Listing Appended Changes from Sharepoint List on PowerApps

[bdoerman]

I've created a PowerApp that show information from a Sharepoint list.  One of the columns in my list has "append changes" active which means we can basically track changes each time this field is edited.  This is helpful because we use it as a comment sections for the item that a user can read the changes as if they were comments.

However, in PowerApps on an item detail screen it only lists the most recent entry (from a PowerApps template) and doesn't append the changes.  Is there any way to do this where it shows all the changes (just as plan text) that user can scroll through?

Thanks,

[v-micsh-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @bdoerman,

Do you mean the field type for Multiple lines of text property: Append changes to Existing Text?

Currenlty this feature is not supported under PowerApps, as you already noticed, this field could only be recognized as a string.

Please vote up the following idea:

Append comments Field

Regards,

Michael

[martinav]

This is a pretty old post.  I am curious if anyone has found a way to do this.  I have found a way of viewing the last comment, and letting the user add another comment, but I would really like the use to be able to see all comments.

Thanks,

Rod

[Jstlouis · Accepted solution]

Hi Everyone,

I'm feeling the same pain as everyone else, but I came up with a neat little workaround which combines the Launch, Text and Concatenate functions, to open the ticket's version history (Comments) in a browser window.    

What you'll need to do is the following:

1)  Create a clickable button, text box, or use an arrow icon like I did, which you'll use to navigation/launch the URL that will be built in the steps following;    The OnSelect property of the "clickable" item you created will need to be set to the function you build here;

2)  Using a web browser, open the version history (Comment) for a list item (ticket).  Copy and paste this URL into notepad++ (or just plain old notepad) for now.

3)  Now take a look at the URL you've copied and pasted into notepad, you'll notice a section reads "ID=" with a number following;  This is the unique ID of the sharepoint list item (ticket) and is availble to you as a variable in powerapps, as I'm sure most of you are already aware, but just want to be concise.  In my case (below), the ID is "1", my first ever ticket (tested with other tickets too).   

https://MYDOMAIN.sharepoint.com/ssportal/Lists/IT%20Helpdesk/DispForm.aspx?ID=1#SPBookmark_Comments

4) Next, you need to build a nested function that replaces number proceeding the "ID=" with your current selected item (ticket) ID, then launch it in a browser;  Here is what the function looks like completed.  (see breakdown of function below);

Launch(Concatenate("https://MYDOMAIN.sharepoint.com/ssportal/Lists/IT%20Helpdesk/DispForm.aspx?ID=",Text(ITTicketGallery..."))

Function Breakdown:

The "Launch" function is what actually calls the browser and launches the link;   It's pretty straight forward.

The "Concatenate" functions is what actually joins the pieces of the URL we breakup back together.  Each piece is seperated by a comma;  You will have 3 sections to concatenate.  

What I did is split my URL into two sections;  Everything up to "ID=" and everything after the number proceeding the "ID=".  The number itself gets replaced.  The sections must be double-quoted when putting them back together with Concatenate, as you can see.  <first part of URL>,<extracted ticket id value>,<last part of URL>.

The "Text(YOURGALLERY.Selected.ID)" part of the URL is what extracts and converts the value held in your current item's YOURGALLERY.Select.ID parameter/variable.   It MUST be extracted/converted to be used with the Concatenate function;

Then put it all together, and set the OnSelect value for the icon (button, text box, etc.) you created and test it out.

One other caveat, that I have yet to figure out;  On my iPad, if I have the Sharepoint app installed, it tries launching the URL through it and throws an error;   If the Sharepoint app is not present, it launches in Safari no problem;   Not sure how to tell my iPad to always use Safari (or Chrome) for when launching URL's from PowerApp;   If anyone knows how to do this, I'd appreciate the help.

Hope this helps some of you out;  Here's a few screenshots too.  

 

[Jstlouis]

Just an update;  You do not need the whole URL;  You will only need the first part;  The 2nd half is not required.  

[airdouglas]

Seems like this is getting implemented natively.  Although, I still see "View Entries" on some lists?  What's the magic secret to getting this implemented on all lists?

[martinav · Accepted solution]

I have fulfilled this completely with a Flow, and a normal multi-line text column (Append Changes must be turned OFF!!  This is a work-around since an append changes column does not show up for Powerapps).  It even looks the same. It shows up in a sharepont list view, as well as a powerapps form, etc.  

This is what it looks like:

The flow "Update Item" looks like:

The code in my powerapps looks like:

ECNReleasing22.Run(ID,User().Email,"*ENGRG RELEASED* "&User().FullName&" ("&Now()&")","*QUALITY SIGNOFF-AUTOMATIC* PER QUALITY MANAGER ("&Now()&")")

By "asking powerapps" for the new comment, and then placing it above the "get item" value, it sorts newest first.  Reverse order for newest last.

[mitu-Kumari]

kindly help me to achive this?

[systemcrash]

@martinav

could you give a bit more info about the flow that you used to achieve such output please?

Many thanks

[martinav]

Sure, not sure exactly what you are needing.  The action is Sharepoint Update Item.  The field is updated with these two tags:

The comments keep stacking on top of another since the Sharepoint Signoff History tag:

Is included.  So, the previous value of SignoffHistory is pushed below the new powerapps value:

So, each time the flow runs and there are new comments, it puts the new comment on top.  If you want in reverse order, simply swich the order of the tags.

I'm not sure what else you need.  If you can ask a more specific quesiton, i'm glad to help.