cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
stephenkln
Resolver I
Resolver I

LookUp Values from Related SQL Tables

Hi everyone,

 

This is my first time using Power Apps and my first time posting on this forum, so go easy on the noobie. 😉

The basic scope of the project I'm working on is that I have a SQL Server Express dB that tracks supplemental employee data.

I'm trying to build out an app for viewing and updating employee records in an intuitive way. My rough vision was to have a main gallery listing the employees and on selecting an employee an additional gallery would open up listing the related tables and you would be able to go into each and add/modify records. Anyway, we're not there yet. I'm stuck on step one--just building the first gallery. I'm connected to my SQL data and have the following tables to feed the main gallery.

 

Employees Tbl

EmployeeIdFullNameJobIdLocationId
1Smith, John11
2Doe, Jane22

 

Jobs Tbl

JobIdJobTitle
1Some Job Title
2Another Job Title

 

Locations Tbl

LocationIdLocationName
1Some Location Name
2Another Location Name

 

I'm trying to set up my gallery like this:

Smith, John
Some Job Title
Some Location Name
 
Doe, Jane
Another Job Title
Another Location Name

 

I'm using LookUp to pull job title and location name:

LookUp('[Jobs Tbl]',JobId=JobId,JobTitle)

 

But what I'm getting is this:

Smith, John
Some Job Title
Some Location Name
 
Doe, Jane
Some Job Title
Some Location Name

 

I guess the LookUp function is pulling the first related value from the Jobs Tbl, but irrespective of the employee. I need it to pull the correct Job Title and Location Name for each individual employee.

I'm not sure how to proceed at this point since I'm so new at this. Anyone have any suggests?

2 ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS

Accepted Solutions
eka24
Community Champion
Community Champion

I have attached 3 screen shot, one for each process.

Gallery:

'Employee.Employee'

 

Jobtitle LookUp

LookUp('Employee.JobTitle',JobId=ThisItem.JobId,JobTitle)

 

Location LookUp ( If needed)

LookUp('Employee.Location',LocationId=ThisItem.LocationId,LocationName)
------------

If you like this post, give a Thumbs up. Where it solved your request, Mark it as a Solution to enable other users find it.

View solution in original post

Confirmed there is definitely some weird behavior. I deleted the gallery and created a new one with the same formulas as before, including the Search function on the gallery. Location and Job Title came back blank. So then I changed the gallery reference to '[Employee.Employee]' and the Job Title and Locations started to show up, but still missing some. So I changed the gallery formula back to Search('[Employee].[Employee]',SearchBox.Text,"LastName","FirstName","FullName") and then all of the job titles and locations displayed correctly. Kinda glitchy if you ask me. What a headache for a first time build. Thanks for everyone's help!

View solution in original post

19 REPLIES 19
Drrickryp
Super User
Super User

Hi @stephenkln 

I believe you are running into a disambiguation problem. There are a couple of ways to solve this.  I have always left the primary key of a table as simply ID and the foreign key to relate back to the Parent table as you are doing with locationID or jobID.  Then the Lookup is straightforward as  LookUp('[Jobs Tbl]',ID = JobId, JobTitle).  So changing the name of your primary keys in your SQL tables would be one way to solve the problem and it would follow best practices.  

Another way to solve it is to rename the field in PowerApps.  It would look like this:

 

LookUp(RenameColumns('[Jobs Tbl]',"JobID","JID"),JID=ThisItem.JobId,JobTitle)

 

This will not make any permanent change in the underlying table, but if all of your tables are like the ones you show here, it will be aggravating to do that every time you use Lookup().  

Finally there is the disambiguation operator [@fieldname]  There is a video on how this works here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIaccWcAIf0 .  Since I don't have this problem, I have never had to use this but this would be the recommended way to use the disambiguation operator.

 

 

 LookUp('[Jobs Tbl]','[Jobs Tbl]'[@JobID] = JobId, JobTitle)

 

FYI another "best practice" is to avoid spaces in naming your tables.  I prefer camel case so 'Jobs Tbl' would be 'jobsTbl' or snake case where spaces are replaced with underscore 'Jobs_Tbl'.  

 

Thanks for the response @Drrickryp. I gave it a try:

LookUp(RenameColumns('[Employee].[JobTitle]',"JobId","Id"),Id=JobId,JobTitle)

But I'm getting an error on the conditions for the LookUp. It's telling me JobId for the Employees Tbl is an invalid reference.

eka24
Community Champion
Community Champion

@stephenkln 
OnVisible of the Screen or Onstart, Create a Collection that Joins the Tables:

ClearCollect(JoinedTables1,AddColumns(EmployeesTbl,"JobTitle",LookUp(JobsTbl,JobID=EmployeesTbl[@JobID],JobTitle)));
ClearCollect(JoinedTables2,AddColumns(JoinedTables1,"Location",LookUp(LocationsTbl,LocationId=JoinedTables1[@LocationId],LocationName)))

 

Then on the Items of the Gallery, put the JoinedTable2

 

------------

If you like this post, give a Thumbs up. Where it solved your request, Mark it as a Solution to enable other users find it.

@eka24 I followed your instructions, but both collections are empty.

It seems like I would just be able to use LookUp(JobsTbl,JobID=EmployeesTbl[@JobID],JobTitle) and that work to pull the correct record. When I try that it tells me that the "=" is an invalid argument. Doesn't seem like I'm trying to do something complicated. Frustrating to me, but probably just my unfamiliarity with Power Apps.

eka24
Community Champion
Community Champion

Can you give a copy of the Formula you use:

------------

If you like this post, give a Thumbs up. Where it solved your request, Mark it as a Solution to enable other users find it.

@eka24 

 

For the basic lookup:

LookUp('[Employee].[JobTitle]',JobId='[Employee].[Employee]'[@JobId],JobTitle)

 

For the collections:

ClearCollect(JoinedTables1,AddColumns('[Employee].[Employee]',"JobTitle",LookUp('[Employee].[JobTitle]',JobId='[Employee].[Employee]'[@JobId],JobTitle)));


ClearCollect(JoinedTables2,AddColumns(JoinedTables1,"Location",LookUp('[Location].[Location]',LocationId=JoinedTables1[@LocationId],LocationName)))

eka24
Community Champion
Community Champion

Please can you give a screen shot of your SQL table Names. Not sure how the names have been stated in the formula.

Both for the Basic and other formula

------------

If you like this post, give a Thumbs up. Where it solved your request, Mark it as a Solution to enable other users find it.

@eka24 Here you go:

stephenkln_0-1593026257788.png

 

eka24
Community Champion
Community Champion

Since you prefer the basic,

On the Gallery Items, put the employee table

 

Then in one of the Labels inside the Gallery put:

LookUp('[Employee].[JobTitle]',JobId='[Employee].[Employee]'[@JobId],JobTitle)

 

In your first request, you made mention of a location table, but i cant see that

If you get errors, take a screenshot

------------

If you like this post, give a Thumbs up. Where it solved your request, Mark it as a Solution to enable other users find it.

 

Helpful resources

Announcements

Exclusive LIVE Community Event: Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat with Copilot Studio Product Team

  It's time for the SECOND Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat featuring the Copilot Studio product team, which will be held LIVE on April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).     This is an incredible opportunity to connect with members of the Copilot Studio product team and ask them anything about Copilot Studio. We'll share our special guests with you shortly--but we want to encourage to mark your calendars now because you will not want to miss the conversation.   This live event will give you the unique opportunity to learn more about Copilot Studio plans, where we’ll focus, and get insight into upcoming features. We’re looking forward to hearing from the community, so bring your questions!   TO GET ACCESS TO THIS EXCLUSIVE AMA: Kudo this post to reserve your spot! Reserve your spot now by kudoing this post.  Reservations will be prioritized on when your kudo for the post comes through, so don't wait! Click that "kudo button" today.   Invitations will be sent on April 2nd.Users posting Kudos after April 2nd. at 9AM PDT may not receive an invitation but will be able to view the session online after conclusion of the event. Give your "kudo" today and mark your calendars for April 3rd, 2024 at 9:30 AM PDT and join us for an engaging and informative session!

Tuesday Tip: Unlocking Community Achievements and Earning Badges

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!     THIS WEEK'S TIP: Unlocking Achievements and Earning BadgesAcross the Communities, you'll see badges on users profile that recognize and reward their engagement and contributions. These badges each signify a different achievement--and all of those achievements are available to any Community member! If you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, you too can earn badges for the great work you do. Check out some details on Community badges below--and find out more in the detailed link at the end of the article!       A Diverse Range of Badges to Collect The badges you can earn in the Community cover a wide array of activities, including: Kudos Received: Acknowledges the number of times a user’s post has been appreciated with a “Kudo.”Kudos Given: Highlights the user’s generosity in recognizing others’ contributions.Topics Created: Tracks the number of discussions initiated by a user.Solutions Provided: Celebrates the instances where a user’s response is marked as the correct solution.Reply: Counts the number of times a user has engaged with community discussions.Blog Contributor: Honors those who contribute valuable content and are invited to write for the community blog.       A Community Evolving Together Badges are not only a great way to recognize outstanding contributions of our amazing Community members--they are also a way to continue fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. As you continue to share your knowledge and assist each other these badges serve as a visual representation of your valuable contributions.   Find out more about badges in these Community Support pages in each Community: All About Community Badges - Power Apps CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Automate CommunityAll About Community Badges - Copilot Studio CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Pages Community

Tuesday Tips: Powering Up Your Community Profile

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!   This Week's Tip: Power Up Your Profile!  🚀 It's where every Community member gets their start, and it's essential that you keep it updated! Your Community User Profile is how you're able to get messages, post solutions, ask questions--and as you rank up, it's where your badges will appear and how you'll be known when you start blogging in the Community Blog. Your Community User Profile is how the Community knows you--so it's essential that it works the way you need it to! From changing your username to updating contact information, this Knowledge Base Article is your best resource for powering up your profile.     Password Puzzles? No Problem! Find out how to sync your Azure AD password with your community account, ensuring a seamless sign-in. No separate passwords to remember! Job Jumps & Email Swaps Changed jobs? Got a new email? Fear not! You'll find out how to link your shiny new email to your existing community account, keeping your contributions and connections intact. Username Uncertainties Unraveled Picking the perfect username is crucial--and sometimes the original choice you signed up with doesn't fit as well as you may have thought. There's a quick way to request an update here--but remember, your username is your community identity, so choose wisely. "Need Admin Approval" Warning Window? If you see this error message while using the community, don't worry. A simple process will help you get where you need to go. If you still need assistance, find out how to contact your Community Support team. Whatever you're looking for, when it comes to your profile, the Community Account Support Knowledge Base article is your treasure trove of tips as you navigate the nuances of your Community Profile. It’s the ultimate resource for keeping your digital identity in tip-top shape while engaging with the Power Platform Community. So, dive in and power up your profile today!  💪🚀   Community Account Support | Power Apps Community Account Support | Power AutomateCommunity Account Support | Copilot Studio  Community Account Support | Power Pages

Super User of the Month | Chris Piasecki

In our 2nd installment of this new ongoing feature in the Community, we're thrilled to announce that Chris Piasecki is our Super User of the Month for March 2024. If you've been in the Community for a while, we're sure you've seen a comment or marked one of Chris' helpful tips as a solution--he's been a Super User for SEVEN consecutive seasons!       Since authoring his first reply in April 2020 to his most recent achievement organizing the Canadian Power Platform Summit this month, Chris has helped countless Community members with his insights and expertise. In addition to being a Super User, Chris is also a User Group leader, Microsoft MVP, and a featured speaker at the Microsoft Power Platform Conference. His contributions to the new SUIT program, along with his joyous personality and willingness to jump in and help so many members has made Chris a fixture in the Power Platform Community.   When Chris isn't authoring solutions or organizing events, he's actively leading Piasecki Consulting, specializing in solution architecture, integration, DevOps, and more--helping clients discover how to strategize and implement Microsoft's technology platforms. We are grateful for Chris' insightful help in the Community and look forward to even more amazing milestones as he continues to assist so many with his great tips, solutions--always with a smile and a great sense of humor.You can find Chris in the Community and on LinkedIn. Thanks for being such a SUPER user, Chris! 💪🌠

Tuesday Tips: Community Ranks and YOU

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!This Week: Community Ranks--Moving from "Member" to "Community Champion"   Have you ever wondered how your fellow community members ascend the ranks within our community? What sets apart an Advocate from a Helper, or a Solution Sage from a Community Champion? In today’s #TuesdayTip, we’re unveiling the secrets and sharing tips to help YOU elevate your ranking—and why it matters to our vibrant communities. Community ranks serve as a window into a member’s role and activity. They celebrate your accomplishments and reveal whether someone has been actively contributing and assisting others. For instance, a Super User is someone who has been exceptionally helpful and engaged. Some ranks even come with special permissions, especially those related to community management. As you actively participate—whether by creating new topics, providing solutions, or earning kudos—your rank can climb. Each time you achieve a new rank, you’ll receive an email notification. Look out for the icon and rank name displayed next to your username—it’s a badge of honor! Fun fact: Your Community Engagement Team keeps an eye on these ranks, recognizing the most passionate and active community members. So shine brightly with valuable content, and you might just earn well-deserved recognition! Where can you see someone’s rank? When viewing a post, you’ll find a member’s rank to the left of their name.Click on a username to explore their profile, where their rank is prominently displayed. What about the ranks themselves? New members start as New Members, progressing to Regular Visitors, and then Frequent Visitors.Beyond that, we have a categorized system: Kudo Ranks: Earned through kudos (teal icons).Post Ranks: Based on your posts (purple icons).Solution Ranks: Reflecting your solutions (green icons).Combo Ranks: These orange icons combine kudos, solutions, and posts. The top ranks have unique names, making your journey even more exciting! So dive in, collect those kudos, share solutions, and let’s see how high you can rank! 🌟 🚀   Check out the Using the Community boards in each of the communities for more helpful information!  Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio & Power Pages

Find Out What Makes Super Users So Super

We know many of you visit the Power Platform Communities to ask questions and receive answers. But do you know that many of our best answers and solutions come from Community members who are super active, helping anyone who needs a little help getting unstuck with Business Applications products? We call these dedicated Community members Super Users because they are the real heroes in the Community, willing to jump in whenever they can to help! Maybe you've encountered them yourself and they've solved some of your biggest questions. Have you ever wondered, "Why?"We interviewed several of our Super Users to understand what drives them to help in the Community--and discover the difference it has made in their lives as well! Take a look in our gallery today: What Motivates a Super User? - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)

Top Solution Authors
Top Kudoed Authors
Users online (4,434)