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JustAPACreator
Advocate II
Advocate II

Reusing the output of a Variable in different actions/steps

Hi,

 

I'm trying to reuse the same output from a variable in multiple steps but the second "call" for the value of the variable produces a blank e.g.:

This is the variable I want to use: 

JustAPACreator_0-1656070567342.png


When I use that variable output in the first email step it enters it fine and the email appears as it should:

JustAPACreator_1-1656070685514.pngJustAPACreator_2-1656070723372.png

But when I use it a second time in a 'Send an email' step further down it shows as a blank in the physical email that is sent and looking at the Run for that flow shows this (Wokka Woka is a fictional name FYI).The document name should've been in-between your and document but it's just blank:

JustAPACreator_3-1656070864521.png

JustAPACreator_4-1656070980510.png

How can I reuse variable outputs more than once in the same flow without having to create a unique one for every reference I want to use it for please?

Thanks is in advance.

Mark.

22 REPLIES 22
VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello,

you are using wrong terminology - I don't see any variable in your screenshot.

Also please show the whole your flow.

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

Hi,

 

Thanks for the questions, maybe you could help by advising what I am referencing as clearly I'm new and trying to learn?

The whole flow is too big to post hence the parts that I thought would highlight the error.

The aim was to use the "result" of the Compose - File Name "step" multiple times in a flow instead of just the first use "using it up" and any subsequent reference to it producing a blank.

These are the "variables":

JustAPACreator_0-1656074375318.png

JustAPACreator_2-1656074710947.png


Which does the leg work for this "action/step":

JustAPACreator_1-1656074411434.png

 

Which is then used in email one (Outputs):

JustAPACreator_3-1656074763548.png

 

Then in email two:

JustAPACreator_4-1656074799506.png

 

The two emails are under two Conditions which match based on the Form dynamic content matching and then sends the relevant email.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Mark.

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

It looks like the value of variable "Sanitise" and the output of Compose action are equal, correct?

If so, try to use variables('Sanitise') instead of Outputs() in the emails.

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

Hi,

 

Thanks for the quick response: I tried that and while one email (the original step that held the value) has the document name as expected the second still has a blank, exactly the same setup in both email steps/actions I even copied the body from the working one to the non-working one):

 

JustAPACreator_0-1656076566242.png

I just can't work out what I'm doing wrong, sorry.

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

Try to publish here the fragment of your flow that covers all places there "sanitise" variable exists.

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

Not a problem, so the main Flow branches into two. This is the right-side branch that deals with one company based on a condition that looks for the value from the Form, this is also the one that works and was created first in the Flow:

JustAPACreator_2-1656080808186.png

 

This is the second left-branch that deals with the other company (both are identical except company names and document filenames). This one doesn't work:

JustAPACreator_1-1656080621261.png

 

Hope they haven't come out too small for you, if you need anything further please let me know.

 

Thank you for your time and trying to help, it is appreciate.

 

Mark.

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

Where exactly do you see the blank document name? Mark these places.

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

Document name should be inserted from the "sanitise" variable highlighted here in both emails (I kept the old Output field in there so I could reference it later):

JustAPACreator_5-1656084023751.png

 

The "sanitise" should insert the document name and then the email should come through looking like this:

JustAPACreator_2-1656083817440.png

Instead it comes through looking like this (highlighted in yellow the space where the name should be) if I try to use the second branch which "reuses" the "sanitise" variable:

JustAPACreator_3-1656083928696.png

Helps that helps further.

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

Sorry I do no understand what is the second branch. If you cannot provide the whole picture I cannot help.

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

OK, let's try it this way:

I've got a name from a Microsoft Form that has been cleaned and removed all the [ and " from the name.

That's stored in a variable called sanitise.

Sanitise is used in an email as Dynamic content.

I use the Sanitise as Dynamic content to insert the document name into a "Send an email" action.

This works if I only use it once in the Flow.

If I try and use it again in another "Send an email" action the email doesn't contain the values in the Sanitise variable, it just equates to blank but the first email does have the values.

Discovered I could zoom out (d'oh) so here's the entire process:

JustAPACreator_0-1656087422753.png

This branches to this part (right side (created first) works and left doesn't):

JustAPACreator_2-1656087636140.png

 

 

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

Aha! It looks like you are using 2 parallel branches. For what?

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

For the two different companies this flow needs to pull documents for. It was originally without branching but I thought it would be easier to manage it in two branches.

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

In other words: no parallel branches - no problem with the variable, correct?

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

I had trouble with the variable before I put them into parallel branches, they were what I was hoping might be the answer 😞

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

Sorry I do not believe that. Can you show a flow that has a variable problem without parallelism?

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

I did at the very start, I've never been able to reuse a variable. It has the problem, why would I lie and waste mine and your time on this? Thanks for your help anyway, maybe someone else has some ideas.

VictorIvanidze
Community Champion
Community Champion

Please don't be offended.  To localize the problem I'd like to see a complete flow that I can reproduce.

Could you provide such thing?

________________________________________________________

Welcome to my web site.

JustAPACreator
Advocate II
Advocate II

Hi, sure and apologies. I've got a few Flows where this isn't working. Let me see if I can remove sensitive data and sort one out for you. I really appreciate any help.

edgarsimoes
Employee
Employee

Hello @JustAPACreator 

 

I look into the conversation between you and @VictorIvanidze and although I understood your issue, I am not being able to reproduce because I don't have all the information to do it in a more complete way and so I'm not getting the issue that you're facing. You can see my reproduction trial here:

Reusing the output of a Variable in different actions.png

 

I used a sample form and try to use both compose and variable just like you but I still don't get the issue you're facing.

 

So, I tried to investigate more about your issue and I saw that there other users facing the same issue on a different community forum post: Solved: Can't access variables in send an email - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)

 

And, even though is not the same, I would suggest you to try this idea:

1. Move your cursor towards the other string value mappings. It will show the tooltip how that is mapped. Use the same syntax (different variable name here) under the expressions.

2. Easiest way is add a compose step before the email step. Map the value. Map the compose output to email.

 

Let me know if it works. And if it does, please mark this answer as resolved.

 

Happy automating,

 

Edgar Simões

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