Better code editor and User defined functions

[opax]

I think it would be a good idea to have better code editor and user defined functions/macros or what ever the name, to make the code inside PowerApps more readable and reuseable. It is errorprone to write long nested strings of commands inside a simple multiline textbox.

For example this is OnSelect code of a button on an app I'm developing. I'll try to explain how to make it more readable below.

If(CreateNew=true,Collect('[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',{SafetyManagementPlanId: SafetyManagementPlanGallery.Selected.Id, Title: PermitTitleTextInput.Text, TargetName: PermitTargetNameTextInput.Text, Identifier: PermitIdentifierTextInput.Text, SafetyManagementAuthorizerName: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerNameTextInput.Text, SafetyManagementAuthorizerPhone: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerPhoneTextInput.Text, PermittedCompany: PermitPermittedCompanyTextInput.Text, PermittedContactName: PermitPermittedContactNameTextInput.Text, PermittedContactPhone: PermitPermittedContactPhoneTextInput.Text, AdditionalInformation: PermitAdditionalInformationTextInput.Text}),Patch('[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',First(Filter('[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',Id=AssignmentPermitId)),{Title:PermitTitleTextInput.Text,TargetName: PermitTargetNameTextInput.Text, Identifier: PermitIdentifierTextInput.Text, SafetyManagementAuthorizerName: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerNameTextInput.Text, SafetyManagementAuthorizerPhone: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerPhoneTextInput.Text, PermittedCompany: PermitPermittedCompanyTextInput.Text, PermittedContactName: PermitPermittedContactNameTextInput.Text, PermittedContactPhone: PermitPermittedContactPhoneTextInput.Text, AdditionalInformation: PermitAdditionalInformationTextInput.Text}));If(CreateNew=true,UpdateContext({CreateNew:false,AssignmentPermitId:Last(Filter('[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',SafetyManagementPlanId=SafetyManagementPlanGallery.Selected.Id)).Id}))

Identing as a way of making code readable, what I would like to have is ability to switch line editor to auto-ident mode.

If(
   CreateNew=true,
   Collect(
      '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
      {
         SafetyManagementPlanId: SafetyManagementPlanGallery.Selected.Id,
         Title: PermitTitleTextInput.Text,
         TargetName: PermitTargetNameTextInput.Text,
         Identifier: PermitIdentifierTextInput.Text,
         SafetyManagementAuthorizerName: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerNameTextInput.Text,
         SafetyManagementAuthorizerPhone: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerPhoneTextInput.Text,
         PermittedCompany: PermitPermittedCompanyTextInput.Text,
         PermittedContactName: PermitPermittedContactNameTextInput.Text,
         PermittedContactPhone: PermitPermittedContactPhoneTextInput.Text,
         AdditionalInformation: PermitAdditionalInformationTextInput.Text
      }
   ),
   Patch(
      '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
      First(
         Filter(
            '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
            Id=AssignmentPermitId)
         ),
         {
            Title:PermitTitleTextInput.Text,
            TargetName: PermitTargetNameTextInput.Text,
            Identifier: PermitIdentifierTextInput.Text,
            SafetyManagementAuthorizerName: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerNameTextInput.Text,
            SafetyManagementAuthorizerPhone: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerPhoneTextInput.Text,
            PermittedCompany: PermitPermittedCompanyTextInput.Text,
            PermittedContactName: PermitPermittedContactNameTextInput.Text,
            PermittedContactPhone: PermitPermittedContactPhoneTextInput.Text,
            AdditionalInformation: PermitAdditionalInformationTextInput.Text
         }
      )
   );

   If(
      CreateNew=true,
      UpdateContext(
         {
            CreateNew:false,
            AssignmentPermitId:Last(
               Filter(
                  '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
                  SafetyManagementPlanId=SafetyManagementPlanGallery.Selected.Id
               )
            ).Id
         }
       )
   )

Commenting would be nice feature as well - I don't know if you have it already, I might have just overlooked it.

Reuseability of code could be real user defined functions or simply code blocks.

1. Define reuseable code block MyCodeBlock1. This is simple, not a real function as it does not need parameters. It simply functions as its code would be right there where it is inserted.

         Title: PermitTitleTextInput.Text,
         TargetName: PermitTargetNameTextInput.Text,
         Identifier: PermitIdentifierTextInput.Text,
         SafetyManagementAuthorizerName: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerNameTextInput.Text,
         SafetyManagementAuthorizerPhone: PermitSafetyManagementAuthorizerPhoneTextInput.Text,
         PermittedCompany: PermitPermittedCompanyTextInput.Text,
         PermittedContactName: PermitPermittedContactNameTextInput.Text,
         PermittedContactPhone: PermitPermittedContactPhoneTextInput.Text,
         AdditionalInformation: PermitAdditionalInformationTextInput.Text

2. So the original code would be like this.

If(
   CreateNew=true,
   Collect(
      '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
      {
         SafetyManagementPlanId: SafetyManagementPlanGallery.Selected.Id,
         ReuseCode(MyCodeBlock1)
      }
   ),
   Patch(
      '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
      First(
         Filter(
            '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
            Id=AssignmentPermitId)
         ),
         {
            ReuseCode(MyCodeBlock1)
         }
      )
   );

   If(
      CreateNew=true,
      UpdateContext(
         {
            CreateNew:false,
            AssignmentPermitId:Last(
               Filter(
                  '[dbo].[AssignmentPermit]',
                  SafetyManagementPlanId=SafetyManagementPlanGallery.Selected.Id
               )
            ).Id
         }
       )
 

Well. Just a few ideas there.

Cheers,

Olli

[mr-dang]

Agreed, indenting should be easier. Currently the only way to make one is to press Ctrl+Enter, which is tied to a carriage return. You don't always need a return though.

[yukonn]

+1 for this.

[Steelman70]

Fully agree, we need to be able to place comments

[JamesMilne]

Agree fully. While using Project Siena I found myself creating complex functions like the ones in this post and I typically found myself copying the functions out into NotePad (or NotePad++) just so I could read them, let alone editing them.

[yukonn]

Hi,

I use the Beautify JS to get the format. Please do not expect all format is correct. But you should try to use it. Here is link http://jsbeautifier.org/

[JamesMilne]

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out..

ive been working with PowerBI and I don't mind the formula builder in PowerBI.. it has some basic syntax highlighting and matches ( and ) so you at lease know if you have all your closing ")"..

[yukonn]

Hi James,

    If you are working with PowerBI you may also interesting this one http://www.daxformatter.com/

That is auto format for DAX syntax.

Regards,

[opax]

Thanks for the comments.

I've used Notepad++ at times which is ok. JSBeutifier works nicely too, thanks.

DAX Formatter didn't work for me, I doesn't format the formula because of a syntax error, which is natural as PowerApps formula is different than DAX.

But all of these are lacking the intellisence, which is pretty nice in PowerApps Studio. I think the default Formula text box could stay, but you should also have an option to open the formula up in a better editor (formatting + intellisence).

[telee]

Totally agreed. In addition, it is better to allow comment lines in order to explain a little bit on what the code is going to do. I think if powerapps follows the similar approach as MS office to support to support visual basic for application will be excellent. Thanks.

Best Regards,

Terence

[Anonymous]

Skip the code...this app is suppose to be code free.  The formulas are enough to deal with and should be changed to a graphical interface like InfoPath is.  Building Apps is far more complicated than the tutorials make it out to be.