cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
DamoBird365
Employee
Employee

Excel Office Script Timezone vs Power Automate Timezone

I've built a proof of concept which filters a table of data using office scripts and returns an image of the table of data that has been filtered.  I am using the Today expression to apply a dynamic filter.  My locale is UK GMT+1 and i noticed by accident that if I run the script from Power Automate prior to 8am, it will return yesterday's data but if I run it from Office Scripts, it will return today's.  Therefore it looks like the Script is running UTC -7 via Power Automate but honours my locale from the Office Script when run from Excel.  

 

Here is a basic office script demonstrating my problem, it's the definition of "ExcelScript.DynamicFilterCriteria.today" which is misbehaving for me.  As well as the image, I return the Date() known by the script purely for debug:

 

 

function main(workbook: ExcelScript.Workbook) {
	let table1 = workbook.getTable("Table1");
	// Apply dynamic filter on table table1 column Date
	let selected = table1.getColumnByName("Date").getFilter().applyDynamicFilter(ExcelScript.DynamicFilterCriteria.today);
	let tableimage = table1.getRange().getImage();
	
	return ([tableimage, Date()])
}

 

 

I have a table in the excel file as follows:

 

Date

08/06/2021 13:01
08/06/2021 14:01
08/06/2021 15:01
08/06/2021 16:01
08/06/2021 17:01
08/06/2021 18:01
08/06/2021 19:01
09/06/2021 13:01
09/06/2021 14:01
09/06/2021 15:01
09/06/2021 16:01
09/06/2021 17:01
09/06/2021 18:01
09/06/2021 19:01

 

When testing this out, I have run the flow before and after 8am GMT+1.  You will see below that I have two different results, the first returning 8th June, the 2nd, 9th June i.e. today.

DamoBird365_1-1623222574538.png

I have also output the utcnow() time from Power Automate and the Date() time from Excel Script which both match with GMT (remember that we are in GMT+1 due to summer).

 

If I check my timezone from Excel I am UK

 

DamoBird365_2-1623222684915.png

 

Any ideas why I might be experiencing this?  Has anyone else had timezone issues when running an office script in Excel vs from Power Automate?

 

If you want to watch my proof of concept that posts charts to teams / email using office scripts see here https://youtu.be/Tj2jasorczU

 

Thanks

 

Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here and like & subscribe to my YouTube Channel thanks 😉

 

@GeoffRen any ideas?  Is it something obvious?

 

 

4 REPLIES 4
Yutao
Employee
Employee

Hey @DamoBird365 -

 

This is indeed an interesting problem!

 

As the date value in Excel doesn't store the time zone information, the time zone difference would probably always pose a challenge to not only the scenario you demonstrated here (running Office Script in Excel Online vs. in Power Automate), but also to scenarios when running Office Scripts in Excel Online from different time zones.

 

Imagine if you share your workbook to a coworker in China and ask them to run your script in Excel Online, their script result might also be different from what you get because you two are in two different time zones.

 

A possible workaround is to "pin" a fixed time zone in your script (or pass it in as a parameter). Below is a proof-of-concept script that filters the table based on today's date of a "pinned" time zone ("Europe/London" in this case, you can find more time zone names from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones), no matter where this script is being executed.

 

 

function main(workbook: ExcelScript.Workbook) {
  // Please find timezone names from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones
  const timeZone = "Europe/London";

  const now = nowInTimeZone(timeZone);
  const table = workbook.getTable("Table1");
  const dateTimeFilter = {
    date: dateTimeInISOFormat(now, timeZone),  // This has to be in the ISO date format
    specificity: ExcelScript.FilterDatetimeSpecificity.day  // Filtering by "day"
  };
  table.getColumnByName("Date").getFilter().applyValuesFilter([dateTimeFilter]);
  console.log(table.getRange().getVisibleView().getValues());
}

function nowInTimeZone(timeZone: string): Date {
  const locale = new Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().locale;
  const currentTimezone = Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().timeZone;
  const sourceDateTime = new Date;
  const sourceDateTimeText = sourceDateTime.toLocaleString(
    locale,
    {
      timeZone: currentTimezone,
      dateStyle: "short",
      timeStyle: "long",
      hour12: false
    });
  console.log(`${sourceDateTimeText} <== Current time in current time zone (${currentTimezone})`);

  const targetDateTimeText = sourceDateTime.toLocaleString(
    locale,
    {
      timeZone: timeZone,
      dateStyle: "short",
      timeStyle: "long",
      hour12: false
    });

  console.log(`${targetDateTimeText} <== Current time in target time zone (${timeZone})`);
  return new Date(targetDateTimeText);
}

// Hack the date into a string in ISO format without actually changing the date/time value.
// This format is required by the date time filter.
function dateTimeInISOFormat(source: Date, timeZone: string): string {
  const temp = source.toLocaleString(
    new Intl.DateTimeFormat().resolvedOptions().locale,
    {
      timeZone,
      hour12: false,
      year: "numeric",
      month: "2-digit",
      day: "2-digit",
      hour: "2-digit",
      minute: "2-digit",
      second: "2-digit" });

  const result = temp.match(/(?<month>\d+)\/(?<date>\d+)\/(?<year>\d+), (?<time>[0-9\:]+)/);
  const iso = `${result.groups.year}-`
    + `${result.groups.month.toString().padStart(2, "0")}-`
    + `${result.groups.date.toString().padStart(2, "0")}T`
    + `${result.groups.time}.`
    + source.getMilliseconds().toString().padStart(3, '0') + 'Z';
  console.log(`${iso} <== Current time in target time zone (${timeZone}) in ISO format`);
  return iso;
}

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately I couldn't find a way to tweak ExcelScript.DynamicFilterCriteria.today to respect the time zone, so I had to switch to using ExcelScript.FilterDatetime.

 

Honestly I feel all these date time JavaScript hacks indeed feel a bit too tedious. Some 3rd party libraries like Moment.js  might be able to simplify them, although Office Scripts doesn't support external libraries yet at the moment.

 

Hope this helps!

 

- Yutao


Ask me about Office Scripts | Check out my Twitter / GitHub

Yutao
Employee
Employee

Sorry obviously I posted the reply too soon... I just realized there is a bug in my code when converting a date to the ISO format without changing its actual value. It's not working properly when running in Power Automate. Will need to tweak it a little bit and get back to you later.

Yutao
Employee
Employee

Now I think it should be working now. Too bad that I had to manually convert a date into the ISO format (without changing its time zone to UTC as the default Date.toISOString method would do), since the date time filter in Excel requires the ISO format but there isn't (?) really a good way in JavaScript that does the conversion and behaves the same in both Excel and Power Automate.

 

I have updated the script code in my original reply. Please give it a try when you get time. Let me know what you think.

 

Yutao

Hi @Yutao 

 

Wow. I’ll need some time to look at this next week and of course run it before and after 8am to test.  This is definitely not an easy fix but appreciate your mega effort.  I will let you know how I get on.

Damien

Helpful resources

Announcements

Exclusive LIVE Community Event: Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat with Copilot Studio Product Team

It's time for the SECOND Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat featuring the Copilot Studio product team, which will be held LIVE on April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).     This is an incredible opportunity to connect with members of the Copilot Studio product team and ask them anything about Copilot Studio. We'll share our special guests with you shortly--but we want to encourage to mark your calendars now because you will not want to miss the conversation.   This live event will give you the unique opportunity to learn more about Copilot Studio plans, where we’ll focus, and get insight into upcoming features. We’re looking forward to hearing from the community, so bring your questions!   TO GET ACCESS TO THIS EXCLUSIVE AMA: Kudo this post to reserve your spot! Reserve your spot now by kudoing this post.  Reservations will be prioritized on when your kudo for the post comes through, so don't wait! Click that "kudo button" today.   Invitations will be sent on April 2nd.Users posting Kudos after April 2nd at 9AM PDT may not receive an invitation but will be able to view the session online after conclusion of the event. Give your "kudo" today and mark your calendars for April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM PDT and join us for an engaging and informative session!

Tuesday Tip: Unlocking Community Achievements and Earning Badges

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!     THIS WEEK'S TIP: Unlocking Achievements and Earning BadgesAcross the Communities, you'll see badges on users profile that recognize and reward their engagement and contributions. These badges each signify a different achievement--and all of those achievements are available to any Community member! If you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, you too can earn badges for the great work you do. Check out some details on Community badges below--and find out more in the detailed link at the end of the article!       A Diverse Range of Badges to Collect The badges you can earn in the Community cover a wide array of activities, including: Kudos Received: Acknowledges the number of times a user’s post has been appreciated with a “Kudo.”Kudos Given: Highlights the user’s generosity in recognizing others’ contributions.Topics Created: Tracks the number of discussions initiated by a user.Solutions Provided: Celebrates the instances where a user’s response is marked as the correct solution.Reply: Counts the number of times a user has engaged with community discussions.Blog Contributor: Honors those who contribute valuable content and are invited to write for the community blog.       A Community Evolving Together Badges are not only a great way to recognize outstanding contributions of our amazing Community members--they are also a way to continue fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. As you continue to share your knowledge and assist each other these badges serve as a visual representation of your valuable contributions.   Find out more about badges in these Community Support pages in each Community: All About Community Badges - Power Apps CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Automate CommunityAll About Community Badges - Copilot Studio CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Pages Community

Tuesday Tips: Powering Up Your Community Profile

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!   This Week's Tip: Power Up Your Profile!  🚀 It's where every Community member gets their start, and it's essential that you keep it updated! Your Community User Profile is how you're able to get messages, post solutions, ask questions--and as you rank up, it's where your badges will appear and how you'll be known when you start blogging in the Community Blog. Your Community User Profile is how the Community knows you--so it's essential that it works the way you need it to! From changing your username to updating contact information, this Knowledge Base Article is your best resource for powering up your profile.     Password Puzzles? No Problem! Find out how to sync your Azure AD password with your community account, ensuring a seamless sign-in. No separate passwords to remember! Job Jumps & Email Swaps Changed jobs? Got a new email? Fear not! You'll find out how to link your shiny new email to your existing community account, keeping your contributions and connections intact. Username Uncertainties Unraveled Picking the perfect username is crucial--and sometimes the original choice you signed up with doesn't fit as well as you may have thought. There's a quick way to request an update here--but remember, your username is your community identity, so choose wisely. "Need Admin Approval" Warning Window? If you see this error message while using the community, don't worry. A simple process will help you get where you need to go. If you still need assistance, find out how to contact your Community Support team. Whatever you're looking for, when it comes to your profile, the Community Account Support Knowledge Base article is your treasure trove of tips as you navigate the nuances of your Community Profile. It’s the ultimate resource for keeping your digital identity in tip-top shape while engaging with the Power Platform Community. So, dive in and power up your profile today!  💪🚀   Community Account Support | Power Apps Community Account Support | Power AutomateCommunity Account Support | Copilot Studio  Community Account Support | Power Pages

Super User of the Month | Chris Piasecki

In our 2nd installment of this new ongoing feature in the Community, we're thrilled to announce that Chris Piasecki is our Super User of the Month for March 2024. If you've been in the Community for a while, we're sure you've seen a comment or marked one of Chris' helpful tips as a solution--he's been a Super User for SEVEN consecutive seasons!   Since authoring his first reply in April 2020 to his most recent achievement organizing the Canadian Power Platform Summit this month, Chris has helped countless Community members with his insights and expertise. In addition to being a Super User, Chris is also a User Group leader, Microsoft MVP, and a featured speaker at the Microsoft Power Platform Conference. His contributions to the new SUIT program, along with his joyous personality and willingness to jump in and help so many members has made Chris a fixture in the Power Platform Community.   When Chris isn't authoring solutions or organizing events, he's actively leading Piasecki Consulting, specializing in solution architecture, integration, DevOps, and more--helping clients discover how to strategize and implement Microsoft's technology platforms. We are grateful for Chris' insightful help in the Community and look forward to even more amazing milestones as he continues to assist so many with his great tips, solutions--always with a smile and a great sense of humor.You can find Chris in the Community and on LinkedIn. Thanks for being such a SUPER user, Chris! 💪 🌠  

Find Out What Makes Super Users So Super

We know many of you visit the Power Platform Communities to ask questions and receive answers. But do you know that many of our best answers and solutions come from Community members who are super active, helping anyone who needs a little help getting unstuck with Business Applications products? We call these dedicated Community members Super Users because they are the real heroes in the Community, willing to jump in whenever they can to help! Maybe you've encountered them yourself and they've solved some of your biggest questions. Have you ever wondered, "Why?"We interviewed several of our Super Users to understand what drives them to help in the Community--and discover the difference it has made in their lives as well! Take a look in our gallery today: What Motivates a Super User? - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)

March User Group Update: New Groups and Upcoming Events!

  Welcome to this month’s celebration of our Community User Groups and exciting User Group events. We’re thrilled to introduce some brand-new user groups that have recently joined our vibrant community. Plus, we’ve got a lineup of engaging events you won’t want to miss. Let’s jump right in: New User Groups   Sacramento Power Platform GroupANZ Power Platform COE User GroupPower Platform MongoliaPower Platform User Group OmanPower Platform User Group Delta StateMid Michigan Power Platform Upcoming Events  DUG4MFG - Quarterly Meetup - Microsoft Demand PlanningDate: 19 Mar 2024 | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM Central America Standard TimeDescription: Dive into the world of manufacturing with a focus on Demand Planning. Learn from industry experts and share your insights. Dynamics User Group HoustonDate: 07 Mar 2024 | 11:00 AM to 01:00 PM Central America Standard TimeDescription: Houston, get ready for an immersive session on Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Connect with fellow professionals and expand your knowledge. Reading Dynamics 365 & Power Platform User Group (Q1)Date: 05 Mar 2024 | 06:00 PM to 09:00 PM GMT Standard TimeDescription: Join our virtual meetup for insightful discussions, demos, and community updates. Let’s kick off Q1 with a bang! Leaders, Create Your Events!  Leaders of existing User Groups, don’t forget to create your events within the Community platform. By doing so, you’ll enable us to share them in future posts and newsletters. Let’s spread the word and make these gatherings even more impactful! Stay tuned for more updates, inspiring stories, and collaborative opportunities from and for our Community User Groups.   P.S. Have an event or success story to share? Reach out to us – we’d love to feature you!

Users online (11,389)