Powerapps lookup filter on managed metadata field

[CW]

Is it possible to create a dropdown or combo box filter on a Managed Metadata field for a library?? I can see the content of the two managed metadata fields in my gallery items but not if I try to add them as the source for a dropdown.

I can add a dropdown and for the Items choose Documents.'Item Type' but can't get beyond this to add "value", it's not available.

I've looked and researched and all I can find are cute little references to filtering on ice cream and redirects to regular lookups or choice columns.

I imagine I wasted my time implementing MMFs and am going to have to remove those fields and replace with lookups or choice columns right?

Thanks

[WarrenBelz · Accepted solution]

Hi @CW ,

I would support your last statement (they are a SharePoint historical column type that like most complex field types has significant limitations when used as a data source with Power Apps - you will also have issues with Lookup columns and to a lesser extent Choice columns). I suggest you consider simple Text and let Power Apps do all the work (which it does well). I have a blog that may interest you.

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[CW]

Thanks for your input Warren! Much appreciated.

So once again, yet another Microsoft "hack" or "workaround" just to use Microsoft fields. Sorry, but there's really something missing there since this, not seems to be, but is a perennial, recurrent and continual requirement when using their...stuff. Tongue-in-cheek; At least we can connect to data via a zillion, for the most part, irrelevant connectors. 

I will certainly review your blog.

EDIT: I created a simple list with Title and a MMDC. Integrate/Powerapps/Create voila, miracle. PowerApps app with a MMDC functioning perfectly like a simple combo box. Excellent.

QUESTIONS:

1)I haven't had the chance to check yet but why wasn't I able to achieve that manually or at least some info and

2) I wonder if it'll be one of those gotcha's will it function like when PowerApps creates a Browse/View/Edit screen and uses Select(Parent) from the browse screen. BUT, try and do that manually? FORGET IT. Powerapps just sits there confused. So, where’s that “secret” code?? We manually have to use Navigate.....

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CW ,

A bit like our previous discussion - I tend to use the tools I have that I know will do the job. The history of SharePoint goes back way before Power Apps and some field types in there are not really (as) suitable for storing data when Power Apps can do the same thing natively (and simply use Text, Date or Numeric fields). Once I know something works and achieves my purpose, I do not spend any time reflecting on why something else does not.

For navigating, I always set the ID of the item as a Global Variable and then refer to that Variable in the Item of the Form as a Lookup.

[CW]

I hear you, my point is very simple.

As a paying customer for this subscription I, as should all, 'expect' items to be directly and seamlessly mapped to itself through all technologies. A field type "X" should function in one technology or framework the same as in a related technology.

Sorry, workarounds and hacks are an easy way out of having to provide a robust and "AS ADVERTISED" integrated collaborative set of platforms.

All they turn out to be is a bait and switch. Look what you can do with this and that, Ooooh Ahhh and looks so easy datamining ice cream flavors until you try to use it in a real life situation. THEN you find out what the scam really is. You continually have to use hacks and workarounds to force certain things work.

No sorry. MMDF should work the same in Powerapps as in SharePoint, no excuses, no if and and buts. I pay for this, I expect it to work without having to develop a skillset for everything you do with this 'collaborative framework, period. And I will continue to be a thorn in their side and continue to cite the emporor has no clothes on because I have no skin in the game. I don't need to temper my comments to suit their oversights and shortcomings.

Cheers

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CW ,

What you have to consider is that you have the "base model" here - it comes "free" with a standard office 365 subscription. Like buying a car, you pay more for radar cruise and sunroof, but the base model will still get you to your destination. If all the features of premium connectors such as Azure SQL were included with SharePoint, there would not be a lot of SQL sold. 

This is also a shared cloud service with users all over the world (not just on Power Apps, but SharePoint itself) having to simultaneously be given their "turn" at server queries - there has to be a limit to that and to their credit, MS has turned a whole heap of things into Delegable queries over the past year or so.

To be honest it would have been better if MS had simply not made these field types visible in Power Apps (like Image fields) - then everyone would have simply used it as data storage, which is what is really intended.
I can assure you there is nothing significant I have not been able to do over the last 4 years on what is a substantial system (close to 200 Lists and Libraries with some 50k+ records) and a large number of apps on SharePoint.

As I said in my earlier post this is where the pragmatist and the purist simply need to agree to disagree . . .

[CW]

Sure, I hear you Warren, tx for the correspondence. All that notwithstanding, again as a paying customer "is not my problem". I didn't tell them to try to be too many things to too many people/systems when a lot of baseline functionalities were are are never completed. I've seen tons of complaints from many people over the years here and elsewhere complaining about the same thing.

Pragmatically speaking, perhaps it's time everyone stopped making excuses for this perennial lack of completion of services and functionalities and have them slow down and complete these little projects once and for all. THEN people like me will stop complaining. It's really not such an outlandish expectation that people seem to make it out to be. There's no reason why pragmatism and purism can't merge since all we're talking about is 1s and 0s!

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CW ,

I will just add one more thing. Don't feel alone in your views, I get it from IT people in the company I work for with results from only doing Model-driven apps (as they are easier on the developer, but the operational people cannot justify the licence cost when it is not necessary) to others who "don't do workarounds". As a result, the vast majority of effective operational apps written (and there are a substantial growing number over the last 3-4 years) are being written by people who do not share those views.

[CW]

Hey Warren. Thanks, I know many are peeved and rightfully so.

[WarrenBelz]

Thanks @CW ,

Peeved, but unproductive . . .