BUG: PowerApps SharePoint Environment Variables don't work

[dave-jorgensen]

SharePoint environment variables have never worked in PowerApps. It's long past time that Microsoft either fixed the bugs so we can use them, or remove the ability to reference datasource environment variables until they actually work. Users have reported the bugs for years.

Microsoft, please let me know when we can expect a resolution - either fix or remove the ability to try to use them in PowerApps. 

[Pstork1]

If you are waiting for an official answer here you're going to be waiting a long time.  Microsoft sponsors these forums, but almost everyone who works on them don't work for Microsoft.  This place is all about finding fixes for issues, including the issue of not being able to reference environment variables from Power Apps.  If you are interested in the easiest workaround for that I'll be happy to help.  

[dave-jorgensen]

Hi, I'm good - I'm actually an expert in the field. I've actually had *some* success hearing from Microsoft by posting here. Actually seems at times just as much success at putting in support tickets. Support tends to take the approach that if they can find a workaround for you, problem solved (even though usually they don't address the root cause/fix the bug). If they can't find a workaround and it's a bug for the product team, they want to close the ticket. Had way too many instances of that. Since this isn't a case of "find me a workaround" , but rather it's "I'm tired of implementing workarounds, let's fix this thing" I think this has a better chance of success. Thanks for chiming in though.

[Pstork1]

OK, but I've never had any luck with getting an official response from MS here.  BTW, the last time I tried it using environment variables in Power Apps did work, but it required a Premium license to use the Dataverse connector to read the values.

[dave-jorgensen]

I'm licensed out the ying yang, so that's not my issue. Two things with datasource environment variables that are bugs: 1) You can only add datasource enviornment variable to PowerApps if it has a CURRENT value (which defeats the entire purpose and goes against the design of environment variables) and 2) You don't actually add an environment variable to PowerApps. It reads the datasource from the environment variable AT THE TIME YOU ADD THE DATASOURCE to the app. If you change the environment variable (which is their entire purpose, to change after deploying into another environment) it doesn't update the datasource in the app - because see #1, the environment variable isn't added to the app.