Power Automate: Get Future Time Action
Adds an interval to the current time and returns a UTC timestamp. Whole-number intervals only.
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Best Practices
Here I share the best practices I use for the Power Platform tools, drawn from my own experience and plenty of learning from other people's mistakes so I don't repeat them. None of this is set in stone, so adjust it to fit how you work. Consistency matters, especially when several people share a platform. I see it constantly: SharePoint sites with mismatched naming, lists with convoluted names, and flows nobody can follow. When you agree on rules, everyone always knows what something means, and onboarding a new person becomes far easier. Even if you never adopt my conventions, at least write your own down. And even if you work alone, building your own reference makes you think, and you will often spot places where things could be better. That reflection is half the value.
Power Automate: Create HTML Table Action
Converts an array of objects into an HTML table for emails and messages. No styling built in.
Power Automate: base64ToString function
Converts a base64-encoded string back into readable text. Takes a string, not a file object; UTF-8 only.
Power Automate: SharePoint - Get file properties Action
Returns a SharePoint file's library column values. Needs the integer item ID, not the file identifier.
Power Automate: subtractFromTime function
Subtracts an interval from a timestamp you supply. Returns a string; months clamp to month end.
Power Automate: body function
Returns the body output of a named action. Names use underscores for spaces and are case-sensitive.
Power Automate: Teams - For a selected message (V2) Trigger
Runs a flow from a message's More actions menu. Optional adaptive card; default environment only.
Issue 002: Say farewell to Project Online and Publisher
Project Online and Publisher are retiring. Plus wave 2 dates, a Power Pages permissions check, and security news.
My Claude best practices (so far)
Prompting rules built by trial and error. Pick the right model, curate context, and iterate on your own process.
Power Automate: Join Action
Joins an array into a single string with the delimiter you choose. An empty array returns an empty string.
Power Automate: getPastTime function
Returns the current timestamp minus a number of time units. Always counts back from now in UTC.
Stuck? Check Your Strategy First
Hitting a wall usually means the strategy is flawed, not the tool. Questions to ask before you push harder.