problems with edit forms and dropdown from a sharepoint list

[Benjamin_GER]

Hello,

I am a newbie in the PowerApps topic since about a month.

In the company we work with product characteristics and request these from the supplier and store them in our system.
To bring a little order into it, the idea came to create a PowerApp to store the data collected centrally in a Sharepoint list and to create this after various rounds of coordination in our PIM system.

For this purpose I created a Sharepoint list and linked it to Power Apps. So far I can now create new records via PowerApps. This works quite well. For this I use the EditForm.New

Now I am supposed to create another screen where you can select all the records you have maintained so far and where you can edit.

And I have been failing at this for two days now. I try this via EditForm.Edit, but there I always get the message that "There is no data to display".

This is obvious, because I have not selected anything. So I tried to change the Name field to a dropdown. Works conditionally. The DataCard is now a dropdown, but I can't select any values.

Do I have you a thinking error or where is my problem?

The Sharepoint list is called "Merkmalanforderung".
And I want to have the DataCard "Merkmalsname" as a dropdown.

For this I send you a picture of my mask.
(Sorry, everything is in German - but I hope this is not a problem).

[RusselThomas]

Hi @Benjamin_GER ,

The Item: property on the edit form is used to tell the form which record it is editing when it is in Edit mode.

The Item: property is therefore a record, and can be defined by using any expression that results in a record from a source. 

Usually it's tied to a display gallery, where someone can select a record and then come through to the edit form to edit that record.  So you might have a gallery of your records in one screen, and if someone selects a record and hits a button then they're taken to the edit page for that record.

In this instance, the reference in the Item: property looks something like this;

Gallery1.Selected

However, you can use any method that results in a record result from the source, including LookUp(), First(), Last() and so forth.  For example;

LookUp(Merkmalanforderung, ID=Gallery1.Selected.ID)

The lookup above is a bit redundant as Gallery1.Selected will achieve the same result, but it's just to illustrate an example.

If you wanted to allow the selection of the edit record through an independent dropdown, you might have to put the dropdown outside the form (it might create a circular reference if it's inside, not sure) - but essentially if you link a dropdown to any field in your record and wish to reference the related record, then the Item: property of your Edit form would look something like this;

Dropdown1.Selected

Hope this helps,

RT

[Benjamin_GER]

Hey @RusselThomas 

thanks for your answer.

I don't get along with the Gallery function. For example, if I insert a new screen, then select Gallery and then Dropdown and link this to the Merkmalsname it only shows me dropdown fields.

The colleagues who fill this list with data should always work with the same screen. Otherwise they will end up confused and that makes everything even more complex.

So my thought was that there should be two screens within the PowerApp. One to create new records and the second screen to view the existing records including the possibility to correct or add new information.

And with the latter I am currently stuck.

Can I duplicate the screen I use to create new records and modify it so that I make a dropdown or combo box at the 'Merkmalsname' to select the records. And then to be able to display or edit them?

[RusselThomas · Accepted solution]

Hi @Benjamin_GER ,

Whether it's a dropdown or a gallery, the basic principle is the same;

The first selection is based on a list of possible records to edit.  The selection of a record then updates the form view to that record.  Whether it's on the same screen or another screen is up to you.

A Gallery gives you the option of viewing multiple fields for that record on each line - but it is still a list of records.

A dropdown limits your view to a single field of each record - but it too will also be a list of records. 

So your suggestion will work, it's just a matter of how you implement it to suit your users.

• Create a duplicate of your "New form" page.
• On the duplicate page, set the default Form mode of your create form to "Edit" and perhaps change the name of the form to something like "EditForm" to avoid confusion.
• Add a dropdown to your screen (outside of your form - you can't select the form record from inside the form as this will create a circular reference and give you an error).  Rename it to something like "recordDropdown".
• Set the dropdown Items: of recordDropdown to the same source as your form - Merkmalanforderung - and set the display field of recordDropdown to Merkmalsname.
• Set the Items: property of your form to recordDropdown.Selected

See if that helps?

Kind regards,

RT

[Benjamin_GER]

@RusselThomas 

Wow, perfect thank you. It works. 😁

However, I would still have a problem. I have a save button with the formula SubmitForm(Form1_1).

When I save, the fields are reseted, but nothing happens anymore. The changes are not transferred to sharepoint. And when I select another record, nothing happens anymore.

In addition I get a yellow triangle at my combobox that the formula "Search" does not work correctly.

Just for your information. The table should later manage about 100k records.

Can I change something in the code?

[RusselThomas · Accepted solution]

Hi @Benjamin_GER ,

Glad to hear it works 🙂

If the form is in Edit mode and you submit it, it can't do anything but update the current record with new data - assuming new data has been entered.  If it isn't doing what you're expecting it to, then something is configured incorrectly somewhere, probably as a result of copying it instead of creating it from the start. 

I assume Form1_1 is the name of the Edit form?

In the first page, your new form OnSuccess: property is set to

NewForm(Form1)

You would want to change this for your EditForm (you can just set it to the default setting of false)

If it's still not working properly, try creating a new screen and placing an edit form on it (instead of copying) and see if that works.

if you're still running into issues and need to do some troubleshooting, you can use the OnSuccess: and the LastSubmit property of your form to see what it's doing.

Try setting the OnSuccess: property of your form to 

ClearCollect(debugCollection, Form1_1.LastSubmit)

Then edit a field and submit.  You can then view the collection through the menu options to see what was captured.  Whatever is captured in there should be what was updated in SPO.

Kind regards,

RT