Add text to DataCardValue.Text when icon or button pressed

[bsoares]

Hi all!

Well, let's see if I can explain what I want 🙂

I want to add text to DataCardValue.Text in a form. The text should be : (Now(),
"[yyyy/mm/dd] - "
)& User().FullName & " - " & Char(10) - current date/ time and user who is writing in the comments field of the form with a button or icon. Or if is possible to do it automatically the better :).

This should add new comments to the Sharepoint List column without changing the comments already written.

So everytime someone goes in to add new comments should look like this:

Default field of Comments DataCard is Parent.Default.

I tried with variabel but it comes always [2023/09/09] - John Doe - added everytime someone edits the form.

Let me know if more info is needed.

Thank you in advanced!

[Amik]

@bsoares , there are a few steps required here. Because of the lack of detail on how your app is set up, I have made a few assumptions.

My method:

1. Create a Gallery and set the Items property to your data source
2. On the OnSelect property of the Gallery, enter:

Set(
    varGallerySelection,
    ThisItem
)

3. Create a Form control and set the DataSource property to your data source
4. Set the Items property to varGallerySelection
5. Add your SharePoint comment field into the Form. Ensure the field has been configured to Plain Text in SharePoint
6. Unlock the DataCard for the comment field
7. Insert a HTML control into the DataCard
8. Set the DisplayMode property of the HTML control to:

DisplayMode.View

9. Set the HTMLText property of the HTML control to:

If(
    'Your Form'.Mode = FormMode.New,
    Blank(),
    LookUp(
        'Your SharePoint List',
        ID = varGallerySelection.ID
    ).'Your Comment Field'
)

10. Insert a Text Input Control into your Form and remove the value in the Default property ("Text Input")
11. Delete the DataCardValue from the DataCard
12. Correct the error in the Y property with e.g.:

HtmlText1.Y + HtmlText1.Height

13. In the Update property of the DataCard, enter:

Concatenate(
    "<b>",
    User().FullName,
    " ",
    Now(),
    ": ",
    "</b>",
    TextInput1.Text,
    "<br><br>",
    LookUp(
        'Your SharePoint List',
        ID = varGallerySelection.ID
    ).Comments
)

14. On the OnSelect property of the Button you're using to set the Form Mode to New, enter:

Set(
    varGallerySelection,
    Defaults('Your Gallery'.AllItems)
);
NewForm('Your Form')

15. On the OnSuccess property of the Form, enter:

Set(
    varGallerySelection,
    Self.LastSubmit
)

A variation of this approach from @RezaDorrani : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzLEecSpmFo 

Another variation from @Shanescows : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dre1E9GiDJM&t=1036s

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If I have answered your question, please mark your post as Solved. Remember, you can accept more than one post as a solution.

If you like my response, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Imran-Ami Khan

[alecolli2 · Accepted solution]

@Amik - I solved a similar issue when creating an IM chat feature in an app using collections. This should work for what you need.

On your gallery "On Select" property, use the below code to create a collection of the existing comments. The error loop will handle any scenarios where no comments currently exist;

Clear(communication);

IfError(

If(
    !IsBlank(
        LookUp(
            'Your Database',
            ID= Gallery3_9.Selected.ID, ---> change to your gallery name
            'Your comments column name'
        )
    ),
    ClearCollect(
        communication,
        Split(
            LookUp(
            'Your database',
            ID= Gallery3_9.Selected.ID, ---> change to your gallery name
            'Your comments column'
        ),
        Char(10)

        )
    )
),

"");

If you are using the "SubmitForm" function to submit all of your data on the form together, delete the "Update" property of the "Comments" data card  as the below "patch" code will update this card for you.

In this case, our submission buttons "On Select" property would be the below code followed by "SubmitForm(FormName);"

If you are only submitting your comments data, do the above but without the "SubmitForm" code by just adding the below code to your button,

Clear(communication);

IfError(

If(
    !IsBlank(
        LookUp(
            'Your Database',
            ID= Gallery3_9.Selected.ID, ---> change to your gallery name
            'Your comments column name'
        )
    ),
    ClearCollect(
        communication,
        Split(
            LookUp(
            'Your database',
            ID= Gallery3_9.Selected.ID, ---> change to your gallery name
            'Your comments column'
        ),
        Char(10)

        )
    )
),

"");

Patch(
    'Issue tracker',
    {ID: Gallery3_9.Selected.ID}, --> chnage to your gallery name
    {
        'Your column name': Concatenate(
            Concat(
                communication,
                Value,
                Char(10)
            ),
            If(
                !IsEmpty(communication),
                Char(10)
            ),
            Concatenate(
                Text(
                    Now(),
                    "[$-nl-NL]dd-mm-yyyy HH:mm:ss;"
                ),
                
                " - ",
                User().FullName,
                " - ",
                'Text box name where comments will be added'
            )
       )
    }
);

Reset('Text box name where comments will be added');

You will notice on the submit button, prior to our "Patch" we repeat the same code that is in our gallery "On Select" property. This is to reload the collection with new comments without risk of losing data. This code on the gallery ensures that when you choose a new gallery item, the data from your previous selection is removed.

Your end result will look something like the below;

This will allow you to type the comments you want to add and the code will format all of the date and name for you

I hope this helps, please mark your question as solved and if you like my response please give it thumbs up!

[bsoares · Accepted solution]

@alecolli2 and @Amik Thank you very much for your help I tested and it works. I'll test further to see which suits better.
Just one more adjustement, how can I achieve this?
Inside the DataCard another TextInput to write the comments and the + button to add the timestamp, user name and the written comment to the DataCardValue to update the Sharepoint list after form Submit?

[alecolli2 · Accepted solution]

@bsoares A little confused as to what you are asking, the code in my response will solve for adding timestamps to the comments and uses a separate text box to add comments.

To ensure my response makes sense, the line in the code that says "Text box where comments to be added", this si not the form box, this would be a box where comments would be typed by the user and your submit button sends the data to the database. The form datacard would just display existing comments.

If you wanted to add an additional button to submit just comments and nothing else, you could add another submit button (in your example the "+") and add the patch code i supplied. This would just submit the test in your text box

I hope that is clear

[alecolli2]

@bsoares 

Your form set up would look something like this. In your comments datacard (which can have its DsplayMode property set to "Disabled") you have your comments box and an additional textinput label to add new comments with a button to trigger the submission

The "On Select" property of the "+" button would be the same patch code as in my original reply. But by adding it to your form submission it will save the need for the user to submit twice. For example if the change a status and add a comment 1 button would submit everything. And even if nothing else in the form changes, it would just submit all the same data but if you wanted you could add an additional trigger as below

I hope this helps with your question!

[Amik]

@bsoares - I do not understand what you're asking for. The solutions provided by @alecolli2  and I should already give you what you need.

You can help clarify by "drawing" what you think you want (in Excel for example) and then pasting it as an image in your reply.

[bsoares]

@Amik and @alecolli2 Thank you both, I'll keep the solution provided by @alecolli2 

[Amik]

Hi @bsoares - please accept the solution provided by @alecolli2, and not your response.