Address Autofill in PowerApps?

[VisibleFilm]

Hi all - I have an addess field in a PowerApps form - if possible I'd like to see a list of addresses as soon as the user starts typing in some info(ie - if the user types in "145", a list like "145 Main St New York, NY", "145 5th Ave Brooklyn, NY" would display beneath the texbox, as it would in say, Google).  I'm going to assume there is no simple way to accomplish this(or perhaps there is, I'm very new to Powerapps).  If there is no simple solution, would I have to set up some sort of API call to Google or Bing Maps?  Thanks in advance.

[JoelSanders24]

To achieve the functionality you described in PowerApps, you would indeed need to integrate with an external service like Google Maps or Bing Maps to retrieve addresses based on user input. Here's a high-level overview of the steps involved:

Set up an API: You'll need to set up an account with Google Maps or Bing Maps (or any other suitable service) and obtain an API key. This key will be used to authenticate your requests to their APIs.

Implement Autocomplete: Both Google Maps and Bing Maps provide Autocomplete APIs that allow you to retrieve suggested addresses based on user input. You'll need to make API calls to their services as the user types in the address field.

Handle API Responses: As you receive responses from the Autocomplete API, you'll need to parse the results and display them in a list beneath the textbox.

Handle Selection: When the user selects an address from the list, you'll need to populate the textbox with the selected address.

Here's a simplified example of how you might implement this in PowerApps using the Google Maps Places Autocomplete API:

```plaintext
// Define a variable to store the API key
Set(apiKey, "YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY")

// Define a function to call the Google Places Autocomplete API
ClearCollect(
AddressSuggestions,
JSON(
Web.Contents(
"https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/autocomplete/json",
[
Query = {
key: apiKey,
input: TextInput.Text,
types: "address"
}
]
)
).predictions
)

// Display the suggestions in a gallery or dropdown beneath the textbox
```

Replace `"YOUR_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY"` with your actual API key. You'll also need to adjust the code to fit your PowerApps form structure and UI elements. Remember to review the terms of use for the mapping service you choose, as there may be usage limits or licensing considerations to be aware of. Additionally, consider user privacy and data security implications when handling addresses in your application.

[JoelSanders24]

In PowerApps, there is no built-in functionality to automatically display a list of suggested addresses based on user input, like the autocomplete feature in Google Maps. However, you have a couple of options to achieve similar functionality:

1. Bing Maps API Integration:
   • You can leverage the Bing Maps API to retrieve address suggestions based on user input.
   • To do this, you would need to set up an API call to the Bing Maps Autosuggest API endpoint.
   • You'll need to sign up for a Bing Maps API key and include it in your API request.
   • When the user types in the address field, you can trigger the API call and pass the user's input as a parameter.
   • The API will return a list of suggested addresses, which you can then display beneath the text box.
   • You can use a dropdown or a list control in PowerApps to display the suggestions.
2. Custom Address Database:
   • If you have a specific set of addresses that you want to suggest to users, you can create a custom database or list within PowerApps or your data source (e.g., SharePoint list, Excel table).
   • Store the addresses in a structured format (e.g., columns for street, city, state, zip code).
   • When the user starts typing in the address field, you can use the "Filter" function in PowerApps to query the database based on the user's input.
   • Display the filtered results beneath the text box using a dropdown or list control.
   • This approach is suitable if you have a predefined set of addresses and don't need the extensive coverage provided by Bing Maps.

Here's a high-level example of how you can implement the Bing Maps API approach in PowerApps:

1. Set up a text input control for the address field.
2. Add a button or trigger an event when the user types in the address field.
3. In the button's "OnSelect" property or the event's logic, make an API call to the Bing Maps Autosuggest API endpoint using the "JSON" function in PowerApps.
4. Pass the user's input as a parameter in the API request.
5. Parse the JSON response from the API to extract the suggested addresses.
6. Display the suggested addresses in a dropdown or list control beneath the text input control.
7. Handle the selection of an address from the suggestions and populate the address field accordingly.

Remember to handle any necessary error handling, API key management, and user experience enhancements as needed.

Implementing the address suggestion functionality requires some advanced PowerApps skills and familiarity with API integration. If you're new to PowerApps, it might take some learning and exploration to achieve this functionality effectively.

[JoelSanders24]

To achieve the autocomplete functionality in PowerApps where the user types part of an address and sees a list of matching addresses, you are correct that you would typically need to integrate with an external service that provides address autocomplete functionality, such as Google Maps or Bing Maps.