Output CSV Table as Tab Delimited txt file

[Benjimang]

Hi All,

I am trying to create a Tab delimited txt file from a 'Create CSV Table' action. I understand we can create a string that contains a tab character, but some of my fields contain commas so I can't simply use a Compose action with a 'replace' expression. 

Is there any way to output as a tsv? Should I even be using the 'Create CSV Table' Action? I am using an array as an input that looks like this:

Any help would be wonderful!

Cheers,

Ben

[abm]

Hi @Benjimang ,

You could construct the line with delimited character tab as follows.

Here is my output 

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Thanks

[v-litu-msft]

Hi @Benjimang,

Yes, you could use the Create CSV table action, then add a create file action to create a CSV file as output.

There is an instance you can refer to:

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ Lin Tu
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Benjimang]

Hi @v-litu-msft ,

Your solution creates a comma separated file and I need a tab separated file. Some of the field I am using contain commas, so I cannot simply replace commas with tabs using a 'replace' expression. 

@abm  - I'm not sure how this will all complile into a tsv table and save out as a text file. Can you elaborate? I essentially have 25 columns and over 100 rows of data to compile

[v-litu-msft]

Hi @Benjimang,

CSV stands for "comma-separated values". Its data fields are most often separated or delimited, by a comma.

How about output an HTML table, its style just like the following:

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ Lin Tu
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Benjimang]

Hi @v-litu-msft ,

Thank you for trying to help, but I'm not sure you understand what I'm trying to do. I need to arrive at a tab delimited txt file. Is there any way that I can either convert a CSV table, or skip the CSV Table action and compose the array I have built as a tsv file?

[v-litu-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Benjimang, 

I am trying to figure out your problem with doing these steps:

before converting it into CSV file, relace these commas into another character (the one in the original text didn't exist).

For example:

"\"

Step 1: 

Step 2:

Step 3:

Please have a try, I hope it can help you.

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ Lin Tu
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Benjimang]

Hi @v-litu-msft 

You may well have the answer here. I'll try it on my end and come back to you. Just to be clear:

1) Replace commas in fields before creation of CSV table with unusual charachter (# or similar)

2) Replace all commas in CSV table with Tabs

3) Replace all # (or similar) back to commas

I'll test

[Benjimang]

Thank you  , This worked!
 
I had to make an adjustment though. I wasn't able to use expressions inside the 'Append to Array' action. I had to set up a bunch of Compose actions that used 'replace' expressions for each dynamic value I wanted to remove commas from. I then called on the outputs of those compose actions in the 'Append to Array.
 
Thanks, you put me on the right path!
 
I have to say, it's quite a lot of work to simply output a CSV as a TSV... the flow takes 15 minutes to run!

[TedBabcock]

I know this is almost two years old, but if you're still interested in something, see Shane Young's video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foGaOrBzVLc

I commented about my experience with getting a tab-separated file via flow's HTML action. It takes some manipulation back in Power Apps, but it doesn't use Apply to Each and therefore doesn't take more than a few seconds.