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SamirDager
Frequent Visitor

Is it possible to get data in real time from several excel spreadsheets with the same table structure in powerapps?

Hi. I'm trying to build an app to be able to track project budgets. Each researcher builds a budget for each project in an excel spreadsheet (it is the same spreadsheet no matter the project), all this files are stored in a Sharepoint folder and I'm trying to build an app that allows you to choose the project budget excel file and pull the data to show it within the app. I don't know how to select a specific workbook in real time as the data source... Is it possible? Each spreadsheet has 14 tables (same name, same fields) and I want to be able to show them in the app from a previously selected project.

Any help with this will be appreciated.

Rgds,

7 REPLIES 7
WarrenBelz
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

Hi @SamirDager ,

Two options

  1. Store the Excel files in OneDrive, format the data as tables and connect to PowerApps - they will then be able to be used as normal data lists. Note that the Excel sheet cannot be open at the same time it is being accessed by Power Apps.
  2. Look at the Excel Online (Business) Connector. This is a Premium Connector and requires a per-user licence. 

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Drrickryp
Super User
Super User

Hi Samar,

I don't think you can do what you want using excel spreadsheets easily in a practical way. First, there is a problem with multiple users sharing  single excel table as it will lock the table while one user is adding or modifying a record. Second, you would have to have 14 different tables added to the app and the fields would all be redundant.   

I would recommend either SharePoint, SQL or CDS as the basis of your app if it is likely that you would have more than one user making changes at the same time.  Also, it doesn't seem to make sense to have 14 tables.  Why not have just a table for researchers, and have a second table for Projects and a third table for budget items.  As I imagine your database, each researcher could be associated with many projects and each project could have many researchers.   Each Project would have many budget items (but they would all be the same as you specified).  Each Researcher would have budget items that they require for their project.   With the database set up this way, you could show the budget items for each project and the researcher responsible for their items.  FYI this design is a Many-to-Many type of relationship between Researchers and Projects. 

Many2Many.png  

Hi @WarrenBelz 

 

How can I make it so I can access the Excel sheet without blocking power apps. 

Thank you for your help!

SamirDager
Frequent Visitor

Thank for your replies... it has been quite time now and I'm a more experienced user... so I used SP lists and then export to excel using flow... it's been a journey but I've learnt a lot from @Reza  Dorrani, Shane Young and Daniel Christian.

WarrenBelz
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

@SamirDager ,

Yes you will work out quickly that as a database, Excel is a good spreadsheet . . .

SamirDager
Frequent Visitor

Yes. I wanted to do it the "easy way"... now I have pretty much complex "databases" using SP Lists.... it is going to fail eventually when data will get larger than supported but for the moment it works pretty well.

WarrenBelz
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

@SamirDager ,

SharePoint can theoretically hold 3 million records - I have lists and libraries over 50,000 and as long a you use Text. Numeric or Date fields and a bit of data structure planning, you will have few issues.

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