julien2]

@Pstork1 

User1 already checked in, then i move to User2 and i checked in, the fields are updated. 

Then when i checked out from User2 the status is updated to checked out and the other fields..

But when i get back to User1 to check-out the flow did not update the checkout fields for User1 while he already checked in.

He should not check-in again because for example i want to know the user when did he start the meeting with the client and when did he finish. So if he check-in again the CheckInTime will be updated to the time he finished the meeting while it should only update the time he checked out for.

[Pstork1]

YOu need to keep the CheckedIn/Out status for each user.  So when user1 checks in his status is set to checkedin,  Then when user 2 checks in his status is set to checkedin, Then when user2 checks out his status is set to checked out, but user 1 remains with a status or CheckedIn.  So when he checks out you can record his time and change his status to checked out.

[Julien2]

@Pstork1 

Yes the CheckedIn/Out Status are set by default while running the flow depending on the value selected.

The problem is when user2 checks out and user1 get back to check-out the flow fail to update the item of user1.

So the flow is not triggering back the user1 item id to update the status to checked out and record the current time.

What should i change in my flow ?

Here is my flow to update fields:

Thank you!

[Pstork1]

I think your Get Items may be setup with the wrong query.  YOu are checking whether Status is set to Check-in, but when setting it the name was Status Value.  I would suggest taking a look at the results of a run to make sure your queries are working correctly.  Otherwise the code looks solid from a logical point of view

[Julien2]

Hi @Pstork1 

The query i created is showing the right result but if i checkedout from any user once and i get back to checkedout from any other user the flow fails maybe because the flow are unable to find the itemID of the user who is already checkedIn before.

The flow is not updating items on Check-Out after running it twice from different users. 

I take a look to the result of User1, after User2 already checkedout before User1 and here are the result:

Thank you!

[Pstork1]

If the status is stored for each user in the record when you check them in then you should still find that one record where the userid of the first user is checked in.  Either your checkout process is setting all the status's to checked out or something else is misfiring.  The logic is correct.  You need to find out why checking out user 2 is resetting the status for user 1 to checked out.

[Julien2]

Hi @Pstork1 

The checkout process is setting the status's to checked out depending on selection value from the dropdown (Check-Out) when the user trigger the flow.
But the problem if user1 checked in and checked out and user2 was already checked in and came back to checkout again the flow is unable to find the itemID to update the item of this user that's the problem.

Can you test the flow and see the results please ?

What we should do to trigger back the itemid of each user?

[Pstork1]

Can you show me what the list columns look like for the SharePoint list you are using to store the information. Also the formulas used on your Checkin and CheckOut,  Then I'll put together a prototype and test it.

[Julien2]

Hi @Pstork1 

Sure, here is my SharePoint List columns:

• EmployeeName column type is Person or Group.
• CheckIn column type is Single line of text.
• CheckInTime column type is Date & Time (Include Time).
• CheckOut column type is Signle line of text.
• CheckOutTime column type is Date & Time (Include Time).
• Status column type is Choice and the values are (CheckIn & CheckOut)

I am not using formulas for CheckIn & CheckOut.

Here is my flow:

Thank you !

[Pstork1]

Thanks.  I'll see if I can't put together a POC and figure out where the issue is.

[Pstork1]

Ok, so I did some research and prototyped your setup.  The problem is that you can't use an OData query based on email address to filter a People column.  OData queries against people fields require the use of the $expand operator, which isn't supported in Flow Odata queries.  What you can do instead is do your OData filter on the status column and then use a Filter Array action on the result to filter out just the user you want.  Make sure you filter on the EmployeeName Email field and not just EmployeeName. YOu also need to be carefult to process the filtered array and not the original get items.  Here are screenshots

[Julien2]

Hi @Pstork1 ,

It's a good point about OData query. I followed your steps now and build the flow but i have question.

How did u process the filtered array (ID & Title) in Update items?

Because when i click on dynamic content i didn't find the ID and title to select them from the array.

Thank you!

[Pstork1]

Sometimes those items will show in dynamic content and sometimes they won't.  Use the Expressions tab you can enter the JSON for them manually.  use the following for each.

items('Apply_to_each')?['ID']
items('Apply_to_each')?['Title']

If you hover over the items that have been loaded with dynamic content the tooltip will show you this JSON formatting.  That way you can begin to learn what it should be if dynamic content filters it out.

[Julien2]

@Pstork1 

Okay,so i have added those expressions and i test the flow for one user and works fine.

But when i tried again to check in & check out on 2 different users at the same time, the flow is not reading the update items to update the item again.

Since the results in the flow is showing in the filter array that has found the right id for the right user.

Here are the results:

But why the flow is not jumping to the update items action it's weird..

Thank you!

[Pstork1]

Something about your coding of the filter array is wrong.  You can see the records in the input, but Output from the filter array is empty.  That means that something isn't right about the filter.  The output should show one and only one record.

[Julien2]

@Pstork1 

But the flow works perfectly if i use it for 1 user why it should be wrong if i use the flow for more than 2 users at the same time ?

I modified the flow as yours, and i used EmployeeName Email as you said in the array.

Thank you!