Efficient way to create new items in a sharepoint list from a collection

[HarishNayak]

Hi All,

I have created a power app and my requirement is as mentioned below

When a new item is created in List 1, i need to create 10 pre defined items in List 2. Also List 2 has a ParentID column which should refer to the ID from List 1 when an new is item created.

Trying to understand the most efficient way for doing this.

What i am doing now is,

1. When my power apps loads i have a collection which has the 10 pre defined items .
2. Created a new Item form
3. On success of when a new item is created i am using UpdateIf to update one of the collection column to the ID of the newly created item
4. Then using Patch( sharepoint list name, Collection Name), the 10 pre defined items get created in List 2.
5. It takes about 5 seconds for this operation to complete

This seems to work but in the Patch documentation it says to use Defaults() to create new item. So i am unsure if this is the right way of doing it or if there is a better and efficient way.

Any inputs will be helpful

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @HarishNayak ,

You did not supply any code, but to answer your question Patch using Defaults(ListName) as the parameter is the correct way of creating new records in a list.

If all the fields in the collection are contained in name and data type in the List, you can also use

Collect(
   ListName,
   CollectionName
)

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[HarishNayak]

Hi @WarrenBelz 

thanks for checking this. May be i should have explained better.

I have 2 sharepoint Lists, List 1 & List 2.
I have another list named Documents which has 10 items ( these are my pre defined items what i want to be copied each time to List 2 when an item is created in List 1)

I have created an app to create item for List 1

OnStart 

ClearCollect(colDocument,ShowColumns(Filter('Documents',DocType ="Account"),"DocName","ParentID"))

Form 1 is to create item in List 1

OnSuccess of Form1
UpdateIf(colDocument,true,{ParentID: Form1.LastSubmit.ID});
Patch('List2',colAccountDoc)

Like i said this created new entries in List 2 without using the Defaults()

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @HarishNayak ,

There are many ways of achieving the same result in Power Apps. Your Patch code should work if all the fields from the collection line up with the List (Collect does as well), but I have found the Patch syntax buggy in the past and stick with what I know always works. Your UpdateIf code is also interesting as you would normally use Collect() for what you are doing.

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[HarishNayak]

Hi @WarrenBelz , are you suggesting to just use Collect(). If yes was wondering how could i update the ParentID column. I would still need to use the updateif function

I tried Updateif and Collect(). It works but sower when compared to Updateif and Patch()

[WarrenBelz · Accepted solution]

@HarishNayak ,

I generally only use UpdateIf() when I want to update multiple matching items (Patch otherwise), but it certainly works on a single item. Collect works for updating both a collection and (when the fields align) a list as does Patch (your code) on a list in the same scenario. 

Having said this, what you use is at times a personal preference if both options work effectively. As most of my apps are used in the field and all data succeeding to write is far more important than a few milliseconds in performance, I use Patch() a lot.

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