How to filter records on entity list based on values in a column and not the user logged in

[Dk4]

Hello,

I am creating a portal app from blank, with a custom entity as the Database. I'm importing the data from an external source into the entity and later on sharing it with users based on the country.

I am fairly new to this, and from my research, the easiest way is to share records based on the user logged in, who is linked up in the contacts through a relationship to the custom entity. (1:N)

My issue is:

1. How do I create a lookup column that accepts in data in text or Numeric form from an external source into the CDS? (Creating a text column fails the mapping as the other one is lookup type)

2.  How do I filter the records in entity permission such that the person logged in can see details from their country and not necessarily what they own.

3. By creating relationships in the contact entity, do I need to have a list of my countries so that I link them to my country column which will be the lookup on my custom entity?

sample data

Name	Country	Application	Price
Aleesha	China	App A	50,000
Alice	Korea	App B	20,000
Alisson White	China	App C	12,000
Nikki Brynt	Korea	App A	5,000

[RaashiSen]

hello @Dk4 ,

let me review this scenario and get back to you here.

[Fubar]

1. Lookups are a reference to another Entity.  You need to load your value into the other Entity first, so the import can find it (or have 2 files in a Zip file and import the zip, where 1 file is the vales for the ther Entity).
2. You need to have the User linked to Country, and then establish Entity Permissions where the scope is parental. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/portals/configure/assign-entity-permissions#parenta... (note: parental are the most complex and so its not easy to give a quick simple example) you will probably need a Parental between Contact and Country, and another Parental between Country and the entity that you want them to access.
3. Most likely, parental entity permissions are based on the CRM/CDS relationships.  

[Dk4]

Hi @Fubar  thank you for your response, although I am a bit lost on the number one explanation.

So am getting my data from an HTTP source, so I don't exactly know how to import it as a zip file.

Also having two entities separately, am not sure will solve my issue of not having a lookup field on the initial one. 

I'm looking for a way to have two identical columns and one will be a lookup, probably find a way to populate the second column with values the same as the first and still maintain the lookup data type.

My main problem is creating a lookup column while importing data to an entity, not exactly on the entity permissions.

Thanks.