Get PVA chatbot to clear variable value in cache

[Kog8790]

I have a topic in my bot that lets approved users verify images for our upcoming equipment catalog. I have a flow that grabs image URLs from a list and returns them to the user with multiple choice option to choose from. The issue that I'm running into is that the bot returns the same item multiple times before finally moving on to a new item. The multiple choice question is receiving input from a power automate flow for images and part ID information. The flow's output is changing every time but the question content is not. I'm thinking that the bot is storing the variables values in cache and that is why it is displaying the item multiple times before finally updating to a new item. Is there a way to get the bot to refresh the variables values in the question every time it's asked?

P.S I've already tried changing the question settings to "ask every time", toggled the variable settings i.e receives values, sets values, global variable, etc..., and I've tried copying the topic and having them switch back and forth between the two topics, but with no change in the outcome.

[HenryJammes]

The "Start Over" topic clears existing variables, so if it makes sense, perhaps redirect to that topic?

[Kog8790]

Yes, I wish that were an option in this case. However, I need their index to continue incrementing with each answer (Index is global variable) and if I trigger start over it also resets their index. I wish there were another way. I've tried to hack together so many ways to do this but I'm literally beating my head against my laptop at this point

[JJUELKE]

i feel your pain! Variable handling in PVA is still ugly, i also banging my head on RESET ONLY ONE VARIABLE not all (via "reset all variables") is:

- Setting an existing variable with FX Expression "Blank()" seems not to work (has no effect on questions where "Allow Question to be skipped" is activated)

[HenryJammes]

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@JJUELKE wrote:

i feel your pain! Variable handling in PVA is still ugly, i also banging my head on RESET ONLY ONE VARIABLE not all (via "reset all variables") is:

- Setting an existing variable with FX Expression "Blank()" seems not to work (has no effect on questions where "Allow Question to be skipped" is activated)

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Hi @JJUELKE 

Can you change the 'Skip question' behavior to formula?

This will force the question again if it's blank.

I understand you request the ability to set a variable to undefined/null.

Can you submit a feature for this here? https://aka.ms/PVAFeatureRequest? 

Henry

[JJUELKE]

very good idea to use formula for [question behaviour>skip question] logic!  
Happily i don't need it  anymore, as it was a workaround for beeing not able to create a loop via  set "go to step" action anymore after i updated the power automate flow used in a action.....but after lot of playing around and "open code editor" hacks i was able to re-implement what is strangely no more possible via UI.
also it is of topic here:

Issue with UI and "go to step" feature = the green popup "Select destination step" stays modul also i click on the target action "question"..... this is definitive (another) bug in UI and dependant on flow actions used in the topic...

[HenryJammes]

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@JJUELKE wrote:

very good idea to use formula for [question behaviour>skip question] logic!  
Happily i don't need it  anymore, as it was a workaround for beeing not able to create a loop via  set "go to step" action anymore after i updated the power automate flow used in a action.....but after lot of playing around and "open code editor" hacks i was able to re-implement what is strangely no more possible via UI.
also it is of topic here:

Issue with UI and "go to step" feature = the green popup "Select destination step" stays modul also i click on the target action "question"..... this is definitive (another) bug in UI and dependant on flow actions used in the topic...

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Glad you solved this.

For the UI glitch, that'd odd. I don't repro, the 'Select a destination step' disappears once I select the desired node.

[JJUELKE]

>For the UI glitch, that'd odd. I don't repro, the 'Select a destination step' disappears once I select the desired node.

i think there runs some validation.. you can repo if you use "add a condition" in the topic and then try inside the condition tree to add a "go to step" action. then you will also not possible to do so and get no feedback (beside the "Select destination.." popup stays open).   Unfortunately my topic has no condition logic but still not able to ad the go to step action after having an "run flow" action before.