Using many identical Sharepoint data sources, possibly Dynamic data source selection

[Dudditz]

I have a  canvas app that will create list items to 11 identical SharePoint lists.  The application connects to Dynamics Finance and operations and pulls around 12 fields and default their values to one of these Sharepoint lists.  Basically, it writes values directly to your respective departmental list.  The Sharepoint form is defaulted to new and does not use edit or a connection to a gallery.  The fields are all autopopulated using defaults consuming from the Dynamics connection which is connected to a gallery.  The final item is 11 identical data connections to SharePoint departmental document libraries.  These will also connect to galleries and simply provide a folder name and link to launch the folder, thats it for the doc libraries.  I would like to build this with the least amount of forms and controls as possible and mapping out use of only a few screens and extensive use of showing galleries and forms only for your department, etc.  I am however concerned with the amount of data connections which will be around 30.  I have done some basic testingwith  a gallery connecting to differenet sources based upon a drop down with their department simply using if statements.  That said, I have not has much luck getting this to work with the new form connecting to the various sharepoint lists.  Using the same concept as the gallery the forms simply don't see any fields to be added, just blank.  I am looking for any reccomendatoins, etc. on how to handle an application like this.  If there was a way to use dynamic data sources across the galleries and new forms it would greatly reduce the  overall forms and controls, etc.  Splitting this into multiple applications is not an option as it's an embeded application that embeds into a dynamics form and is tied to a project record.

[RezaDorrani]

Hi @Dudditz 

There is no dynamic data source selection option in PowerApps

Aslo, a form control can only connect to one data source

There are options to use Patch function to patch other data sources, but again every data source that has to be patched would need its data source to be connected in the App

Performance recommendations does state - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/performance-tips

One option you could use is collect the data, and then call Flow and flow can then add that data to your other data sources

Regards,

Reza Dorrani

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

[Drrickryp]

Hi @Dudditz 

Having 11 identical lists sounds like an inefficient way to handle data.  Couldn't you just have one list with a Departments category and filter it on that?

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Dudditz ,

Do you want to connect your Edit form to different SP List data sources dynamically?

Do you want to use a Dynamic data sources within your app?

Firstly, the dynamic data sources functionality is not supported within PowerApps currently. If you want to use dynamic data sources within your app, I afraid that there is no way to achieve your needs.

In addition, the Edit form within PowerApps could only be connected to single one data source, you could not connect a Edit form to multiple data sources dynamically via If function.

If you would like this feature to be added in PowerApps, please submit an idea to PowerApps Ideas Forum:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/PowerApps-Ideas/idb-p/PowerAppsIdeas

Actually, as an alternative solution, you could add individual controls within your app for data entry insted of adding a Edit form. Within the Individual controls, you could control the Default value from different data sources using If function.

After that, you could consider use Patch function to patch data into your data sources instead of SubmitForm function. Within the "Submit" button, you could also control which data source you would patch data to using If function as below:

If(
   CurrentDataSourceVar = "DataSource1",
   Patch(
               'DataSource1',
               Defaults('DataSource1'),
               {
                 Column1: TextInput1.Text,
                 Column2: TextInput2.Text,
                 Column3: TextInput3.Text,
                 ...
               }
   ),
    CurrentDataSourceVar = "DataSource2",
    Patch(
               'DataSource2',
               Defaults('DataSource2'),
               {
                 Column1: TextInput1.Text,
                 Column2: TextInput2.Text,
                 Column3: TextInput3.Text,
                 ...
               }
   ),
   CurrentDataSourceVar = "DataSource3",
    Patch(
               'DataSource3',
               Defaults('DataSource3'),
               {
                 Column1: TextInput1.Text,
                 Column2: TextInput2.Text,
                 Column3: TextInput3.Text,
                 ...
               }
   )
   ....
   ....
)

Please take a try with above solution, check if it could help in your scenario.

Best regards,

[Dudditz]

All,

Thank you for you responses.  I agree this may not be the most elegant design however the nature of the application is quite unique.  This is an embedded powerapps inside the projects form within Dynamics finance and operations. 

Basically, what this powerapps does is it is embedded within a dynamics projects form and is has a relationship to the project number within this form.  These forms also have a department on them indicating the department the project resides in.  Once the powerapp loads the user can select a button which provisions using flow a document set within sharepoint named after the Project number and builds a series of sub-folders within this document set.  It also writes a variety of field values from wtithin dynamics to the corresponding fields within the sharepoint library.  This allows the powerapp galleries, one for each department to filter the current project document set and sub folders.  So one would ask why not use a single document library?  Well there are numerous reasons for that that go way beyond this forum however if you familar with sharepoint a single library for 10,000+ projects a year that use different security based upon departments, scalability, filtering, etc. is not a good fit to pull of in a single library.  For that reason, every department has an active projects library and archive projects library.  The projects are moved using another button to the archive when they are closed, we need seperation at a library level for numerous reasons.  So 11 departments with 2 libraries each would = 22 galleries.  I can certainly setup all 22 using variables and the visible function can drive the correct one based upon the department on the Dynamics form.  I have some concerns with this.  Will all galleries load based upon their filtering when the powerapp loads?  Is there a way to turn off all the data sources or only have the current one visible actually load data to improve performance?

I have it working with 2 departments right now so the concept is working fine however not sure if this can scale out to 22 galleries or possibly higher as more departments are onboarded.  Due to the nature of the application being embedded into the Dynamics form, (embedded powerapp) it's not really an option to break this up into multiple powerapps.

PS, the lists are no longer needed so its only the 22 libaries to galleries.  I was able to work eliminate the lists by simply adding some flow to facilitate this requirements.

[Dudditz]

I am just proceeding with building the solution with all 20-30 data sources and using a one to one gallery with each source, make visible based upon a variety of variables. etc.  I am about half way there and performance is still fine.  It coudl be that we are only filtering a single document set within sharepoint and its sub folders per library that this limited amount of data we are returning per library it may work in the end.

I will post an update as we get further along. 

[Office365Master]

I have created an awesome demo app for a new blog I will posting hopefully within a week from now. The solution essentially enables you to view content from any Document Libaries on any site in SharePoint you have permissions to view. The demo app has NO data source Connections whatsoever associated with it.

Checkout the following thread for more info:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/General-Discussion/PowerApps-SharePoint-User-Experience-Demo-you...

[Office365Master]

The demo video for the corresponding blog I have recently published speaks for itself really with regards to how to develop an app that is not constrained to any SharePoint data source whatsoever. It certainly took far longer then I initially anticipated, but I believe this blog should definitely be worth the wait!  

https://youtu.be/vSbwmHfqK3c
PowerApps & SharePoint – The Ultimate User Experience

Rather than me trying to describe whether this blog is worth reading or not, feel free to leave your comments on this thread about any functionality in particular you may think is pretty awesome 😁.