Getting Embedded data from share point for one column having large text

[ektatripathi13]

Hi Team,

I am trying to pull data from sharepoint. There is a field called comments, which is coming in embedded form.(HTML format data instead of actual string or column data) The data type for this column is v_Wstring with maximum size still getting this issue.

Hovering over the field following message is displayed - "This cell has embedded newlines and and truncated characters"

[joshuaburkhow]

I apologize but it's not clear what you are asking here? Is something not working? 

[ektatripathi13]

Yes, So I am successfully able to  pull the data from SharePoint using SharePoint input tool, but for one of the field, the data is coming in embedded form. That field is V_Wstring with maximum size, even then the data is not coming which should actually come, instead some html code is coming. How can I get the correct data which is present in sharepoint instead of this html code

[danilang]

Hi @ektatripathi13 

Unfortunately there is no way to force SharePoint to return the displayed field value as opposed to the HTML.  Using the SharePoint Input tool, you get exactly what is stored in the field.  

With that out of the way, there's no reason why you can't parse the HTML to pull out the displayed value.  Look at the HTML and find the tag that surrounds the display value.  Use the Alteryx string functions or Regex, if you're familiar with it, to extract the text between the open and close markers for that tag.

If you can post a sample of the html, I'm sure someone can help you with the extraction.  Note that if the string is longer than 256 characters, you'll need to attach a Browse tool to be able to copy the entire thing

Dan

Dan

[ektatripathi13]

The issue here is - Using sharepoint input tool, exactly what is stored is not retrieved. Let me explain again.

I am using sharepoint input tool to fetch the data from sharepoint URL. For one of the field which basically contains comments (Long text), the sharepoint input tool is not fetching what is stored there. Instead, I can see some HTML code which I am not being able to parse either because its not complete. When I hover over this field, following message is displayed - the cell has embedded newlines and truncated characters.

At the same time if i export the same data into excel sheet manually and then import that excel sheet in alteryx, that same field reflects the correct data (That is comments and not HTML code).

Is there a way that using sharepoint input tool only I can correct this and get proper output.

[danilang]

Hi @ektatripathi13 

Unfortunately, the answer is no.  The SharePoint Input tool returns the internal contents of the cell without interpreting any HTML or Rich Text that might contained within it.  It's up to you to parse the returned value to extract the text that you want. 

For your truncated data issue.  When you look at the results at any tool other than a browse tool, Alteryx only displays the 1st 256 characters to save on RAM and displays the .  If you connect a browse tool to your input tool, run the workflow and double click on one of the comment fields you see the field in the cell viewer with all the characters there.  

What do you mean be export the data manually?  Are you going into SharePoint and dumping the list to Excel?  If that's the case, SharePoint is converting the internal HTML into the displayed value before the output.  That's why you would see the displayed value in Excel

Post a sample of the html that you see in a Browse tool so we can look at it

Dan

[yashagrawal1111]

 Hi @ektatripathi13,
The reason you're seeing HTML tags is probably because your sharepoint list column is configured as Rich Text/ Enhanced Rich Text. You'll need to change this to Plain Text in your SharePoint List.