Radio Control Button & Text Input Disappears (6/17): SQL DataSource Random Missing Control Buttons and Text Inputs

[Anonymous]

Dear Team, I'm inclined to post this as I felt it would be useful some day to people and in the hopes we finally find what happens. Of which is the instability of PowerApps at times based on browser and database and the type of controls instigated. Here is my varied response and observation. This is purely for Azure SQL database and the learnings that came with it, any inputs is helpful. 

For the record the app is build with a gallery, editform all on one screen and with a canvas of tablet. I've connected all the tables to Azure SQL without any special "turned off" experimental setting in the Advanced Settings options.

I had a control button which is a Radio Type with only 2 options, it pulls its default from the parent which is the gallery drawing from the DataSource 1 = [dbo][MainGalleryData] and another for the selectable (overkill I know) from a separate table DataSource 2 = [dbo][RadioSelection1and2] . We will call this RadioButton on the EditForm. 

To add to the EditForm, I had another "visible formula" within its property on the textinput element, which will appear only based on varUserEmail conditions as reference by 2 tables. Its Parent.Default value will pull the stored record from DataSource 1 = [dbo][MainGalleryData], while the Visibility condition is based on the comparison with the conditions found in table of DataSource 3 = [dbo][UserPermissions] . We will call this InputTextConditional_Val . It worked great, until I observed not one but 3 strange behaviours. 

1. The InputTextConditional_Val would appear in my Chrome Browser but it wouldn't appear all the time when any user loads it from their iPhone PowerUser App interface. 
2. The RadioButton Appears on the iPhone PowerUser App interface but would not appear "stubbornly" from the Chrome Browser interface. 
3. It felt like the RadioButton popped back in when a reload is performed on DataSource 2 = [dbo][RadioSelection1and2], this I did several times feeling like a developer with bandaids around my pockets. Not good. 

After much contemplation and the consistency of the missing act of the elements (I hope the PowerApps team at Microsoft would look into this bug), I assumed that upon the screen loads of multiple tables, it doesn't necessary execute the call of data reference points from those tables as the elements likely behaves strangely when its not a data table tied to the gallery. Some prioritization is short-lived and PowerApps kinda decided during its script backend runs "bleh... I'm sick of looking at the browser types you got working with multiple tables for you, so whatever". 

I then implemented a not too elegant functional fix to keep my users at bay of which I placed a reload (icon whatever) button with the command line placed in "OnSelect" with the below code:

Refresh('[dbo][RadioSelection1and2]') && Refresh[('[dbo][UserPermissions]')]

 So, it the users could "sense" that some data didn't load right the first time or at anytime, then this Icon/Button would be a remedy for the users in the event that they need to view some pretty important data to consume or edit on screen. I tested that it worked well enough for now - however, couldn't shake off this nagging feeling.

Its almost as if, Azure SQL's table connection maturity isn't that all great yet with PowerApps (coming from the same company... we know this) AND adding to the fact that the RadioButton seem to be the unstable brother of the ToggleButton - I do hope either someone sheds some light here to the observations I had, and at the same time encourage the Dev Releases from Microsoft be made a lot more thorough in its Testing so end users like us can stop spending hours around implementing "manual workarounds" like these as it costs quite a bit to maintain documentation, manage change and app performance. 

[Update 24th June] - have updated the && operator per the refresh. At this point in time after setting up, the app doesn't behave as erratically before but I kept the refresh button just so users can click it just in case. 

[v-xida-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Based on the issue that you mentioned, I could not reproduce it on my side. According to the issue that you mentioned, it seems that this issue is related to device or browser rather than formula itself.

Please consider take a try to turn off the "Explicit column selection" option within Advances settings of App settings of your app, then re-published your canvas app, then check if the issue is solved.

Also please make sure the version of your PowerApps Mobile App in your Mobile device is the latest version, if not, please upgrade it to the latest version, then run your published app again.

If the issue still exists, please consider submit an assisted support ticket for further help through the following link:

https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/support/pro

Best regards,

[Anonymous]

Hi @v-xida-msft , I switched off the Explicit Column Section and this is my test results after 5 loads on both the same devices: 

1. It resolved the RadioButton 
2. It intermittently performed the TextInputDataCard_Val

which is still quite puzzling at the most. Perhaps the only understanding I can arrive is that the Office365Users connection is not consistent with the refresh of [dbo] against that of Azure SQL.

I've never switched off the explicit columns before the RadioButton and multiple table connections from Azure SQL was in place. No issues for dragdown buttons, combobox buttons. So, still felt like controls apart from dropdowns are performing consistently during the tables / column loads. 

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Currently, I could not reproduce your issue on my side. I found that there is something wrong with Refresh() formula you typed in your canvas app. You should type the following formula:

Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]') && Refresh[('[dbo].[UserPermissions]')]

rather than:

Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]') & Refresh[('[dbo].[UserPermissions]')]

Please replace '&' with '&&' in your above formula. You could also type the following formula:

Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]');Refresh[('[dbo].[UserPermissions]')]

As an alternative solution, please consider save your SQL Table records into individual collections, then use collection as data source in your canvas app instead of original SQL Table.

Please set the OnStart property of App to following:

ClearCollect(RadioSelectionCollection, '[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]');
ClearCollect(UserPermissionCollection, '[dbo].[UserPermissions]');
...

then use the RadioSelectionCollection, UserPermissionCollection, .... as data source in your canvas app. Replace all SQL Table reference in your canvas app formulas with corresponding collection reference, then re-load your canvas app (fire the OnStart property of App), then check if the issue is solved.

Best regards,

[Anonymous]

Dear @v-xida-msft , Thanks for your advice. 

I've implemented the ";" feature instead into my refresh button as below - these remain as sort of failure mitigation mechanisms from the user end instead of being harassed by users and seeing multiple tickets across screens. 

Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]');Refresh[('[dbo].[UserPermissions]')];Refresh[('[dbo].[MainGalleryData]')]

Tried to read documentation on the powerapps site to understand a little on the Operators. There is limited understanding on how the symbols work though within the syntax at least in my opinion. The strange thing is that my formula bar doesn't do an "intellisense" ERROR on the usage between the "&" and "&&" when I input the initial formula. That to say I wasn't told through any errors that the "&" is not usable within the Items Property for my refresh button.

Do you know what is the difference in execution between below? 

Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]') && Refresh[('[dbo].[UserPermissions]')]

and/or

Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]') & Refresh[('[dbo].[UserPermissions]')]

Would the "&" operator only perform the first instance of the formula such as Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]') and ignore the other? to feedback with using the operator in first instance, I didn't see my TextInputUserPermission_Val box appear in my iPhone app during load and clicking on the "OnSelect" execute icon for Refresh on the command below: 

Refresh('[dbo].[RadioSelection1and2]') & Refresh[('[dbo].[UserPermissions]')]

.... Brought the TextInputUserPermission_Val box back to life!

So, instead of limiting the options - I'd only seek to understand how "&" would perform here? 

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Within PowerApps canvas app, normally, we use '&' operator to concatenate multiple string values, use '&&' operator to concatenate multiple logic.

Please check the following article for more details:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/functions/operators

Actually, we use Formula chaining (;) to separate invocations of functions in behavior properties. Based on language, in some regions, it would use ";;" as Formula chaining.

Best regards,