SharePoint Calendar and Events

[Sleky]

I had initiall posted this in the wrong forum; trying again here!  lol

I am trying to create a flow that will:

Create a new event unless one exists, then it will update the existing event.

I'm [    ] that close to getting this to work!  Just can't figure out the if/then statement.  

I can get the flow to email me all the pertinent information, so the trigger is perfect.  I am triggering off of "When an event is created or modified" and it is a List name = "group calendar".

I can get the flow to create the event just fine as well.

However, what I'm having issues with is if the event exists, it updates it instead of creating a new one.  I just tried one last time to get it to work, and it went thru ALL my events, checked the condition (if the ID matches) and executes on that one event, which will create the event because the ID's don't match.  But then it went onto the next irrelevent event and repeated.  Thankfully Outlook lists events and easy deletion (phew).

I can provide SS's or such.  TIA

[Sleky]

So - Here is what I got.  When it runs, because of an update/creation on the sharepoint calendar.  It will basically creates only one new item at a time and will delete any previous entries into my O365 calendar.

That is really puzzeling!

[Anonymous]

Have you tried adding a condition that checks the "ID" of the new event and "ID" in the get events step?

If you want your calendar to check if the event already exists, then I think you need a condition that actually looks up event IDs. I have not tested this - I just wanted to share this quick idea!

[Sleky]

The second action step is to gather up my calendar events.  I'm wondering if I need to use the "filter" on that step to focus on only the ID we are focusing on.  I tried to but in dynamic content; but it complained about that filter.  So I had to strip it out.

I have tried using a conditional action step; but it would change the flow as soon as I left the A = B? condition and change it to an "apply to all items" sorta scenario.  Very odd

[Anonymous]

I think you need the "apply to each", because it needs to check all calendar events to see if there is a matching event. 

Attached is a screenshot of what I was thinking in terms of the flow steps. I have not fully tested this flow - I wanted to at least quickly share a potential structure. 

Have you tried separating this process into two flows? One flow would start with "when an item is created" trigger and the other would start with "when an item is modified". 

[v-yuazh-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @ Slekys,

Do you want the flow to :

1. When an event is new created in your group calendar list, create a new event in Office365 outlook.
2. When an event is updated in your group calendar list, update the event in Office365 outlook.

Because the outlook event’s id is generated by System automatically, so you need to add a column in your calendar list and save the outlook event’s id in this column.

When an event is created in your outlook, the outlook event’s id should be saved in the column in your calendar list.

Your calendar list should have no event before you create the flow so that all new created event in your calendar list would have a value in outlook event id field.

To add a column in your calendar list ,please follow steps below:

1. Sign in your sharepoint ,find your calendar list
2. Click the gear in the calendar list web’s top right ,select Site settings

 

     3.Click the Site columns in the Site settings web.

 

     4.Click Create in the Site columns web.

     5.Add a column name “outlook event id” in the Create columns web. the column set to Single line of text type. Make sure to save the column.

 

You could create a flow as steps below:

1. Add a trigger “When an item is created or modified”, fill in your Site Address and calendar list Name.
2. Add action “Get item”, fill in your Site Address and calendar list Name, choose the ID dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified” in Id field.
3. Add action “Get events(V1)”, choose your Calendar in Calendar id field.
4. Add action “Initialize variable”, the Name field set to Integer，the Type field choose Integer, the Value field set to “0”
5. Add an apply to each, choose the value dynamic content of “Get events(V1)” action in the input field.
6. Inside the apply to each, add a Condition, the first value set to the outlook event id dynamic content of “Get item”, the second value set to the Id dynamic content of “Get events(V1)”, the condition in the middle select is equal to.
7. Inside the If yes, add action “Update event(V1)”, choose your Calendar in Calendar id field, choose Id dynamic content of “Get events(V1)” in Id field, choose the End Time, the Start Time dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified”,choose Title dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified” in Subject field.
8. Add a “Increment variable” under the “Update event(V1)”. Name field choose Interger. Every time the Increment variable action run，the Interger would increase 1.
9. Outside the apply to each, add a Condition2, the first value set to the Integer dynamic content of Variables, the second value set to “0”, the condition in the middle select is equal to. The Integer’s value would always be “0” if the “Update event(V1)” haven’t run. that stand for “No update event” and mean we need to “Create event” next.
10. Inside the if yes, add action “Create event(V1)”, choose your Calendar in Calendar id field, choose the End Time, the Start Time dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified”,choose Title dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified” in Subject field.
11. Add action “Update item” under the “Create event(V1)”, fill in your Site Address and calendar list Name, choose the ID dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified” in Id field, choose the Title dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified” in Title field, choose the Title dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified” in Title field, choose the End Time, the Start Time dynamic content of “When an item is created or modified”, and choose the Id dynamic content of “Create event(V1)”.

Image reference:

 

When an item is created, the flow run successfully as below:

When an item is updated, the flow run successfully as below:

 

Regards,
Alice Zhang

[Sleky]

You are a mad scientist!

So close, when creating the event in my calendar, it makes, like 8 copies.  I noticed, that when creating the event on the sharepoint calendar, the Outlook EventID isn't being filled with anything.  Is there a way to make that auto-increment on sharepoint when the event is created?

[Anonymous]

@v-yuazh-msft What a great solution!

I implemented your recommendation and the flow successfully created an Outlook event based on the SharePoint calendar item.

However, when the SharePoint calendar item was updated at a later time, the flow failed to update the Outlook calendar item with the new SharePoint details. '

I receive the following error message for updating the outlook event: 

  "message": "Your request can't be completed. The start and end times for an all-day event need to be set to midnight.\r\nclientRequestId: 7f137333-d881-415a-953b-bf7e357a7aa1",

I have the "Update event" settings exactly like the "create event" settings and there is no problem with creating an event. 

[Sleky]

I missed the part where it updates the sharepoint item and adds the ID to the sharepoint item.  I've added that - however, it is still creating an separate event for EACH item in my calendar.  Very odd.  Also - for whatever reason, when I update the sharepoint calendar, it will run 2 or 3 times EACH update.  Argh....

Also - this just dawned on me.  What'll happen if someone removes the event on sharepoint calendar.  There is an update, but it's gone...  Hmmmmmm

[Anonymous]

If the event is removed from the SharePoint calendar, I want the flow to run and update (i.e. delete) the Outlook event accordingly. 

@v-yuazh-msft - Can this be done? I tested a deletion and the flow did not run. Do you have any other recommendations for addressing the issues we are experiencing?

[Sleky]

Here's what I've got.  Runs fine; -ish.  It created 10 events.  <sigh>  Here is my flow as it stands:

Here are the results...

Here is my calendar now....

As far as I can tell, I've got it set-up just how you described.  Yet it is creating a ton of events and not actually working right.  Any thoughts as to why it won't work for me, lol?  I know, user error....  hahahaha  TIA!!

[Anonymous]

@Sleky It looks like you have both conditions in the "Apply to each". 

Place the "Integer equal to 0" condition outside of the "Apply to each" and run another test to see if the flow works as expected. I have my flow set up this way and it creates the events correctly. 

[Sleky]

So this is wrong?  The "Condition 2" happens outside of the "Apply to each"?

[Anonymous]

@Sleky This is how mine looks:

[Sleky]

AWESOMESAUCE!!!!!  So yea, about those event deletions...  hahahahaha!!!  You two rock, thank you both so much!!

[Sleky]

So - sounds like we have a couple issues left...

1.  Event is deleted on sharepoint - retains on calendar

2.  All day events aren't being registered on calendar

Lastly - I saw there was some error correcting?  Is that needed?

[Sleky]

Well, seems like something Microsoft is needing to immplement.  Grrrr....  

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Flow-Ideas/SharePoint-Trigger-on-Item-Deleting/idi-p/5171

[MichaelW1987]

Hi All,
 I have setup as per instructions and mine still appears to be making multiple entries, and it keeps going until I stop it, it is creating a new flow everytime it adds a new item.

Cheers

[AndriesJ]

Sweet, that worked great! Thank you so much for sharing this solution.

This was about when an item is created or modified. Now I want to delete an item that was added to a users calendar via Flow, would this be possible?

[Pieter_Veenstra]

Hi @AndriesJ,

I don;'t think that you can get to the metadata for the deleted item. I looked into getting the metadata from the recycle bin item using REST API, but that also doesn't give you much detail.