How use list variable for follow up question in Ask a Question action.

[Maxmellien]

Hi @HenryJammes

and everyone, Hope you all doing well.

I am trying to use list variable in ask a Question for dynamically access the  variable data as prompt question .
i am unable to create list variable as i want to show max of 4 Question prompt , The question will come from power automation in json right now i am try to get the belwo schema but it giving me error that expected StringDatatype .
power automation Schema:

{
    "type": "array",
    "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "properties": {
            "DisplayName": {
                "type": "string"
            },
            "question": {
                "type": "string"
            },
            "id": {
                "type": "integer"
            }
        },
        "required": [
            "DisplayName",
            "question",
            "id"
        ]
    }
}

•  Ithink i will change this to Json by removing array but i am unable to to create list varaibale  as each question has DisplayName Field for rendering the prompt .
  
  
• Currently i tried this flow design which is like this:
  action --> parsevalue (json to table)--> ask a Question ( list of variable,  selected table varaible, save invariable)--> condition if  selected table varaible equal to q1 or q2 or q3 we will send this question again to action.
  
  Show me right approach
  
  
• I am really new to this all
• i also get some idea from this links:
• https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/General/Asking-a-question-with-List-Variable-from-results-from-f...
• https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/General/How-to-append-to-table-variable-preview/td-p/2160985
• but these link did not show quit clear example.
  
  Thanks 

[HenryJammes]

Hi @Maxmellien 

Can you share a sample payload that Power Automate returns and that you want to use Copilot Studio as options for a question?

Henry

[Maxmellien]

Hi @HenryJammes , 
Thanks for quick response.

here is my payload that will come to http action in Power automate:

output body:

[
  {
    "DisplayName": "What is your favorite color?",
    "question": "What is your favorite color?",
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "DisplayName": "How did you discover our services?",
    "question": "How did you discover our services?",
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "DisplayName": "Tell us about your experience with our products.",
    "question": "Tell us about your experience with our products.",
    "id": 3
  }
]

After that i use ParseJson and this action output is:

Input Schema:

{
  "type": "array",
  "items": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "DisplayName": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "question": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "id": {
        "type": "integer"
      }
    },
    "required": [
      "DisplayName",
      "question",
      "id"
    ]
  }
}

Output body:

[
  {
    "DisplayName": "What is your favorite color?",
    "question": "What is your favorite color?",
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "DisplayName": "How did you discover our services?",
    "question": "How did you discover our services?",
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "DisplayName": "Tell us about your experience with our products.",
    "question": "Tell us about your experience with our products.",
    "id": 3
  }
]

After this return value to PVA:
input Schema:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "json": {
      "title": "JSON",
      "type": "string",
      "x-ms-content-hint": "TEXT",
      "x-ms-dynamically-added": true
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": {}
}

input body:

{
  "json": [
    {
      "DisplayName": "What is your favorite color?",
      "question": "What is your favorite color?",
      "id": 1
    },
    {
      "DisplayName": "How did you discover our services?",
      "question": "How did you discover our services?",
      "id": 2
    },
    {
      "DisplayName": "Tell us about your experience with our products.",
      "question": "Tell us about your experience with our products.",
      "id": 3
    }
  ]
}

Here is Flow images:

Below is my PVA FLOW:

 I got this error from PA in PVA action:

Bot said:
Error Message: The parameter with name ‘json’ on flow ‘Get JSON Data from FastAPI’ (‘ba806a9a-c1af-ee11-a569-6045bd006ade’) evaluated to type ‘TableDataType’ , expected type ‘StringDataType’ Error Code: FlowActionBadRequest Conversation Id: 32216d81-9419-41e5-9c76-d3f86b9a08e5 Time (UTC): 2024-01-11T07:42:55.408Z

here is image:

What should be the structure so my flow give me no error and question Topic ask these question prompt?
I want to prompt my question like this:

here is my PVA flow code:

kind: AdaptiveDialog
beginDialog:
  kind: OnRecognizedIntent
  id: main
  intent:
    displayName: Greeting
    includeInOnSelectIntent: false
    triggerQueries:
      - Good afternoon
      - Good morning
      - Hello
      - Hey
      - Hi

  actions:
    - kind: InvokeFlowAction
      id: invokeFlowAction_yXlaZe
      input: {}
      output:
        binding:
          json: Topic.Json

      flowId: ba806a9a-c1af-ee11-a569-6045bd006ade

    - kind: ParseValue
      id: 5Hl6ux
      variable: Topic.tableVariable
      valueType:
        kind: Table

      value: =Topic.Json

    - kind: SendActivity
      id: sendActivity_YEjvvS
      activity: "{Topic.Json}"

    - kind: Question
      id: question_BfQkGo
      interruptionPolicy:
        allowInterruption: true

      variable: init:Topic.Var1
      prompt:
      entity:
        kind: DynamicClosedListEntity
        items: =Topic.tableVariable

    - kind: CancelAllDialogs
      id: cancelAllDialogs_01At22

Thanks

[HenryJammes]

Hi @Maxmellien 

I got it to work like this: you can see that the selected option is the full record option with all its properties.

One important thing to notice with your JSON schema is that your table is within a record (under the json property).

I mocked up your returned JSON string that Power Automate returns as a variable, and then use a Parse Value and then reference the Topic.OptionsTable.json to reference the table and not the record.

Here's my example topic:

kind: AdaptiveDialog
beginDialog:
  kind: OnRecognizedIntent
  id: main
  intent:
    triggerQueries:
      - Dynamic Options Maxmellien

  actions:
    - kind: SetVariable
      id: setVariable_LDnSSa
      variable: Topic.JSON
      value: "{   \"json\": [     {       \"DisplayName\": \"What is your favorite color?\",       \"question\": \"What is your favorite color?\",       \"id\": 1     },     {       \"DisplayName\": \"How did you discover our services?\",       \"question\": \"How did you discover our services?\",       \"id\": 2     },     {       \"DisplayName\": \"Tell us about your experience with our products.\",       \"question\": \"Tell us about your experience with our products.\",       \"id\": 3     }   ] }"

    - kind: ParseValue
      id: z5uaRt
      variable: Topic.OptionsTable
      valueType:
        kind: Record
        properties:
          json:
            type:
              kind: Table
              properties:
                DisplayName: String
                id: Number
                question: String

      value: =Topic.JSON

    - kind: Question
      id: question_wJmTcv
      interruptionPolicy:
        allowInterruption: true

      variable: init:Topic.SelectedOption
      prompt: Please select an option
      entity:
        kind: DynamicClosedListEntity
        items: =Topic.OptionsTable.json

Note: I'm not sure you need to do a ParseJSON on the Power Automate side, since you also do a Parse Value on the Copilot Studio side. Returning the output body of your HTTP request directly to Copilot Studio may simplify your implementation. If that makes sense, you can also make the HTTP request directly in Copilot Studio.

Henry

[Maxmellien]

Hi @HenryJammes 
Thanks but little issue on my side which is as under:

when i receive json string from Power Automate then i use  parse_value and save this JSON  as record datatype  in OptionsTable  variable .
then i print both variable the first JSON string and after parse value OptionsTable  but the  OptionsTable has empty {} showing on PVA side   and Json string look like this.

This is payload coming from Power Automation:

JSON string:

{“json”:[{“DisplayName”:“What is your favorite color?”,“question”:“What is your favorite color?”,“id”:1},{“DisplayName”:“How did you discover our services?”,“question”:“How did you discover our services?”,“id”:2},{“DisplayName”:“Tell us about your experience with our products.”,“question”:“Tell us about your experience with our products.”,“id”:3}]}

OptionsTable record:

{}

and OptionsTable is not show print data.  
but when i set list variable in Question then i select Topic.OptionsTable  because json is not available after dot.
 
here is image of error showing DisplayName is missing:

Error:

The expression on the ‘DynamicClosedListEntityReference’ node at ‘cr52e_goodbye.topic.Goodbye/main/main/question_WxDymK’ failed because it returned ‘Record()’ when ‘RuntimeType’ was expected. Error code: ContentValidationError. Conversation ID: 8ef3c1cc-83f2-4ee2-9683-05f5fdbc41d9. Time (UTC): 1/11/2024 1:36:57 PM.

code here:

kind: AdaptiveDialog
beginDialog:
  kind: OnRecognizedIntent
  id: main
  intent:
    displayName: Greeting
    includeInOnSelectIntent: false
    triggerQueries:
      - Good afternoon
      - Good morning
      - Hello
      - Hey
      - Hi

  actions:
    - kind: SendActivity
      id: sendActivity_J3cp22
      activity: Hi , how are you

    - kind: Question
      id: question_obehfP
      interruptionPolicy:
        allowInterruption: true

      variable: init:Topic.UserCity
      prompt: Please write your favourite City Name
      entity: CityPrebuiltEntity

    - kind: InvokeFlowAction
      id: invokeFlowAction_vEQcL0
      input:
        binding:
          text: =Topic.UserCity

      output:
        binding:
          list_of accounts options: Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions
          number_of accounts: Topic.NumberofAccounts

      flowId: 7c0ebdec-76b0-ee11-a569-6045bd006ade

    - kind: ParseValue
      id: 7lUl56
      variable: Topic.table
      valueType:
        kind: Table

      value: =Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions

    - kind: SendActivity
      id: sendActivity_qoLkim
      activity: |-
        The following are the data coming from Power automate:
        
        - **ListOfAccountsOtions data in PVA**
        1. {Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions}
        - **NumberofAccounts data  in PVA**
        1. {Topic.NumberofAccounts} 

    - kind: ConditionGroup
      id: conditionGroup_5PX1Rh
      conditions:
        - id: conditionItem_ybiWsE
          condition: =Topic.NumberofAccounts = """0"""

      elseActions:
        - kind: SendActivity
          id: sendActivity_dytGRy
          activity: Ok i have found some question for you.

        - kind: Question
          id: question_st4CEA
          interruptionPolicy:
            allowInterruption: true

          variable: init:Topic.selectedQuestion
          prompt:
          entity:
            kind: DynamicClosedListEntity
            items: |-
              =ForAll(
                  Table(ParseJSON(Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions)), 
                  Text(ThisRecord.Value)
              )

        - kind: SendActivity
          id: sendActivity_EwJOrq
          activity: wow you has selected the above question it mena promt is working

    - kind: CancelAllDialogs
      id: cancelAllDialogs_01At22

2: I have also implemented you tutorial from this link  but some issues on question Topic.
PVA unified authoring canvas to display dynamic choice options

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/General/How-can-I-use-Dynamic-Multi-choices-in-the-PVA-chatbot/m...

in this flow i get this ListOfAccountOption  data  as string from  Power Automation.
Incomming data printed in PVA
but i also getting error like this:

The expression on the ‘DynamicClosedListEntityReference’ node at ‘cr52e_goodbye.topic.Greeting/main/main/conditionGroup_5PX1Rh/conditionGroup_5PX1RhElseActions/question_7AqFQo’ failed with the following errors: ‘The untyped object argument to the ‘Text’ function has an incorrect type. Expected: Text, Actual: Microsoft.PowerFx.Types.ExternalType.’ (Text(ThisRecord.Value)),

‘The untyped object argument to the ‘Text’ function has an incorrect type. Expected: Text, Actual: Microsoft.PowerFx.Types.ExternalType.’ (Text(ThisRecord.Value)),

‘The untyped object argument to the ‘Text’ function has an incorrect type. Expected: Text, Actual: Microsoft.PowerFx.Types.ExternalType.’ (Text(ThisRecord.Value)). Error code: ContentValidationError. Conversation ID: e8a2c8c6-711a-46e3-81f5-40e6c89e3f0c. Time (UTC): 1/11/2024 1:41:03 PM.

the following are data which i have print in message:

The following are the data coming from Power automate:

ListOfAccountsOtions data in PVA
[{“DisplayName”:“What is your favorite color?”,“question”:“What is your favorite color?”,“id”:1},{“DisplayName”:“How did you discover our services?”,“question”:“How did you discover our services?”,“id”:2},{“DisplayName”:“Tell us about your experience with our products.”,“question”:“Tell us about your experience with our products.”,“id”:3}]
NumberofAccounts data in PVA
1

Here is code:

kind: AdaptiveDialog
beginDialog:
  kind: OnRecognizedIntent
  id: main
  intent:
    displayName: Greeting
    includeInOnSelectIntent: false
    triggerQueries:
      - Good afternoon
      - Good morning
      - Hello
      - Hey
      - Hi

  actions:
    - kind: SendActivity
      id: sendActivity_J3cp22
      activity: Hi , how are you

    - kind: Question
      id: question_obehfP
      interruptionPolicy:
        allowInterruption: true

      variable: init:Topic.UserCity
      prompt: Please write your favourite City Name
      entity: CityPrebuiltEntity

    - kind: InvokeFlowAction
      id: invokeFlowAction_vEQcL0
      input:
        binding:
          text: =Topic.UserCity

      output:
        binding:
          list_of accounts options: Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions
          number_of accounts: Topic.NumberofAccounts

      flowId: 7c0ebdec-76b0-ee11-a569-6045bd006ade

    - kind: ParseValue
      id: 7lUl56
      variable: Topic.table
      valueType:
        kind: Table

      value: =Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions

    - kind: SendActivity
      id: sendActivity_qoLkim
      activity: |-
        The following are the data coming from Power automate:
        
        - **ListOfAccountsOtions data in PVA**
        1. {Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions}
        - **NumberofAccounts data  in PVA**
        1. {Topic.NumberofAccounts} 

    - kind: ConditionGroup
      id: conditionGroup_5PX1Rh
      conditions:
        - id: conditionItem_ybiWsE
          condition: =Topic.NumberofAccounts = """0"""

      elseActions:
        - kind: SendActivity
          id: sendActivity_dytGRy
          activity: Ok i have found some question for you.

        - kind: Question
          id: question_st4CEA
          interruptionPolicy:
            allowInterruption: true

          variable: init:Topic.selectedQuestion
          prompt:
          entity:
            kind: DynamicClosedListEntity
            items: |-
              =ForAll(
                  Table(ParseJSON(Topic.ListOfAccountsOptions)), 
                  Text(ThisRecord.Value)
              )

        - kind: SendActivity
          id: sendActivity_EwJOrq
          activity: wow you has selected the above question it mena promt is working

    - kind: CancelAllDialogs
      id: cancelAllDialogs_01At22

I am realy stuck from last 3 days, Please 

[HenryJammes · Accepted solution]

In your parse value node, have you tried "From sample data"?

In the JSON you shared, this is the schema you should use for the Record type:

kind: Record
properties:
  json:
    type:
      kind: Table
      properties:
        DisplayName: String
        id: Number
        question: String

Then you'll be able to display the .json table as part of your record variable.

[Maxmellien]

Thanks alot @HenryJammes  you saved me.
I jsut edit schema in Parse value and put you code and it worked 
Thanks once again.
Also kindly tell me the best resources to learn, for using Bot Framework SDK as currently we are facing time out issues in Power Automation so in future we will use that with PVA.

[HenryJammes]

These are good signals for us to publish more "how to" articles.

We'll very likely publish them here: aka.ms/CopilotStudioGuidance

From an architecture standpoint, I recommend: aka.ms/CopilotStudioImplementationGuide

[Maxmellien]

Thank you @HenryJammes 

[Maxmellien]

Hi @HenryJammes , Hope you doing well.
I have created Fallback Flow in PVA and it show followup question with each response but the problem is if 

i donot select any option and send new text as a message the Fallback flow trigger didnot activate but instead it give me the previous response followup questions .
here is the asked question kindly slove this , i have put all code and every thing , it must trigger the event with out selecting the options which is given by list of variable in ask a Question topic.