When working with Microsoft Power Automate’s Cloud and Desktop flows, understanding the concept of exception handling is crucial. This is because errors and exceptions are almost inevitable in the course of flow execution, necessitating the developer’s preparedness to handle such incidents. This article serves to enlighten PL-500: Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developer exam aspirants on how to create exception handling blocks for both Cloud and Desktop flows to ensure system exceptions are adequately managed.
Cloud Flows Exception Handling
Cloud Flows, formerly known as automated flows, is a trigger-based system that reacts to an event. Without efficient management of exceptions in Cloud Flows, errors might lead to incomplete or incorrect execution of the flows, potentially affecting data integrity or system functionality.
The ‘Configure run after’ setting in Microsoft PowerAutomate can be greatly beneficial in exception handling in Cloud Flows. In a sequence of actions, you can set an action to execute ‘After has failed’, ‘After has timed out’, ‘After is skipped’, ‘After is successful’. This way, you can configure specific actions to handle different types of exceptions according to its type.
For example, assume a common exception in your system is a timeout error when trying to fetch data from a third-party API. You could set up an action such that, after a timeout occurs, the flow will send an email to the system admin detailing the error for further analysis.
Desktop Flows Exception Handling
Within Microsoft Power Automate, Desktop flows are typically used for UI automation tasks. Exception handling is essential in Desktop flows because UI automation tasks are susceptible to errors from user interface changes, system updates, network issues, etc.
On the Power Automate platform, you have the option to add “Try-Catch-Finally” blocks for Desktop flows exception handling following these steps:
- Add a Try block scope that contains the steps that could raise exceptions.
- As part of the Try block, include a Catch block that specifies what to do when an exception has been caught.
- Include a Finally block scope that houses actions that must execute, whether an exception was caught or not.
An example of a Try-Catch-Finally error-handling routine in a Desktop Flow would be:
“Try”:
Open an Excel file.
“Catch”:
Log in a text file the occurrence of an exception while opening the Excel file.
“Finally”:
Close Excel application regardless of whether an error occurs or not.
It’s important to remember that each block signifies a particular phase of exception handling:
- “Try” block: The part where your actual code resides which might throw an exception.
- “Catch” block: This segment defines the actions your flow should take when an exception occurs in the try block.
- “Finally” block: The last step in handling exceptions. This block contains actions that must occur regardless of whether an exception occurred or not.
In conclusion, exception handling entails anticipating, catching, and handling potential exceptions that might occur during the execution of a flow. By applying the discussed exception handling strategies for both Cloud and Desktop flows, PL-500 Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developers can create more robust, reliable, and seamless automations.
Practice Test
True or False: Exception handling blocks in cloud and desktop flows help to manage cases when system exceptions occur during the execution process.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Exception handling blocks are used to cater to the instances when an exception might occur during the execution process. They help in maintaining uninterrupted workflows during system exceptions.
In Microsoft Power Automate RPA, which feature allows you to handle system errors that may occur while running a flow?
- A. Exception loop
- B. Exception calling
- C. Exception handler
- D. Error runner
Answer: C. Exception handler
Explanation: The Exception Handler is a feature of Power Automate RPA that allows you to specify actions when a system error occurs during the running of a flow.
In Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developer, can you code a Counter exception to handle exceeded limits?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: Microsoft Power Automate allows developers to create specific exceptions, such as a ‘counter exception’, to handle particular problems like exceeded limits.
True or False: It is advisable to have at least one exception handling block in every flow.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: It is a best practice to incorporate an exception handling block in every flow to handle any potential system exceptions, ensuring the flow can recover and continue running.
What does a ‘Try-Catch’ block refer to in the context of creating exception handling blocks in flows?
- A. It refers to trying to catch exceptions with custom functions
- B. It refers to trying to execute a set of statements and catching any exceptions that may occur
- C. It refers to trying to debug code
- D. It refers to trying to find exceptions in the flow.
Answer: B. It refers to trying to execute a set of statements and catching any exceptions that may occur
Explanation: In exception handling, a ‘Try-Catch’ block is used to try to execute a set of statements and in case any exception occurs, it is caught and handled accordingly.
True or False: Exception handling in Power Automate RPA always requires manual resolution.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Exception handling in Power Automate RPA allows for automatic error management, ensuring minimal disruption and need for manual intervention.
Can multiple exceptions be handled within one exception handling block in Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developer?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: One exception handling block can include multiple exceptions, each defined individually within the block.
What does the ‘Finally’ block denote in the try-catch-finally structure in exception handling?
- A. It describes what needs to be done if no exceptions occur
- B. It describes the final exception to be handled
- C. It describes what needs to be done regardless of whether an exception occurs or not
- D. It denotes the end of the exception handling block
Answer: C. It describes what needs to be done regardless of whether an exception occurs or not
Explanation: The ‘Finally’ block specifies actions that must be executed regardless of whether an exception occurs or not.
Is it mandatory to identify and declare every possible exception in a flow?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: B. No
Explanation: While it is good to identify and handle expected exceptions, it is not realistic or required to anticipate and declare all possible exceptions.
Which statement is true about exception handling in Microsoft Power Automate?
- A. It is a mechanism to handle runtime errors only
- B. It is a mechanism to fix syntax errors only
- C. It is a mechanism to ensure the normal flow of the program is not halted by any error
- D. It is irrelevant considering the robustness of the Power Automate platform
Answer: C. It is a mechanism to ensure the normal flow of the program is not halted by any error
Explanation: The primary purpose of exception handling is to prevent any disruption in the normal function of the flow, caused due to runtime or system errors. It does not fix syntax errors, but helps manage exceptions that occur during execution.
Interview Questions
What is exception handling in cloud and desktop flows?
Exception handling in cloud and desktop flows is a method used to handle system exceptions or unexpected errors that occur while running the flows. It involves using specific try-catch blocks to capture any exceptions and handle them appropriately to prevent the flow from breaking down.
In which language’s-provided approach does Power Automate’s exception handling follow?
Power Automate’s exception handling follows the try-catch-finally approach, provided in many programming languages like C#, Java, etc.
What is the primary step to create an exception handling block in a flow?
The primary step to create an exception handling block in a flow is to add a ‘Scope’ action where you anticipate an exception may occur. The ‘Scope’ actions serve as the ‘try block’ where the problematic flow steps are kept.
What does the ‘Configure run after’ setting do in Power Automate?
The ‘Configure run after’ setting in Power Automate allows you to decide when the next step or action should run. For exception handling, it is often set to run “has failed”.
What is the purpose of the ‘catch block’ in Power Automate exception handling?
The ‘catch block’ in Power Automate exception handling is used to trap and handle an error when it occurs in the ‘try block’. This could involve sending an error message, writing to a log, or taking any other appropriate action.
After an exception, how can the flow be kept running?
After an exception, the flow can be kept running by using the ‘Terminate’ action within the catch block. The terminate action can be set accordingly to prevent the flow from stopping once an exception is encountered.
In which scenarios, should we consider using exception handling?
We should consider using exception handling when there’s a risk of runtime exceptions or errors, such as when making API calls, working with unreliable systems, or performing complex operations where things can go wrong.
What is the ‘finally block’ equivalent in Power Automate?
Currently, there is no explicit ‘finally block’ equivalent in Power Automate. However, flows are often designed in a way that any cleanup or final steps are placed after the error-handling actions and run regardless of whether an error occurred or not.
Can you describe Error handling in Desktop Flows in Power Automate?
Desktop flows in Power Automate utilizes exception handling through ‘Try’, ‘Catch’, and ‘Finally’. These constructs can be dragged into the flow at design time and configured to manage or catch exceptions during the flow execution.
What is a system exception, in the context of Power Automate?
A system exception, in the context of Power Automate, refers to unexpected errors that come from the system or server. These exceptions could be due to a variety of issues, like network failures, improper coding, or unavailable resources.
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