How can I use Dynamic Multi-choices in the PVA chatbot?

[Sravan_999]

Hi,

I’d like to use my SharePoint List Items as dynamic Multi-Choices in the PVA chatbot. So I tried the unified canvas(preview) but I have to create bot in the production type. 

So is there any possibility to get SharePoint List Items and use dynamic multi choices as in the ask question PVA chatbot? Please let me know if there’s any way to solve it.

Thanks

[HenryJammes · Accepted solution]

PVA + Bot Framework Composer to display dynamic choice options

In this first answer, I will provide an example on how to present a chatbot user with dynamic choice options that are retrieved from an external data source. I use Dataverse in this example, but using SharePoint would be similar, as we retrieve the data with a Power Automate cloud flow and pass the data back to Power Virtual Agents.

The first thing you'll want to do is retrieve the data from your external source.

In my scenario, I want to display a list of stores that are available for a given city.

So, I create a new topic called "Store Locations", give it a few trigger phrases, and add a Question node to ask the user "What is your city"?

I use Power Virtual Agents' default "City" entity to automatically extract the city from a user utterance.

I also save the response as the "UserCity" variable and update the variable to make it global, so I change its scope to "Bot (any topic can access)". This is important for the rest of my demonstration because I will also pass that value to a Bot Framework Composer dialog.

I then create a new cloud flow to look for the list of stores for a given city.

In Power Automate:

• I add "User City" as a text input for my flow.
• I add 1 integer variable 'Number Of Accounts"  and 1 array variable "List Of Accounts Options"
• I use the "List Rows" from the Dataverse connector to retrieve a list of Accounts with their name, address first line, and I filter the list to only retrieve active accounts that are located in the city the user provided (UserCity).

Still in Power Automate:

• I add an "Append to array variable" for my "List Of Accounts Options" variable. In "Value" I use the dynamic content "Account Name". This also immediately and automatically creates an "Apply to Each" loop.
• I add another "Append to array variable" for my "Number Of Accounts" variable. In "Value" I simply enter 1.
• Finally, in the "Return value(s) to Power Virual Agents" step, I add 2 outputs: "Number Of Accounts" and "List Of Accounts Options". For "Number Of Accounts" I can map it to corresponding variable, but for "List Of Accounts Options" I first need to transform it to text format (as it is an array). To that end, I go the "Expression" tab, select "string" and go back to the "Dynamic Content" tab to select "List Of Accounts Options" and click OK.

Back in Power Virtual Agents:

• I can see my Power Automate flows has the new 2 outputs created as variables.
• I make the "ListOfAccoutsOptions" a Bot-scoped variable
• I use the "NumberOfAccounts" variable in a Condition node so that I can have different user experienced if the city returns 0 results.
• I save my topic

I'm now going to move over to the Bot Framework Composer.

• From the list of topics, I click on "Open in Bot Framework Composer".

In Bot Framework Composer:

• If I haven't done so already, I install it, authenticate and create a local folder for my changes
• I add a new dialog for my bot that I name "ListOfAccountsOptions".

• In order for my dialog to return values to Power Virtual Agents, I add an Output: UserSelectedStore and it's a string.

• Under "BeginDialog", I add a new "Ask a question" node of type "Multi-choice".
• In the "Prompt with multi-choice" I add "What is your favorite store in ${virtualagent.UserCity}?" as an alternative under "Text". 
• ${virtualagent.UserCity} will automatically use the City that the user has provided in Power Virtual Agents.

• In "User input (Choice)", I set the "Properpty" to "dialog.result.UserSelectedStore". That way, I will be able to use the selected option in Power Virtual Agents, in a new variable.
• I choose "value" as the "Ouput format"

• Still in "User input (Choice)", I scroll down to "List style" and select "suggestedAction" (note: for use in Teams, choose "heroCard" instead.
• For "Array of choices", instead of simple choices, I choose "= Write an expression".
• I select the data variable returned from my Power Automate cloud flow using the "=${virtualagent.ListOfAccountsOptions}"

• Once done, I go to the "Publish" tab, select my bot, and click "Publish selected bots"

I return to my Power Virtual Agents "Store Locations" topic, and under "All other conditions", I add:

• A message saying "OK, I have found {x] NumberOfAccounts location(s) in {x}bot.UserCity." using variables.
• A "Redirect to another topic" node to select the "ListOfAccountsOptions" Bot Framework dialog.
• A message saying "OK, you selected {x} UserSelectedStore - excellence choice!" using the new variable.

And that's it.

The list of options presented to the user is dynamically generated from a Power Automate cloud flow:

[HenryJammes · Accepted solution]

PVA unified authoring canvas to display dynamic choice options

In this second answer, I use the unified authoring canvas to provide an example on how to present a chatbot user with dynamic choice options that are retrieved from an external data source. I use Dataverse in this example, but using SharePoint would be similar, as we retrieve the data with a Power Automate cloud flow and pass the data back to Power Virtual Agents.

In my scenario, I want to display a list of stores that are available for a given city.

In Power Virtual Agents, using the unified authoring canvas:

• I create a new topic called "Store Locations", give it a few trigger phrases, and add a Question node to ask the user "What is your city"?
  I use Power Virtual Agents' default "City" entity to automatically extract the city from a user utterance.
• I save the response as the "UserCity" variable.

Next, I add a "Call an action" node and choose "Create a flow".

I then create a new cloud flow to look for the list of stores for a given city.

In Power Automate:

• I add "User City" as a text input for my flow.
• I add 1 integer variable 'Number Of Accounts"  and 1 array variable "List Of Accounts Options"
• I use the "List Rows" from the Dataverse connector to retrieve a list of Accounts with their name, address first line, and I filter the list to only retrieve active accounts that are located in the city the user provided (UserCity).

Still in Power Automate:

• I add an "Append to array variable" for my "List Of Accounts Options" variable. In "Value" I use the dynamic content "Account Name". This also immediately and automatically creates an "Apply to Each" loop.
• I add another "Append to array variable" for my "Number Of Accounts" variable. In "Value" I simply enter 1.
• Finally, in the "Return value(s) to Power Virual Agents" step, I add 2 outputs: "Number Of Accounts" and "List Of Accounts Options". For "Number Of Accounts" I can map it to corresponding variable, but for "List Of Accounts Options" I first need to transform it to text format (as it is an array). To that end, I go the "Expression" tab, select "string" and go back to the "Dynamic Content" tab to select "List Of Accounts Options" and click OK.

Back in Power Virtual Agents:

• I map the UserCity variable with the "User City" input the cloud flow needs.
• I can see my cloud flows has the 2 new outputs created as new variables.
• I use the "NumberOfAccounts" variable in a Condition node so that I can have different user experienced if the city returns 0 results.
• I save my topic

I return to my Power Virtual Agents "Store Locations" topic, and under "All other conditions", I add:

• A message saying "OK, I have found {x} NumberOfAccounts location(s) in {x} UserCity." using variables.
• A new Question node "What is your favorite store in {x} UserCity ?" with "Options from a list variable" in "Identify" so that the options are dynamic.

• In the List Variable I go to the Power Fx formula editor.
• I transform my ListOfAccountsOptions variable string into a table using this formula:
  
  ForAll(

      Table(ParseJSON(Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions)),

          Text(ThisRecord.Value)

  )
• I save response as the "UserSelectedStore" variable.
• I add a message saying "Awesome, {x} UserSelectedStore is an excellence choice!" using the new variable.

And that's it.

The list of options presented to the user is dynamically generated from a Power Automate cloud flow:

[Sravan_999]

Thank you so much @HenryJammes for the clear explanation. In the unified authoring canvas itself there’s a set variable option or fx, which helps for dynamic values where in the production type there’s no option we need to use the flow and BFC. I really appreciate it, this is very helpful to us.

[darylvogan]

nice job

[darylvogan]

When I try this, I get this message:

"There is an error: 'BindingKeyNotFoundError'". Seems that it doesn't recognize the parameter being return from Automate to be a string.

Any ideas?

[darylvogan]

Oops, if I click the ellipses in the top of the card and click "Refresh", it reloads and recognizes the parameter as string.

[HenryJammes]

---

@darylvogan wrote:

Oops, if I click the ellipses in the top of the card and click "Refresh", it reloads and recognizes the parameter as string.

---

Indeed there's a transient error - it's mostly a UI glitch that goes away after a refresh

[darylvogan]

Getting closer, but still one bump in the road. I'm getting an error in the question action that utilizes the list of values. "Variable is being set to an incorrect type. Assigned: Record, expected: Table. There is an error: 'MissingDisplayName"

When selecting the variable to assign response to, it auto-selects record type, so I cannot change/choose it. See screenshot.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[darylvogan]

I really should work through issue before posting. Fixed it by using the parsing formula in the question action, per the tutorial.