Date Picker on Form Will Not Allow Blank Date Into Dataset

[rlegner]

I am struggling with Date Picker in a data card on a form.  I want to allow users to enter a date, modify a date, leave the date blank, or change an existing date to blank. Changing the existing date to blank is where I run into difficulty; it just does not let me do it. 

Scenario:

1. There is a non-blank date in the current dataset
2. User enters a blank into the date picker and submits form (submit, not patch)
3. The non-blank date remains in the dataset

The data is hosted in SQL Server. 

The field type is date.

The field allows null values.

Is anyone experiencing the same issue? Fixes? Workarounds?

Thanks.

[rlegner]

Thank. Oy! Have you come across a workaround for this?

[TheRobRush]

How is a user selecting January 39th from a date picker? Is there a second option available to user for date entry? We can probably correct that issue

[Anchov]

So two ways to address the issue with the invalid date value:  

1. Add some validation to your field that checks the format of the date. You can use the IsMatch function and a regular expression, then disable your submit button until the format is correct.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/power-fx/reference/function-ismatch

2. An easier way is to use the date picker control, which should automatically enforce that your date is formatted. correctly.

[rlegner]

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@TheRobRush wrote:

How is a user selecting January 39th from a date picker? Is there a second option available to user for date entry? We can probably correct that issue

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True that incorrect date cannot be selected using the date picker. However, neither can a blank date. So, to allow blank date entries, I've had to make the date picker editable. This allows a blank entry but it also opens the control up for anything the user may type in, intentionally or accidentally. 

[TheRobRush]

Is this a NewForm or an EditForm? If NewForm you just need to set the default for the datacard the datepicker is in to Blank(), and then place a button by the calendar and set its onselect to Reset(DatePicker) can make it liek a clear, or reset button visually to user

[TheRobRush]

And if editform, then Anchovs suggestion of locking submit button if not in proper format will work

[rlegner]

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@Anchov wrote:

So two ways to address the issue with the invalid date value:  

1. Add some validation to your field that checks the format of the date. You can use the IsMatch function and a regular expression, then disable your submit button until the format is correct.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/power-fx/reference/function-ismatch

2. An easier way is to use the date picker control, which should automatically enforce that your date is formatted. correctly.

---

I have experimented with both ideas but, in the end, came up short of a satisfactory solution:

1. I spent quite a bit of time massaging the IsMatch regex to tighten up the allowable date entry. I think it's nearly impossible to come up with a comprehensive regex for date formats. 
2. If I rely on the date picker, the users have no way of entering a blank date. Not without making the date picker editable which opens it up to everything.

I've also tried intercepting the date picker to examine its selected text, but anything that does not match the defined format is not interceptable - i.e. date picker reports that it selected value is blank.

Any other ideas? I am thinking I may have explore using patch, but would prefer to avoid that - since this is really supposed work in the no code/low code kinda way.

[rlegner]

It is an edit form.   I've already explored Anchov's suggested solutions but came up short of a viable solution that I'd willing to inflict on my users. 

I'd love to intercept the SelectedDate before submitting the form, but unless a valid date is entered, SelectedDate property just returns a blank no matter what the user entered.  If I could succeed at this, I could at least accept a blank, if that was intended, or display a message to enter a valid date.

Do you know of a way to actually grab what they entered? 

[Anchov]

1. Create a button or an icon that will allow the users to "reset" the date field

2. Set the OnSelect to

Reset(DatePicker1)

3. On the date picker, clear out the value of Default and InputTextPlaceholder

4. Set the IsEditable back to true

[TheRobRush]

@Anchov wouldn't that make the calendar appear always blank to start,

instead of starting with the records already set calendar value, then letting them keep that, remove that, or chaneg that?

might try something liek this as it's default

If(resetCal=Blank(),Parent.Default,Blank())

then having the clear icon say Set(resetCal,true)