Introduction to Variables in Power Automate

 🚀 Introduction to Variables in Power Automate

• Variables in Power Automate are containers that store temporary data during a workflow's execution.
• They allow you to 🛠️ manipulate values, ➡️ pass data between steps, and ⚙️ create dynamic logic.
• Unlike traditional programming, variables in Power Automate must be 📍 declared explicitly and are scoped to the entire flow (unless nested in loops or scopes).

🗄️ Types of Variables

Power Automate supports six variable types:

• 🔤 String: Text data (e.g., "Hello, World!").
• 🔢 Integer: Whole numbers (e.g., 42).
• ⚖️ Float: Decimal numbers (e.g., 3.14).
• ✅/❌ Boolean: true or false.
• 📦 Array: Lists of items (e.g., ["Apple", "Banana"]).
• { } Object: Key-value pairs (e.g., {"Name": "John", "Age": 30}).

⚙️ How to Use Variables

1️⃣ Initialize a Variable

• Use the "Initialize variable" action to declare a variable before using it.

• Example:

  Name: customerName
  Type: String
  Value: "John Doe"
  

2️⃣ Modify a Variable

• Update variables using actions like "Set variable", "Increment variable", or "Append to string variable".

📂 Real-World Examples

• 🔤 Example 1: String Variable for Email Personalization

  • Scenario: Send a personalized email using a name extracted from a Microsoft Form response.

  • Trigger: "When a new response is submitted" (Microsoft Forms).

  • Initialize Variable:

    • Name: userName
    • Type: String
    • Value: triggerBody()?['Respondent']

  • Send Email:

    Body: "Hi @{variables('userName')}, thank you for your submission!"
    

• 🔢 Example 2: Integer Variable for Approval Counting

  • Scenario: Track the number of approved requests in a SharePoint list.

  • Initialize Variable:

    • Name: approvalCount
    • Type: Integer
    • Value: 0

  • Loop Through SharePoint Items:

    • For each item where Status = "Approved":

      • Increment Variable:

        Name: approvalCount
        Value: 1
        

  • Post Result to Teams:

    "Total approvals: @{variables('approvalCount')}"
    

• 📦 Example 3: Array Variable for Task Aggregation

  • Scenario: Collect all overdue tasks from a SharePoint list.

  • Initialize Variable:

    • Name: overdueTasks
    • Type: Array
    • Value: [] (empty array)

  • Loop Through Tasks:

    • For each task where DueDate < utcNow():

      • Append to Array Variable:

        Name: overdueTasks
        Value: item()?['Title']
        

  • Send Summary Email:

    Body: "Overdue tasks: @{join(variables('overdueTasks'), ', ')}"
    

• { } Example 4: Object Variable for Data Structuring

  • Scenario: Bundle customer data from multiple sources into a single object.

  • Initialize Variable:

    • Name: customerProfile

    • Type: Object

    • Value:

      JSON

      {
        "Name": "",
        "Email": "",
        "OrderCount": 0
      }
      

  • Update Object:

    • Set Variable:

      Name: customerProfile
      Value: {
        "Name": triggerBody()?['CustomerName'],
        "Email": triggerBody()?['CustomerEmail'],
        "OrderCount": length(triggerBody()?['Orders'])
      }
      

  • Log to SharePoint:

    • Use variables('customerProfile') to save the structured data.

💡 Key Notes

• Scope: Variables are available 📍 after initialization and persist throughout the flow.
• Modification: Use actions like "Set variable" to overwrite values or "Increment variable" for numbers.
• Limitations:
  • Variables cannot be reinitialized.
  • Arrays/objects require manual manipulation (e.g., concatenation or JSON parsing).

✨ Best Practices

• 📍 Declare Early: Initialize variables at the flow’s start for clarity.
• 🏷️ Use Descriptive Names: E.g., invoiceTotal instead of var1.
• 🚫 Avoid Overuse: Rely on dynamic content where possible to simplify flows.

🏆 By mastering variables, you can create 🚀 dynamic, reusable, and efficient workflows in Power Automate!