How to save Gallery1.AllItems selective fields to a custom Excel template file?

[Lexicron]

I have an Excel template file with logos, header, footer, tables and all that. This was designed and provided by consumers of data.

However, as a producer of data, instead of doing data entry into that Excel template, I have a Powerapps Canvas mobile app to do the data entry into, which affords a simpler and timelier process. However, the people who are consuming these data still require that Excel template.

I would like to be able to "export" the data in my Canvas app, of a particular Screen, of AllItems in a particular Gallery, of only 10 fields (out of many more), into certain cell ranges of that Excel template.

Mapping/template rules:

• the field "Expense date" to populate vertically down cell range A8:A27; the field "Amount" to populate vertically down cell range F8:F27.
• the images of the field "AttachedImage" to somehow be in the Excel file as well, but I'm not sure how that would work without completely ruining the look of the Excel table where each row has the same height. Perhaps the images can go separately into an Attachments tab in the Excel file? It can just be a image dump.
• the PDF attachment of the field "AttachedFile" to be an embedded file insert inside the Excel, with an icon small enough to fit within the row height.
• extra rows in the Excel table to be automatically inserted if there are more records in the gallery that fits in to the template's default row 8 to row 28.
• the "Owner" of the first gallery item (because Owner is the same for all items) to go into cell A2.
• the filename of the resulting Excel file will be taken from a label in the Canvas app, lbl_Filename.Text
• the Excel file will not be available for local download but will be automatically emailed to an address in a label in the Canvas app, lbl_Recipient.Text.

Is this possible? If so, where do I upload the Excel template file to begin with? I am working with CDS entities only. No Sharepoint. And how may I go about achieving the list of what I want to do? Any help or point in the right direction would be appreciated please. I am very new to Powerapps.

Please and thank you very much!

[PowerAddict]

If you want your data to be added/updated in excel, you need to upload that excel to OneDrive and use that as the data source (and not CDS).

Then you have to have a data table in excel. Ideally, the table you want should include the cells you want to get populated. You will have to use columns of that table as references in your app and submit data using Patch form or SubmitForm function. You can control the values you want to submit.

If you cannot use the existing spreadsheet as your datasource excel table, may be you can create the data table in another sheet within the same spreadsheet and use cell references to populate your main sheet with data from the other sheet (which will get populated by the Power App).

Let me know what you think of this approach and we can get into the details if needed.

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Thanks!
Hardit Bhatia
The Power Addict
https://thepoweraddict.com

[Lexicron]

Thank you! It is exciting that this is possible.

Yes, your suggestion to use a separate Excel sheet is perfect, and could provide even better results than I planned/hoped.

Can you guide me on how to move forward please?

[PowerAddict]

Awesome! For starters, upload your excel file to OneDrive and create a data table in a separate sheet with your column headers. In your App, add that data table as a data source using the OneDrive Excel connector (I dont remember the exact name but its something like this).

Connect your forma to this data source and select the values/fields/columns you want to populate. Submit the form using either SubmitForm or Patch.

Let's get this done first amd then we can get to using cell references to populate your main sheet.

---
If you like this reply, please give kudos. And if this solves your problem, please accept this reply as the solution.

Thanks!
Hardit Bhatia
The Power Addict
https://thepoweraddict.com

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Lexicron ,

Based on the needs that you mentioned, I agree with @PowerAddict 's thought almost. You could consider format your Excel sheet data as a Table firstly, and then upload it to your OneDrive folder.

After that, you could generate a canvas app based on the Excel table in your OneDrive folder. More details about generating an app based on Excel table, please check the following article or video:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/get-started-create-from-data

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z_13J02RPU

More details about storing image data into a Excel table, please check the following article:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/add-images-pictures-audio-video

Currently, there are also some known limits within Excel table, please check the following article:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/connections/cloud-storage-blob-connecti...

Best regards,

[Lexicron]

Hi Hardit/ @PowerAddict ,

Thank you.

Connect your form to this data source and select the values/fields/columns you want to populate. Submit the form using either SubmitForm or Patch.

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Do you mean my existing form that I have already set up in my Canvas app? I have a form already connected to a CDS entity. This form is how I/users do data entry into the mobile app (in lieu of data entry into the Excel template).

The CDS entity is updated multiple times over a period (usually a month), with new records added, and existing records deleted or amended. At some point I will be ready to send a set of those records to the data consuming team. It is at this point that I want those records moved into the Excel template.

I would not want to repeat another form data entry activity for the Excel datasource. In addition, the first instance of data entry (into my existing form connected to the CDS entity) cannot serve as an input into the Excel datasource either, because those records are still open for amendment or deletion, so they're not ready for the Excel template.

Is what I want to do still possible then?

Or, would I still have to a create a separate form connected to the Excel datasource, but set to Not Visible, then at the time of "readiness", send each record's field values as variables to the Excel-connected form and run a behind-the-scenes SubmitForm to get them into the Excel datasource, record-by-record? This would mean for each "export", the Canvas app will need to run several SubmitForm activities, could be up to 50 times for some users who don't tend to submit their reports regularly.

Would you say this is the way to do it?

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Lexicron ,

Do you want to sync records from your CDS Entity to your Excel file at some point?

If you want to sync records from your CDS Entity to your Excel file at some point, I think Power Automate flow could achieve your needs. You could consider configure a flow as below:

Within above flow, add "Add a row into a Table" action of "Excel Online (OneDrive)" connector to add entry into your Excel table

You could also consider use a "When a record is updated" trigger of Common Data Service connector as Trigger of your flow, then you could specify Attribute Filter Item option to a specific field in your Entity, then this trigger would be fired only when the specific field value has been changed:

You could also consider add a Condition action within your flow, then check if the specific field value matches specific value, if true, execute the following actions, otherwise, do nothing.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/add-condition

Best regards,

[Lexicron]

Hi Kris,

Thank you. Flow sounds like it would offer a better user experience, since it's processing outside the Canvas app and the user won't be held up. However I have another issue to raise please.

The records that I want saved to Excel at any time are filtered by a criterion, where FieldX=<a record lookup variable that is assigned within the Canvas app>.

The Flow does allow me to include a Filter Query but I'm not sure if it is able to read the FieldX filter query since that variable is in the Canvas app. This variable is also not just a simple string or number or choice/option set, it is a record lookup from another CDS Entity.

So I'm back to my post title: my Canvas app has a filtered Gallery that displays exactly the records that I need saved to Excel. The export action will be triggered by an OnSelect action in the Canvas app. Is it possible to pass this set - and only this set - of records into the Flow to act on?

Perhaps if I collected their UniqueIDs into a collection, can I somehow get Flow's Filter Query to pick up only the UniqueIDs that match what is in the collection?

(Edit reason: I initially specified 2 filter criteria but on second thought the User filter isn't necessary as the FieldX criterion will sufficiently narrow the query down.)

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Lexicron ,

Based on the needs that you mentioned, I think single Power Automate flow could not achieve your needs.

As an fixed solution, you could consider fire a flow from your canvas app. You could also consider define only single one parameter within a "Compose" action in your flow using "Ask in PowerApps" dynamic content. Within your app, filter out these records based on the two criteria, then convert the filtered result into a JSON String value using JSON function:

JSON(Filter('CDS Entity', Field1 = User().FullName, ...))

then you could pass above JSON String to your flow. Then within your flow, you could use the json expression to convert the passed JSON String value into a JSON Table, then you could apply a "Apply to each" action to this JSON Table. Within the "Apply to each" action, you could specify the "Add a row into a Table" action of Excel Online (OneDrive) connector.

Please check and see if the following thread would help in your scenario:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Power-Apps/Running-a-power-automate-flow-on-multiple-re...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLdOO4JPZ2I

More details about firing a flow from a canvas app, please check the following article or video:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/using-logic-flows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wl9AtxWdkg

Best regards,

[Lexicron]

Thank you Kris! It is sounding doable but I will read all the resources you linked. I'll report back with what I was able to achieve.

Much appreciated!