SP Null Date Column

[mmattar]

Hello,

I am trying too perform an "update item", sometimes my date columns have empty values but i am getting an error: 

 The 'inputs.parameters' of workflow operation 'Update_item' of type 'OpenApiConnection' is not valid. Error details: Input parameter 'item/Date_Column' is required to be of type 'String/date'. The runtime value '""' to be converted doesn't have the expected format 'String/date'. 

The Date columns are already empty, I just want to do 1 update item, so i pass the variables thru it regardless if empty or not. How can i make this work ? 

Thanks

[fchopo]

Hello @mmattar 

Instead of passing the "" value to the date column, try to use the null expression:

Hope it helps!

Ferran

[mmattar]

Oh yes sorry I forgot to mention that I do update my variables to null if needed and I still get that same error

[fchopo]

Hello @mmattar 

Could you share your flow and show some of the output values? Really weird...

Regards,
Ferran

[mmattar]

When i set my variable you can see i set it to null, in this case 2 date columns got values but 2 did not and you can see the error it throws me because it. 

[abm · Accepted solution]

Hi @mmattar 

You can't declare a string and initialise with null and update the list item in SharePoint.  The reason for this is null is not a string. Use the IF expression under the dynamic mapping like below.

if(not(empty(variables('varDate'))),variables('varDate'),null)

Above I am using variable string called varDate. Don't initialise with anything.

Please follow the below

Thanks

[mmattar]

Thank you, this worked. 

Now since i have a trigger that "When an item or file is modified", it looks like when my flow does an update item it runs again and again cause the record is being modified, how can i stop this loop  ?

[abm]

Hi @mmattar 

Good question. So you could use created on and modified on date to compare. When you create the record most likely these values are almost same. Probably some minor difference in seconds. 

Thanks