How to include the logical AND/OR operators in conditionals

[AlanYC]

I would like to know how to include the logical AND/OR operators in conditionals, previously on WinAutomation this could be achieved like this:

The AND "&&" operator can be used inside an "If" condition using the following format

First Operand: %TextVar_1 == "ABC" && TextVar_2 == "DEF"%

Operator: =

Second Operand: True

The OR "||" operator can be used in a similar way

First Operand: %TextVar_1 == "ABC" || TextVar_2 == "DEF"%

Operator: =

Second Operand: True

I have tried to express it in this way in Power Automate Desktop and it is not working.

In my case I am reading a single cell value from excel which is stored into the variable %ExcelData%, I would like to use an If conditional to review if the variable's value is either "Payer" or "Doc" I need it to do certain actions, but if it is blank I need it to go into a different set of actions.

I have already tried to express it in different ways but I haven't been able to achieve this logic, this is what I have tried so far:

First Operand: %ExcelData = "Payer" || ExcelData = "Doc"%

Operator: =

Second Operand: True

With the above conditional I get an Invalid Value message, you might have noticed I removed the double equal signs, I have tried with the double equal signs and it also says invalid value in this way.

First Operand: %ExcelData = 'payer'% || %ExcelData = 'doc'%

Operator: =

Second Operand: True

The above conditional is accepted by PAD but when I run it it doesn't seem to be working as intended as it is not realizing that the cell value is actually Payer.

[adijain]

Hello @AlanYC ,

Thank you for bringing this issue to us. We will investigate this further on our end and get back to you with the correct syntax for using AND/OR operators. For now, could you please instead use the workaround of using two if conditions to verify the ExcelData var for both 'Payer' and 'Doc' separately. 

Thanks for trying out Power Automate Desktop!

[AlanYC]

Thank you, I will wait for your reply. I am currently using the workaround that you mentioned of creating two separate conditionals.

[adijain]

Hi @AlanYC,

Please find the syntax for the logical AND/OR operators in PAD conditionals below:

• AND instead of && 
• OR instead of ||
• = instead of ==

Example:

Please let us know if you have any further questions.

Thanks,

Aditya

[efrainC_Onq]

Good afternoon @adijain , I'm Efrain from Panama. 

I'm Developer, but at the same I'm new in Power Automate. And I need to know the next info:

I was trying use this logic but I have question. Can I use the second operand as result? This question is because I need to do a comparison of two variables, but I need the result as TRUE or FALSE value.

I'm testing new apps to my company, and one these apps POD. 

Regards.

[miketran13]

Thanks a lot for this Adijain, it was thing I am looking for. It helps a lot and can reduce the complexity of my process.

Regards,

Mike

[Henrik_M]

Use a Set variable to write the result of a boolean expression into something to use later.

[adijain]

HI @efrainC_Onq, thanks for the question, you would need to set the first operand as a variable, like what @Henrik_M  suggested and then that variable will have the result as True or False - as shown below:

In above, the %NewVar% will have either True or False value.  Hope it makes sense. 

[vtse]

Hi,

try the following

set the two values payer and doc as variables var1 and var2

then use the if action as following 

First operand    %ExcelData== var1 || ExcelData== var2%

operator equals (=)

second operator TRUE

[TomaszPoszytek]

Hi,

this should be:

First Operand: %ExcelData = 'payer'% || %ExcelData = 'doc'%

Operator: =

Second Operand: %True%

[ericcho]

To expand on this topic....what is the proper notation for operators that are not straight up equals?

For example I want to quality something that contains "payer" or startswith "doc"

....something along the lines of:

%contains(ExcelData,'payer') OR startswith(ExcelData,'doc')%

Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

Hello @ericcho 

We can use conditional functions such like Contains() or StartsWith() in [First operand] of If action.

For example:

%Contains(VAR, 'KEY', False) OR StartsWith(VAR, 'KEY', False)%

* The 3rd argument of each function means "Ignore case = False" thus "Case sensitive".

[List of available 8 functions]

• Contains(VAR, 'KEY', False)
• NotContains(VAR, 'KEY', False)
• IsEmpty(VAR)
• IsNotEmpty(VAR)
• StartsWith(VAR, 'KEY', False)
• NotStartsWith(VAR, 'KEY', False)
• EndsWith(VAR, 'KEY', False)
• NotEndsWith(VAR, 'KEY', False)

Thank you.

[Henrik_M]

This is great!! How did you find out? 🤔

[Anonymous]

Hello @Henrik_M 

Thanks for your resonse.

Here is how did I find it out. 🙂

1) I have set up 8 different conditions for each of the empty IF actions.

For example (Operator = "Contains"):

2) Copy & Paste the code from Flow Designer to Notepad.

SET VAR TO $'''ABC'''
IF Contains(VAR, $'''KEY''', False) THEN
END
IF NotContains(VAR, $'''KEY''', False) THEN
END
IF IsEmpty(VAR) THEN
END
IF IsNotEmpty(VAR) THEN
END
IF StartsWith(VAR, $'''KEY''', False) THEN
END
IF NotStartsWith(VAR, $'''KEY''', False) THEN
END
IF EndsWith(VAR, $'''KEY''', False) THEN
END
IF NotEndsWith(VAR, $'''KEY''', False) THEN
END

3) I guessed that these conditional functions in Robin language could be used in the first operand of the IF action... Bingo!

[businesstaken]

thanks a lot, very useful

[StanAtFlumerics]

If somebody has issues with power automate desktop's if conditions and Boolean comparisons / values:

I had to enclose the True/False value in % characters, like variables:

First Operand: %SomeVariable%

Operator: =

Second Operand: %True%