Concepts
- Start by adding a new action to your flow and search for the
"Parse JSON"action. - Specify the JSON content that you want to parse. It can be either a dynamic content or a static JSON string.
- Add a schema to define the structure of the JSON data. The schema defines the properties and their data types.
{
“type”: “object”,
“properties”: {
“name”: {
“type”: “string”
},
“age”: {
“type”: “integer”
},
“email”: {
“type”: “string”,
“format”: “email”
}
}
}
Note: The schema is usually autogenerated based on the provided JSON content.
- Once the JSON is parsed, you can access the parsed values using dynamic content in the subsequent actions.
Parsing XML Data
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is another commonly used format for storing and transporting structured data. Power Automate provides actions to parse XML data efficiently. Let’s go through the steps to parse XML using Power Automate.
- Add a new action to your flow and search for the
"Parse XML"action. - Provide the XML content that you want to parse. Similar to JSON parsing, you can use either dynamic content or a static XML string.
- If the XML follows a specific schema, you can specify an XML schema file (.xsd) to validate the structure. This step is optional but recommended for data integrity.
Parsing CSV Data
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain-text file format that represents tabular data. Power Automate provides actions to parse CSV files and extract data from them. Let’s see how we can parse CSV files using Power Automate.
- Start by adding a new action to your flow and search for the
"Parse CSV"action. - Specify the CSV content. You can provide a dynamic content or a static CSV string.
- Optionally, you can specify the delimiter used in your CSV file. By default, the delimiter is assumed to be a comma (
,), but you can change it if your file uses a different delimiter. - Once the CSV is parsed, you can access the extracted data using dynamic content in subsequent actions.
Conclusion
Parsing text data, be it JSON, XML, or CSV, is a crucial process in desktop automation workflows. With Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developer, you can easily parse text data using actions like "Parse JSON," "Parse XML," and "Parse CSV." By correctly parsing the data, you can extract useful information and perform subsequent actions as required.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
Which of the following file formats is commonly used for storing structured data?
a. JSON
b. PDF
c. MP3
d. GIF
Correct answer: a. JSON
What is the primary purpose of parsing text in desktop flows?
a. To extract information from unstructured text
b. To convert text from one format to another
c. To compress text files for efficiency
d. To encrypt text for security purposes
Correct answer: a. To extract information from unstructured text
Which process is commonly used for parsing XML in desktop flows?
a. Deserialization
b. Serialization
c. Compression
d. Encryption
Correct answer: a. Deserialization
What is the primary advantage of using JSON for data interchange?
a. It provides a compact and easy-to-read format
b. It supports complex data structures and nested objects
c. It offers built-in support for encryption and security
d. It can parse text more efficiently than other formats
Correct answer: b. It supports complex data structures and nested objects
In the context of parsing CSV files, what does the term “delimiter” refer to?
a. The character used to separate different data fields within a row
b. The character used to separate rows within a file
c. The character used to indicate the end of a file
d. The character used to indicate comments in the file
Correct answer: a. The character used to separate different data fields within a row
When parsing JSON or XML, what is the role of a schema?
a. It defines the structure and data types of the parsed data
b. It specifies the encryption algorithm to be used for parsing
c. It determines the compression method for the parsed data
d. It identifies the file format and version
Correct answer: a. It defines the structure and data types of the parsed data
What type of data can be represented in JSON?
a. Numeric values
b. Boolean values
c. Strings
d. All of the above
Correct answer: d. All of the above
Which of the following statements is true about parsing XML?
a. It requires the use of specialized libraries or tools
b. It can only be done manually through code
c. It is a built-in feature of all operating systems
d. It is not compatible with desktop flows
Correct answer: a. It requires the use of specialized libraries or tools
What is the most common method for parsing CSV files in desktop flows?
a. Using regular expressions
b. Using custom scripting languages
c. Using dedicated CSV parsing libraries or functions
d. Manually extracting data field by field
Correct answer: c. Using dedicated CSV parsing libraries or functions
Which of the following is an advantage of using XML for data interchange?
a. It is more lightweight and efficient than other formats
b. It offers built-in support for complex data structures
c. It is compatible with all programming languages and platforms
d. It does not require a schema for parsing
Correct answer: b. It offers built-in support for complex data structures
What’s the best way to parse JSON in Power Automate Desktop?
I appreciate the detailed explanation on parsing techniques. Thanks!
For XML parsing, the ‘Get XML Element’ action works great, but it needs a bit of getting used to.
The explanations here are good but could use more examples on CSV parsing.
Thanks for the insights!
For JSON parsing, don’t forget to clean up your strings beforehand to avoid unexpected errors.
What challenges have people faced with XML parsing in Power Automate Desktop?
Appreciate the tips on parsing!