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colbyturybury
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Monitor when data is done loading from a sharepoint list

Is there anyway that an app can monitor when data from sharepoint is being loaded and when it finishes set a variable to control visibility of a control?

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RandyHayes
Super User
Super User

@dave-jorgensen 

Unless something has changed recently, relying on a collection to complete will yield incorrect results...but it still begs the question, why a collection?  That's a bit overkill for the app if it is just to load the data for use in the app.  If there is a need for add/remove/edit in-memory, then that would be fine, but in the scenario of the post, it is just to provide a wait spinner.  The solution I mentioned is equivalent except it is more universal to the app rather than duplicating that series of functions in each action formula. 

It is always about being able to maintain in the future.  You cannot search on a Collection definition or change.  You cannot easily determine using a Select function as there is nothing that tells you there is a formula that selects that button, etc.  With the variable in this case, it is easily searchable to maintain.

 

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@RandyHayes Interested why you think loading the datasource records into a collection is overkill compared to setting the datasource to a variable? What difference do you see, since both approaches download the records and store locally, yes? 

RandyHayes
Super User
Super User

@dave-jorgensen 

Yes, the end goal is the same.  The difference is in the aspect of the app maintenance and the app overhead.

As mentioned, tracking down collections in the app editor is more difficult than the variable.  That's the major drawback to maintenance.

Collections have the ability to edit/add/remove rows in them.  That adds overhead (that's the overkill part) to the app that is usually not needed.  If there is no need to edit/add/remove table records, then the variable is far superior to use.

 

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dave-jorgensen
Kudo Collector
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@RandyHayes 1000% agree that finding collections in the app isn't possible, and that reason alone is a good argument for using variables where no table functions are needed. I've posed that question to the product team, asking why they haven't made searching for collection usage possible... Hopefully in the future (at least we can now search in the formula bar!). I am curious whether using datasource as a variable is any lighter than a local collection. I suspect that it uses exactly the same amount of RAM, it's just that the table functions (like Remove, Patch, etc) have a syntax where they require a table, whereas the variable isn't a table (even though it actually is a table). IE if we could cast the variable as a table, I suspect then the variable would work in the table functions. That the actual object (the datasource) is exactly the same when a collection or a variable is used, it's just the object type that is stored as being different

RandyHayes
Super User
Super User

@colbyturybury - sorry to hijack the thread here.  I believe you will find that the general concept is to bring the data into your app all at once and have your loading indicator display when it is.  You could use either approach, I happen to prefer mine (no bias there...LOL 😉 ) only because it is reusable and it is automatic and it uses no other context variables to achieve.  But that choice is yours.

 

@dave-jorgensen 

Yes, loading a variable with the table has less overhead from a RAM perspective as there is not logic (pointer table) needed for the edit/remove/add ability.  It is negligible, but give that a collection is not needed for everything under the PowerApp sun, it is better to go with the least.  

Actually, the variable is a table in this case.  And you can perform any table-based function on it that is not designed to Edit/Remove/Add records.  So no, Update, Remove, Patch, etc. are all designed for those functions.  But all others - GroupBy, Ungroup, ForAll, AddColumns, ShowColumns, etc. etc. can all be used on the variable.

 

Although the underlying factor still is to never bring all your records into your app anyway.  The real table is the datasource and should be directly used.  There are times when you need to pull the data in (like the purpose of this original post, or when you are needing more performance for other functions and you are not clobbering the app performance by loading all the records.)  That is what PowerApps was designed to really do.

 

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colbyturybury
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Thanks everyone this has been very helpful!!!

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