JSON Object property setting in Logic Apps workflows

Question

Basically, I am creating a complex JSON Object variable, two of them actually. One to form the body of an HTTP response to the calling app and another to by the body of a POST to an API. The complex JSON object has boolean properties, arrays, and nested object. I have a lot of property setting to do. What I am finding is that I have to do a Compose action on the current state of the object, then do a Set Variable action to set the variable to the output of the Compose action. Basically, two actions for each and every property update. Am I missing something? Is it possible to set the property on a JSON object with only one Action and not two?

Here is the code of a simple Logic App showing the two step process of two Actions to update a single property:

{
"definition": {
    "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/providers/Microsoft.Logic/schemas/2016-06-01/workflowdefinition.json#",
    "actions": {
        "Check_Compose_result_shows_array_is_still_empty": {
            "inputs": {
                "name": "temp",
                "value": "@{first(variables('JsonObj').apiUrls)}"
            },
            "runAfter": {
                "Compose_into_an_array": [
                    "Succeeded"
                ]
            },
            "type": "SetVariable"
        },
        "Check_that_bool_property_was_changed": {
            "inputs": {
                "name": "temp",
                "value": "@{variables('JsonObj').success}"
            },
            "runAfter": {
                "Set_variable": [
                    "Succeeded"
                ]
            },
            "type": "SetVariable"
        },
        "Compose_into_an_array": {
            "inputs": "@setProperty(variables('JsonObj'),'apiUrls',union(variables('JsonObj').apiUrls,json('[''http//:apiBaseUrl/EDI/containers/defaults'']')))",
            "runAfter": {
                "Initialize_JSON_Object_variable": [
                    "Succeeded"
                ]
            },
            "type": "Compose"
        },
        "Compose_to_set_bool_property": {
            "inputs": "@setProperty(variables('JsonObj'),'success',true)",
            "runAfter": {
                "Set_variable_to_retain_Compose_output": [
                    "Succeeded"
                ]
            },
            "type": "Compose"
        },
        "Initialize_JSON_Object_variable": {
            "inputs": {
                "variables": [
                    {
                        "name": "JsonObj",
                        "type": "Object",
                        "value": "@json(concat('{ ''success'': false, ''apiUrls'': [], ''workFlow'': ',workflow(),'}'))"
                    }
                ]
            },
            "runAfter": {
                "Initialize_temp_variable_": [
                    "Succeeded"
                ]
            },
            "type": "InitializeVariable"
        },
        "Initialize_temp_variable_": {
            "inputs": {
                "variables": [
                    {
                        "name": "temp",
                        "type": "String"
                    }
                ]
            },
            "runAfter": {},
            "type": "InitializeVariable"
        },
        "Set_variable": {
            "inputs": {
                "name": "JsonObj",
                "value": "@outputs('Compose_to_set_bool_property')"
            },
            "runAfter": {
                "Compose_to_set_bool_property": [
                    "Succeeded"
                ]
            },
            "type": "SetVariable"
        },
        "Set_variable_to_retain_Compose_output": {
            "inputs": {
                "name": "JsonObj",
                "value": "@outputs('Compose_into_an_array')"
            },
            "runAfter": {
                "Check_Compose_result_shows_array_is_still_empty": [
                    "Succeeded"
                ]
            },
            "type": "SetVariable"
        }
    },
    "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
    "outputs": {},
    "parameters": {},
    "triggers": {
        "manual": {
            "inputs": {
                "schema": {}
            },
            "kind": "Http",
            "type": "Request"
        }
    }
}

}

Johns-305 Johns-305 · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-13T14:06:53

One to form the body of an HTTP response to the calling app and another to by the body of a POST to an API....I have a lot of property setting to do.

Then you should be using Transform instead of Compose.

Since the content is already JSON, the most direct path would be Liquid Transform.

However, if you're already versed in Xsl, that's an option also.

JSON Object property setting in Logic Apps workflows

1 Answers