Normal Column Names for Sharepoint Lists Used in power Apps

[kleach]

Hello,

I've only noticed that this occurs when using a Sharepoint list, and not when I use an Excel Spreadsheet. I created a custom list in Sharepoint with the colums labeled like this.

However, when I try to use this list in PowerApps, the column headers look like this...

Is there a way to control how the column name gets bought over into Powerapps? It becomes extremely confusing and tedious (and actually nigh impossible to work with) when putting in formulas. 

Advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

KL

[Anonymous]

I have the same issue now?? - How come this is not solved yet?! 

[Anonymous]

Hi @kleach

What you are seeing are the columns internal name - which gets transformed into those weird names if they have special characters like space, "_", etc. One way to overcome this is to create the column without those characters and then change the name after the column has been created.

For example, I have created 2 columns:

1. "WeirdName _ 1" and it got the internal name of "Weird_x0020_Name_x0020___x0020_1".

2. "NormalName" and its internal name stayed as "NormalName"

Once the columns have been created, I went back and edited the "NormalName" column to "Normal _ Name" and checked in a PowerApp - the name there stayed as "NormalName" (because after the column has been created, if it is renamed the internal name will stay the same).

So this is not something that can be controlled form the PowerApp side, but from the SharePoint site when the columns are created.

Hope this helps 🙂 

[Anonymous]

hey @Anonymous, did you figure this out? I'm having the same issue right now...

[Anonymous]

Hi @Anonymous

Check my reply here: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/PowerApps-Forum/Collection-column-names-not-displaying-correctly/m-p/51278#M21380

In short: To have the same names appear in PowerApps like you have in your SharePoint List you have to create columns through list settings and not on the list itself by clicking add columns.

[mliuag]

It seems that there is always going to be some internal naming needed to manage conflicts in SharePoint against other columns.  It seems that internal name is more closely matched the display name when columns are added by List Settings versus Add Columns.  If you add Columns using the Quick Edit, the names then really take on a ramdom name.  Why cannot Power BI utilize the Display name?  I understand the API uses the internal name, but cannot something be done to capture the display name?

PS eliminating space and special characters in Column Names helps the changes SharePoint makes to the internal name.