Switch action equals box gets emptied again and again

[J_K_]

Hi all,

I'm using the switch action in one of my flows and it works as expected.

But each time I open the flow for editing, the equals boxes are emptied and the flow checker is displaying a red dot, but indicating neither an error nor a warning. This is very weird behaviour. I can fill out the boxes and save the flow and then it's working again. But it is very annoying that it gets emptied again and again for no apparent reason.

Has anyone else had this problem and found a solution?

Many thanks in advance!

[v-zhos-msft]

Hi @J_K_ ,

Does the issue still exist?

I can't reproduce the issue on my side.

Please try to rebuild the flow for a try.

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _ Zhongys

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[J_K_]

Hi @v-zhos-msft 

thanks for your reply. Yes, the issue still persists.

I will try rebuilding the flow although it's rather inconvenient since the flow is a bit advanced.

What I might add: I use the switch action within a For each loop, not in the top level of the flow. Could you try that as well?

[yashag2255]

Hi @J_K_ 

I just tried the switch within the apply to each and I am not facing that issue. Can you please post a screenshot of the flow so that we might have a better understanding and better assist you?

Hope this Helps!

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!

[J_K_]

Please find attached the overview and for each details. Both equals boxes are empty when I re-open the flow for editing.

[yashag2255]

Hi @J_K_ 

That is strange. I just tried a couple of combinations but am not able to reproduce the error. Can you try this: Log out of the current session and close your browser window. Start a fresh browser window and a new session and check if you continue to face the issue?

You can also try exporting the flow in a .zip package ad re import it and provide connections at the import and then run the flow to check if you continue to face the issue. 

Hope this Helps!

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!

[J_K_]

Hi @yashag2255 

I tried both of your suggestions, to no avail.

I guess I will need to recreate it as a new flow and see if it doesn't occur again.

This is how it looks like after opening the flow editing:

[yashag2255]

Hi @J_K_ 

Before going to the recreate flow option, can you do one more thing for me? Please post a screenshot of the array compose action from your flow. I want to see what is in the body and title that are coming up. 

[J_K_]

Hi @yashag2255 

it is a filter array action, actually.

I retrieve all items of a SharePoint list and filter it in the action using this condition:

item()['ProjectType'] contains body('Werkzeugbestellung_abrufen')?['Project_x0020_Type']?['Value']

I use the action because the Get Items action doesn't seem to support neither a contain condition for multi-value choice field in SharePoint nor the OData substringof() eq true function.

Background: based on the project type of a new project in one list, I want to automatically create milestones in another list. But the relevant milestones depend on the project type. The milestones along with the information for which types they are relevant is in a third list that is queried prior to the filter array action.

[yashag2255]

Hey @J_K_ 

I see. Can you please post a snippet of what the array content would look like? What is the TItle field that you are using on the switch case action? what is the value that comes there?

[J_K_]

Hi @yashag2255 

sure, here is the snippet. Please let me know if you need further information:

[yashag2255]

HI @J_K_ 

So I tried replicating a error scenario that you are grtting in my environment but failed to do so. I need some more details from you : What is it that you are filtering in the array? Is the Title field consistent (by consistent, I mean that in every element of the array do we have the Title field coming in?) I am assuming that you are filtering items from a Get Items of SP (i want to check what filtering you are doing) I did use an ODATA filter on the get items action itself and used the switch case and it worked well. 

[J_K_]

hi @yashag2255 ,

in the Filter Array action I filter for a field ProjectType that is populated for all items in that list. This field might contain one or multiple project types for which the related milestone is relevant. Since OData doesn't seem to support SharePoint multi-value choice columns I tried the filter array action instead. But this didn't work either. So right now I have a single line of text column. I tried the substringof OData function within the get items action but it filtered everything out so now I am back with the Filter Array action. Here is an example of the ProjectType field (the semicolon came from the column conversion (choice to single line of text):

But to be honest, I don't really see how this is related to my problem. The actual problem is that Flow is modifying my flow just like that.

[yashag2255]

Hi @J_K_ 

The relation to this and the problem you are facing might be that the switch that you are doing on is a dynamic field which may or may not be present in all of the outputs of the apply to each iteration (Here although we know that this won't be the case, I am guessing this is why the flow is resetting your values in that particular action). If you want to test this theory out, initialise a string variable and enter a value in that. Do a switch case on this and put the value on one of the cases. Save and run the flow and then open it in edit mode. We can determine this theory if you continue to face the issue. (Makes Sense?)

Hope this Helps!

[J_K_]

Hi @yashag2255 

I am not completely sure if I understand what you mean. I created the following test flow and it works, i.e. opening it to edit doesn't empty the box.

Is this what you meant or did I get you wrong?

[yashag2255]

@J_K_ 

I meant that the Title field we are extracting from the array is a dynamic one and that is the reason I am guessing the switch is behaving that way. Can you please make the following updates to your flow:

At 1, initialise a string variable and leave the value empty. at 2, add an action set variable -> choose teh variable initialised in 1 and set the value to the 'Title' (as in 3) attribute from the array. Now in 3, remove the title and put the variable over there. Add the values to the cases and run teh flow. Open it in edit mode and see if you continue to get the error. 

Hope this Helps!

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!

[J_K_]

Hi @yashag2255 

unfortunately it doesn't solve the problem. This is the current state of the flow:

[yashag2255]

Hi @J_K_ 

So are you facing the same issue? 

In the set variable part, you need to add that expression on the expression editor pane and then add it on the value (click on the value and then click on expression editor and then add the value from there)

Also, can you share what is the body part? (an object or an array?) in the apply to each when you tab the cursor, do you see something like 'value' ? can you please share a screenshot of that?

[J_K_]

Hi  @yashag2255 

I tried to follow your instructions. But I get the same results. It gets empied each time. This is how it looks after I have saved it. I don't understand what you mean regarding the body part.

[yashag2255]

hi @J_K_ 

This is very unusual. By the body part I meant that, can you place the cursor in the apply to each action next to the body option and see what all options are coming in the dynamic selector? Can you post a screenshot of that?