How to reuse item list used by different dropdownlist

[ThomasVDS]

Hi,

I have used a dropdownlist in screen with a edit/new form

I have list the different possibilities in the items property: ["Auto","Exam at end","Exam to plan","Independent","N/A"]

I have another screen where I am building the 'grid' view (https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/editable-tables/) which also uses this dropdownfield.

How can I refer to the items used in the first dropdownlist? I want to avoid that I need to update the items property of both dropdownlist.

It doesn't seem that collections are the solution, because those are only temporary.

Thanks!

Kr

[Jeff_Thorpe · Accepted solution]

You could create a collection in the OnStart of the App and then use that collection in the items property and grid view. The collection will be recreated every time the app is opened which is no different then you hard coding the table in the Items property.

App > OnStart 

ClearCollect(colStatus, ["Auto","Exam at end","Exam to plan","Independent","N/A"])

Add the above formula to the OnStart then right click App and Run OnStart, so it executes without you having to log out and back in. Then use colStatus in Items property and grid view. 

[Drrickryp]

Hi @ThomasVDS 

You could set the items property of the second dropdown to 

Distinct(datasource, ColumnName)

Then your second dropdown will consist of all of the choices already existing in that column of the datasource.  If new items are added to the first dropdown and selected for inclusion in the datasource, the second dropdown will always be current. 

[ThomasVDS]

@Jeff_ThorpeI thanks for your suggestion, this could do the trick 🙂

Kr