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How to create Collection Variables for StartDateTime and EndDateTime

This tutorial is currently a work in progress and provides you with a foundational approach for handling StartDateTime and EndDateTime collection variables in Salesforce's Event object using Flow Builder. We are expanding this tutorial to include a specific use case integrating with the Avonni Date Time Picker component. Stay tuned for updates!

Introduction:

This tutorial walks you through the steps of using Salesforce Flow Builder to create collection variables for StartDateTime and EndDateTime from the Event object in Salesforce. This technique allows you to dynamically manipulate or assess these date-time ranges for various use cases, such as populating date-time picker components, running analytics, or setting automated reminders.

Step 1: Initialize Variables

Why This Step:

Initializing variables is essential for setting the groundwork. These variables will store date-time data from Salesforce's Event object.

Actions in Flow Builder:

  • Click on "Manager" to go to the variable management screen.

  • Create four variables: StartDateTimeCollection, EndDateTimeCollection, TempStartDateTime, and TempEndDateTime.

  • Set their Data Types to DateTime.

  • For StartDateTimeCollection and EndDateTimeCollection, check the "Allow multiple values" box.

Step 2: Get Records (Fetch Events)

Why This Step:

To collect date-time data, you must query Salesforce's Event object to fetch relevant records.

Actions in Flow Builder:

  • Drag and drop a "Get Records" element onto the canvas.

  • Choose the "Event" object as the target object.

  • Set the filters to fetch records as per your requirement.

  • Save these records into a new variable, name it TempEvents (Allow multiple values)

  • Store the StartDateTime and EndDateTime fields.

Step 3: Loop Through Events

Why This Step:

A loop enables you to process each event one by one, extracting its StartDateTime and EndDateTime.

Actions in Flow Builder:

  • Drag and drop a "Loop" element onto the canvas.

  • Connect this Loop to the "Get Records" element.

  • Set TempEvents as the collection variable for the loop.

Step 4: Assign DateTimes to Temp Variables (Inside Loop)

Why This Step:

You need temporary variables to process each event's individually StartDateTime and EndDateTime.

Actions in Flow Builder:

  • Inside the loop, drag and drop an "Assignment" element.

  • Assign StartDateTime from TempEvents to TempStartDateTime.

  • Similarly, assign EndDateTime from TempEvents to TempEndDateTime.

Step 5: Add DateTimes to Collection Variables (Inside Loop)

Why This Step:

The collection variables are where you'll store each event's StartDateTime and EndDateTime, which can later be used for multiple purposes.

Actions in Flow Builder:

  • Inside the loop, add another "Assignment" element.

  • Use this to add TempStartDateTime to StartDateTimeCollection.

  • Do the same for TempEndDateTime and EndDateTimeCollection.

Step 6: Close Loop

Why This Step:

The loop must be closed to finalize the collection variables, making them ready for use in downstream operations.

Actions in Flow Builder:

  • Drag and drop a "Loop End" element to the canvas and connect it to signify the end of the loop.

By following these steps, you will have successfully created collection variables for StartDateTime and EndDateTime in the Event object of Salesforce. These collections can now be used for various operations and manipulations.

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