cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
Anonymous
Not applicable

Cascading Combo Box

Hello,

 

I had previously customized a SharePoint list form using PowerApps successfully early in January. However, after the 1/18/2018 updates, I can no longer customoize a SharePoint list form the same way.

 

I have a SharePoint list, Expense Report, that is going to be used to record expenese incurred on projects.  This list has 2 SharePont lookup fields from 2 other SharePoint lists - Clients and Projects.  We'll first select the Client and then based on that the associated Projects would be displayed for selection.  Previously, I had done this using galleries and within the edit form the Client and Project fields were automatically populated with the selections made within the galleries (I used WonderLaura's videos/blog posts).  The fields within the edit form were the Lookup control that was provided; however, now it seems the Lookup control has been replaced with a Combo Box control.

 

I have not been able to find much guidance on the use of Combo Boxes and it is unclear to me what properties to use and modify in order to be able to record the selection of Client and Project from the galleries set up.  This is the formula i had previously used for the Lookup controls for the Default property of the data card:

 

{ '@odata.type' : "Microsoft.Azure.Connectors.SharePoint.SPListExpandedReference", Id : Value(GalleryClient.Selected.ID), Value: GalleryClient.Selected.Title}

 

Does anyone have any recommendations with how to achieve cascading combo boxes and create records for a SharePoint list using customized PowerApps forms?

 

45 REPLIES 45

Hi @TonySuslovich,

I'm sure we going to find a solution to your problem... 😉

Could please first give me the data type for your Business ID and some examples of its value?

Hi @R3dKap  Thanks for finding the time to reply. Business ID is GUID.

So Business table can look like this (for simplicity purpose):

 

Business IDBusiness Name
a765eace-0587-4180-8dd9-d07850625d89Energy
8850d44a-1cd6-484b-bdf3-3ddb279d29ceAviation
ad79feec-976a-424f-8e21-736863a26bbeHealthcare

 

Sub-Business table can look like this:

 

Sub-Business IDSub-Business NameBusiness ID
7f133fab-566a-434d-be92-f6413b9166c5Nuclear Energya765eace-0587-4180-8dd9-d07850625d89
3441cf4d-3d7e-48e0-9fb8-92929494a098Primary Caread79feec-976a-424f-8e21-736863a26bbe
7e49bc86-077d-4688-b980-549baf1fe9f4Control Towers8850d44a-1cd6-484b-bdf3-3ddb279d29ce
f60b850c-2518-44ac-81f3-ff9e16a73aa0Airside Engineering8850d44a-1cd6-484b-bdf3-3ddb279d29ce

 

So I can easily get the Business GUID from the Businesses comb-box, but I cannot figure out a way to filter Sub-Businesses combo-box based on the value selected in Businesses comb-box.  For example, if Aviation is selected in Businesses comb-box, I only want to display the 2 Sub-Businesses relevant to this Business (Control Towers and Airside Engineering).

 

Best regards,

-Tony Suslovich.

Hi @R3dKap Don't mean to rush, but should I post this as a separate question? 

 

Best  regards,

-Tony Suslovich.

Hi @TonySuslovich,

Sorry for the delay... Having a look at it right now... I'll get back to you as soon as I figure it out...

R3dKap

Ok... So... Going back to your original post reminded me that your Business ID and Sub-business ID columns are located in entities. I'm not very familiar with entities yet (just starting to work with them these last days actually). Nevertheless, I'll try to figure something out...

In fact, the best way for me to help you si that I reproduce your case on my personal tenant. Could you please describe tell me how to create these two entities? I mean, I know how to create entities, but just... may be... if you could post here captures of the fields inside the entites, the relationships, and give me as much details as possible so I can recreate these entities on my side.

Then I'll setup the combo boxes for you.

Waiting for your inputs...

R3dKap

Hi @R3dKap Of course. So the first entity (Business) is very straight forward. You don't need to create any extra attributes there. The 2nd one you create (Sub-Business) will just have 1 additional attribute that you will need to setup as in the screenshot below: pic5.png

Data Type will be Lookup and Target Record Type will be the 1st entity you created (Business). It will default the Relationship Name which is pretty meaningless, so keep it the way it wants to name it. You don't really need to do anything else for this particular purpose.

 

Once again, thanks for taking your time trying to help!

 

Best regards,

-Tony Suslovich.

Hi @TonySuslovich,

Ok, so I've reproduced your entities on my tenant and created an app to make the two combo boxes depend on each other. Here is how I did it...

My Business entity:

Image 3.png

The Name field is the custom field I created when I first made the entity. The Business field was automatically generated by the system (to identify a unique entry I suppose; again, I'm not too familiar with entities yet).

My SubBusiness entity:

Image 4.png

Same here, for the SubBusiness entity. Except that the Business field was (I suppose) automatically created when I set up the relationship between the two entities.

How I linked the two combo boxes:

  • added the two entites to my app
  • added a cbxBusiness combo box linked to Businesses entity
  • added a cbxSubBusiness combo box linked to SubBusinesses entity
  • on cbxSubBusiness:
    • clicked on the "Depends on..." link in the Properties panel which showed up like this:
      Image 5.png
    • selected Business as the matching field:
      Image 6.png
    • clicked Apply
    • got an error in the formula:
      Image 7.png
    • fixed it by adding ".Business" to the Business field on the left-hand side of the equality test:
      Image 8.png

Then the combo boxes worked fine on my side.

Try it and tell me if this works for you as well...

 

Hi @R3dKap Thanks for going an extra mile! So I tried your approach (still not sure why it doesn't put together the right formula when you use Depends functionality) and it didn't work at first. I was playing with different combinations and finally it worked (just mostly because of the brute force and not common sense). Here's what worked:

 

Power Apps.png

 

As you can see, the syntax is exactly like yours and the only difference is the 1st parameter. It seems like it didn't understand the entity name as the first parameter in the Filer function but it understood the actual control name on the form (I assume this is what [@'Sub Business'] is referring to? Very strange syntax indeed. But I'm really lost why it worked for you but didn't for me. There has to be some sort of explanation?

 

Best regards,

-Tony Suslovich.

I'm glad it finally worked! About the [@...], it's called the disambiguation operator (Disambiguation operator). It's used to differentiate columns that have the same name in complex formulas. I noticed that sometimes, datasources are also automatically referenced using this operator but I must admin I don't know why... Still strange things happen in Power Apps... 🙄

My issue almost similar to yours, instead of CityName and Country, I have Technology and Category. But when I replaced the names from your code, I am getting errors in Id (It says "Name isn't valid, Identifier isn't recognized"). What is Id here, Can you please help me. Screenshot (132).png

 

Helpful resources

Announcements

Exclusive LIVE Community Event: Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat with Copilot Studio Product Team

  It's time for the SECOND Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat featuring the Copilot Studio product team, which will be held LIVE on April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).     This is an incredible opportunity to connect with members of the Copilot Studio product team and ask them anything about Copilot Studio. We'll share our special guests with you shortly--but we want to encourage to mark your calendars now because you will not want to miss the conversation.   This live event will give you the unique opportunity to learn more about Copilot Studio plans, where we’ll focus, and get insight into upcoming features. We’re looking forward to hearing from the community, so bring your questions!   TO GET ACCESS TO THIS EXCLUSIVE AMA: Kudo this post to reserve your spot! Reserve your spot now by kudoing this post.  Reservations will be prioritized on when your kudo for the post comes through, so don't wait! Click that "kudo button" today.   Invitations will be sent on April 2nd.Users posting Kudos after April 2nd. at 9AM PDT may not receive an invitation but will be able to view the session online after conclusion of the event. Give your "kudo" today and mark your calendars for April 3rd, 2024 at 9:30 AM PDT and join us for an engaging and informative session!

Tuesday Tip: Unlocking Community Achievements and Earning Badges

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!     THIS WEEK'S TIP: Unlocking Achievements and Earning BadgesAcross the Communities, you'll see badges on users profile that recognize and reward their engagement and contributions. These badges each signify a different achievement--and all of those achievements are available to any Community member! If you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, you too can earn badges for the great work you do. Check out some details on Community badges below--and find out more in the detailed link at the end of the article!       A Diverse Range of Badges to Collect The badges you can earn in the Community cover a wide array of activities, including: Kudos Received: Acknowledges the number of times a user’s post has been appreciated with a “Kudo.”Kudos Given: Highlights the user’s generosity in recognizing others’ contributions.Topics Created: Tracks the number of discussions initiated by a user.Solutions Provided: Celebrates the instances where a user’s response is marked as the correct solution.Reply: Counts the number of times a user has engaged with community discussions.Blog Contributor: Honors those who contribute valuable content and are invited to write for the community blog.       A Community Evolving Together Badges are not only a great way to recognize outstanding contributions of our amazing Community members--they are also a way to continue fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. As you continue to share your knowledge and assist each other these badges serve as a visual representation of your valuable contributions.   Find out more about badges in these Community Support pages in each Community: All About Community Badges - Power Apps CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Automate CommunityAll About Community Badges - Copilot Studio CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Pages Community

Tuesday Tips: Powering Up Your Community Profile

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!   This Week's Tip: Power Up Your Profile!  🚀 It's where every Community member gets their start, and it's essential that you keep it updated! Your Community User Profile is how you're able to get messages, post solutions, ask questions--and as you rank up, it's where your badges will appear and how you'll be known when you start blogging in the Community Blog. Your Community User Profile is how the Community knows you--so it's essential that it works the way you need it to! From changing your username to updating contact information, this Knowledge Base Article is your best resource for powering up your profile.     Password Puzzles? No Problem! Find out how to sync your Azure AD password with your community account, ensuring a seamless sign-in. No separate passwords to remember! Job Jumps & Email Swaps Changed jobs? Got a new email? Fear not! You'll find out how to link your shiny new email to your existing community account, keeping your contributions and connections intact. Username Uncertainties Unraveled Picking the perfect username is crucial--and sometimes the original choice you signed up with doesn't fit as well as you may have thought. There's a quick way to request an update here--but remember, your username is your community identity, so choose wisely. "Need Admin Approval" Warning Window? If you see this error message while using the community, don't worry. A simple process will help you get where you need to go. If you still need assistance, find out how to contact your Community Support team. Whatever you're looking for, when it comes to your profile, the Community Account Support Knowledge Base article is your treasure trove of tips as you navigate the nuances of your Community Profile. It’s the ultimate resource for keeping your digital identity in tip-top shape while engaging with the Power Platform Community. So, dive in and power up your profile today!  💪🚀   Community Account Support | Power Apps Community Account Support | Power AutomateCommunity Account Support | Copilot Studio  Community Account Support | Power Pages

Super User of the Month | Chris Piasecki

In our 2nd installment of this new ongoing feature in the Community, we're thrilled to announce that Chris Piasecki is our Super User of the Month for March 2024. If you've been in the Community for a while, we're sure you've seen a comment or marked one of Chris' helpful tips as a solution--he's been a Super User for SEVEN consecutive seasons!       Since authoring his first reply in April 2020 to his most recent achievement organizing the Canadian Power Platform Summit this month, Chris has helped countless Community members with his insights and expertise. In addition to being a Super User, Chris is also a User Group leader, Microsoft MVP, and a featured speaker at the Microsoft Power Platform Conference. His contributions to the new SUIT program, along with his joyous personality and willingness to jump in and help so many members has made Chris a fixture in the Power Platform Community.   When Chris isn't authoring solutions or organizing events, he's actively leading Piasecki Consulting, specializing in solution architecture, integration, DevOps, and more--helping clients discover how to strategize and implement Microsoft's technology platforms. We are grateful for Chris' insightful help in the Community and look forward to even more amazing milestones as he continues to assist so many with his great tips, solutions--always with a smile and a great sense of humor.You can find Chris in the Community and on LinkedIn. Thanks for being such a SUPER user, Chris! 💪🌠

Tuesday Tips: Community Ranks and YOU

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!This Week: Community Ranks--Moving from "Member" to "Community Champion"   Have you ever wondered how your fellow community members ascend the ranks within our community? What sets apart an Advocate from a Helper, or a Solution Sage from a Community Champion? In today’s #TuesdayTip, we’re unveiling the secrets and sharing tips to help YOU elevate your ranking—and why it matters to our vibrant communities. Community ranks serve as a window into a member’s role and activity. They celebrate your accomplishments and reveal whether someone has been actively contributing and assisting others. For instance, a Super User is someone who has been exceptionally helpful and engaged. Some ranks even come with special permissions, especially those related to community management. As you actively participate—whether by creating new topics, providing solutions, or earning kudos—your rank can climb. Each time you achieve a new rank, you’ll receive an email notification. Look out for the icon and rank name displayed next to your username—it’s a badge of honor! Fun fact: Your Community Engagement Team keeps an eye on these ranks, recognizing the most passionate and active community members. So shine brightly with valuable content, and you might just earn well-deserved recognition! Where can you see someone’s rank? When viewing a post, you’ll find a member’s rank to the left of their name.Click on a username to explore their profile, where their rank is prominently displayed. What about the ranks themselves? New members start as New Members, progressing to Regular Visitors, and then Frequent Visitors.Beyond that, we have a categorized system: Kudo Ranks: Earned through kudos (teal icons).Post Ranks: Based on your posts (purple icons).Solution Ranks: Reflecting your solutions (green icons).Combo Ranks: These orange icons combine kudos, solutions, and posts. The top ranks have unique names, making your journey even more exciting! So dive in, collect those kudos, share solutions, and let’s see how high you can rank! 🌟 🚀   Check out the Using the Community boards in each of the communities for more helpful information!  Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio & Power Pages

Find Out What Makes Super Users So Super

We know many of you visit the Power Platform Communities to ask questions and receive answers. But do you know that many of our best answers and solutions come from Community members who are super active, helping anyone who needs a little help getting unstuck with Business Applications products? We call these dedicated Community members Super Users because they are the real heroes in the Community, willing to jump in whenever they can to help! Maybe you've encountered them yourself and they've solved some of your biggest questions. Have you ever wondered, "Why?"We interviewed several of our Super Users to understand what drives them to help in the Community--and discover the difference it has made in their lives as well! Take a look in our gallery today: What Motivates a Super User? - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)

Top Solution Authors
Top Kudoed Authors
Users online (4,967)