Updating excel row and then creating a copy results in blank file

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

First post, long time lurker.

I'm scratching my head with this one. I'm trying to essentially create an Excel document with data from Forms survey, and then copy that file into the corresponding folder and then wipe the file clean for the next survey, using that file as a template so to speak.

The problem I'm having is I can update the row and can see the data appear, when I copy the file however, the data is missing.

I've put a delay between the update row and file copy of which 1 minute seems to do the trick, however it's not practical to wait 1 minute before copying.

Any way of speeding this up?

Thanks!!

[abm]

Hi @Anonymous 

There are no work around for this. Without the file creation it can't update the file. You may look to implement a Do until loop logic to see whether it's possible or not.

Also could you post a screenshot of your flow?

Thanks

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

So this is what my flow looks like currently.

It works, so far as it takes the existing file, updates the row, waits 1 minute, copies the file to the new location and updates the row again with empty cells.

However, it's the 1 minute delay that's bothering me. Without it, the copied file is blank, almost as if it needs time to for the file to finish updating on the sharepoint site before it copies.

EDIT:

On the flip site, I've turned on concurrency and turned down to 1, so following submissions are sat waiting, however they're waiting a long time, 7-8 minutes in some instances after the previous run completed before running the next.

At least they're still captured however and still worked on.

[abm]

Hi @Anonymous 

Set Async pattern Off for the Update action set and try. I haven't tried this before.  Let me know the results.

[Anonymous]

So I've turned the concurrency up (because I can't turn it off now) and removed the delay and turned off Asynchronous pattern for both update rows.

That being said, the copied file still doesn't have any data in. It seems like the file copy happens too quick for the data to update in the excel document so it just copies the blank document.

With the delay, it appears to have a chance to update before copying and concurrent means that only 1 flow will be working on the template doc at a time. Bit of a bodge workaround mind.

[abm]

Hi @Anonymous 

Thanks for the screenshot. 

Could you please explain a delay before the create file? I thought the delay you want is after create file?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I don't really want to have a delay at all, shouldn't need it.

The flow goes like this:

1. Update template file with forms data

2. Copy file to selected location 

3. Wipe template file ready for next submission

Trouble is, when the file is copied at point 2, it copies the blank template file, even though it was updated at point 1.

The delay is there because it seems to give enough time for the update at point 1 to take effect before copying.

[abm]

Hi @Anonymous 

That one minute delay is not that bad but your other option may be is try to look the GRAPH API update excel columns.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/excel?view=graph-rest-1.0

Thanks