Sharepoint URL to reference a lookup

Question

I have two SharePoint lists used for Support case management. The first list contains Case Numbers and information about the case. The second list contains exhibits that support the case itself.

We have a convention that the Case Number is a String supplied by the worker, ex 20150205-001. When the exhibits are joined to the Case it is through a Lookup. I want the Exhibit ID, a String, to be of the form Case Number + _[A-Z] -- and be auto-assigned.

I want to use a Workflow (MS Sharepoint Designer 2013) to assign the Exhibit ID. The problem I face is that I cannot get the actual Case Number from the Lookup. The closest I have gotten so far is to get the ID (1, 2, etc) but not the actual String value represented.

Tried working with the following URL:

http://[mySiteURL]/_api/web/lists/getbytitle([listName])/items?$select=Title,Case/Id&$expand=Case/Id&$filter=Case/Id%20eq%2020150205%45001

substituted ascii: $filter=Case/ID eq 20150205-001

without the filter I get all list items (understandably) but the filter does not work properly because the ID is not the actual lookup value.

Arcan.NET Arcan.NET · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-08T16:33:30

This is a SPD 2013 limitation. You have to use a web service call from within Designer to get the specifics of a lookup column from SharePoint. You make a REST call ad then parse the JSON response for the specific data from the lookup column. It gives you access to all of the columns from the list item that you looked up:

Build {...} Dictionary (Output to Variable: requestHeader )
Call [%Workflow Context:Current Site URL%]... HTTP web service with Variable: Request (ResponseContent to Variable: PoleIDData |ResponseHeaders to Variable: dictionary |ResponseStatusCode to Variable: responseCode )
Get d/Pole_x0020_ID from Variable: PoleIDData (Output to Variable: PoleID )
Set Name to Variable: PoleID

Your actual web service call will be formatted like this:

[%Workflow Context:Current Site URL%]/_api/web/lists/GetByTitle('List Name')/Items([%Current Item:ID%])/LookupColumnNameOnOtherList

Sorry for the formatting, I would post a screenshot but I cannot.

This article is good for showing you some of the other specifics about formatting your HTTP Request, especially the Request Headers which must be setup right.

http://www.fiechter.eu/Blog/Post/37/SharePoint-2013--HTTP-Web-Service-Action---Use-Managed-Metadata-as-Text-in-Workflow

Sharepoint URL to reference a lookup

1 Answers