how to iterate through multiline text description field to extract text between known characters

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Posted on by Cgangweg01

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Hello,

I've made numerous attempts to no avail. I'm not sure if this is an Apply to Each or Do Until or using Indexes or something else.

I need to extract the string of text between known characters (which are US^string^US).

I am able to extract the first instance with the compose expression below.

How do I get the rest? And then, all the extracts into an array?

This is the multiline text description field that is set in the variable DescripContent.

****************************************************************

Description of the big job to be done:

US^The first big thing to do.^US

US^The second big thing to do after the first.^US

US^The third big thing to do that continues on another line,

more information about the third and final big thing.^US

More text here at the end.

****************************************************************

This is the compose expression that gets the first extracted string. Not sure if this is the best way to do it but it worked.

split(replace(split(variables('DescripContent'), 'US^')[1], '^US',''),'US^')
 
Appreciate the help as always!

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Business Process Flows

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Answers (1)

Michael E. Gernaey 43,787 Super User 2025 Season 1 on at

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how to iterate through multiline text description field to extract text between known characters

Hi @Cgangweg01

So when you do a split it makes an array, you get one of these

so if you have

mmmm---HHHH and I did a split on ---

i'd get an error of

[0] = mmmm

[1] = HHHH

(an error)

or

1-Many results

so in the split it creates an Array, and I want the first entry in the array and [0] gives that to me
Cgangweg01 330 on at

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how to iterate through multiline text description field to extract text between known characters

Hello @Michael E. Gernaey

Thank you so much for taking the time to provide this answer including the explanations. Every time I get a solution from the forum it boosts my abilities with the platform and helps with the various requirements and automation opportunities coming my way.

For this expression the only thing I don't get is the zero in brackets at the end [0]. What is that doing?

Split(Replace(trim(item()), decodeUriComponent('%0A'), ''), '^US')[0]

Thanks again,

Chris
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Michael E. Gernaey 43,787 Super User 2025 Season 1 on at

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how to iterate through multiline text description field to extract text between known characters

Hi @Cgangweg01

Assuming your ability to parse is always like this. here is what I did

1. Manual trigger (just for your test)

2. I created a variable called SampleText and pasted in your stuff

3. Initialize an Array variable i called Lines starting at it being empty

4. Added an Apply to each

For the Data I put this

split(string(variables('SampleText')), 'US^')

again thats my variable, replace that with your variable/outputs

I purposely split by only the Prefix US^ this time so I can loop through each returned row. This is because you have weird other stuff and I don't do regex ;)

5. Add a Condition

This condition is going to check if the current Item() of the apply to each contains ^US in it (which is your ending one) because it tells me I need to grab data from it. If it doesn't that means is the First, or Last lines which you dont want

no tricks just item() and then the string '^US'

6. Now in the Yes side you can technically just do one action but i always want to teach too so I did a compose and an Append to Array

Split(Replace(trim(item()), decodeUriComponent('%0A'), ''), '^US')[0]

In this one I am doing the following

triming the spaces on the ends for the current item

removing carriage return special characters

then splitting by the End '^US'

I do all of this because when splitting either your first row or your last row will be jacked up because both the real first line and last line are NOT the lines you ever want.

7. Finally I use append to array, using the Output from Compose Get line details

And when I run it, I have the following array which I show by adding a compose with the variable Lines

And now you can loop through those if you want.

If this resolves your issue I would appreciate if you would mark as Resolved and maybe a like :-)

And it is

and the whole thing looks like this