Is it possible to use Entity List and Fetch xml at the same time?

[Audreyma]

Hi everyone,

I'm a fresher for power apps portal.

Recently I create a customer portal to record some config info of clients' env.

There I had a need to merge 3 columns' value into another 1 column.

Since the data type of original columns is Option Set, I was told that the merge can only be realized by Fetchxml.

Actually I have no experience in Code-writing.  Thus, getting all the data and customizing some button etc. via Fetchxml will be quite difficult for me.

In addition,  the target columns that I want to merge is only 3 columns.

I doubt if I can design the main layout through Entity list, and merge the target columns by adding Fetchxml at the same time.

Any ideas about it,  please kindly share with me.

[Fubar]

As per Oliver, it is a Workflow not a Flow.  Workflow can be background or real-time, Flow is background only (except in certain situations like REST - but not applicable to your scenario). 

Needs to be a realtime workflow (or plugin) to get results back straight away (the workflow becomes part of the create/update transaction) so the list view refreshes with the value etc - background ones take a while to get resources to load and then run and are not really part of the create/update transaction (they run after the create/update is committed) and so when the list view refreshes usually the value will not be populated (and because Microsoft's SLA on the cache update is 15mins - it can take a while for the background update to show on the Portal).

[Audreyma]

Hi @OliverRodrigues 

Searching all for power apps setting, I still didn't find where to create a real-time work flow....

Is it something only exists in old version?

About change the date control is rendered, do you have any URL for reference?

Now I set Entity form for user to input hour,minute and second data separately.  Once input finished, the data will be saved and displayed in an Entity list.

In the Entity List, I hope to merge the 3 data in 1 new column at the format HH:MM:SS.

I hope it clarifies your question.

[Audreyma]

Hi @Fubar @OliverRodrigues 

Thank you for your suggestions.

I finally found the classic flow.  But the configuration items look a little complicated.

Thus instead of using it,  I tried creating a background flow through Power Automate.

Flow is created normally, but it failed to update the record as instructed.

Below is the config screenshot for my flow,  could you take a look at it? 

Condition: When a row is added or modified in the specified table. (Screenshot1)

Steps

List Rows (Screenshot2)
Initialize Variable (Screenshot3-5)
         ※It seems to be necessary, without this step, when I tried using them in concat formula, an error said that the 3 columns I want to merge need to be initialized will appear.

Update a record  (Screenshot6)
          Here I put the below formula in the column to save merged data.

          concat(variables('from_hour'),variables('from_minute'),variables('from_second'))

[OliverRodrigues]

I think there is an issue with the snapshot, I can't see the file you attached 

[Fubar]

The Workflow editor is actually easier - but you haven't used it before (there are some things that you cannot do in the Workflow without custom code that you can in Flow - but otherwise accessing fields etc is a lot easier).  As previously mentioned the issue with using Flow and the Portal is that the value may not show up on the portal for 15mins (usually it is shorter - but not internet time)

If the record that you are updating with the concat is the same one in the trigger, there is no need to do a List Rows (to get the columns click Advanced on the Trigger node and then type in a comma separated list of field schema names into the Column Filter) would expect you probably just need to have a Trigger node and an Update Row node (with an expression in the field to be updated to do the concat)

FYI: List Rows returns a list of records and so to access its contents you normally follow it with a 'For Each' step

@OliverRodriguesimage/PDF is loading ok for me.

Edit: realised I had the trigger columns as though they were retrieved columns.  Also forgot you were doing an option set for the values - this will take more effort to get into the concat using something like triggerOutputs()?['body/_optionsetfieldname_label']

[Audreyma]

Hi @OliverRodrigues 

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I just attached it as a pdf file. 

I will attach it directly to this mail as well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Condition: When a row is added or modified in the specified table. (Screenshot1)

Steps

• List Rows (Screenshot2)
• Initialize Variable (Screenshot3-5)
  ※It seems to be necessary, without this step, when I tried using them in concat formula, an error said that the 3 columns I want to merge need to be initialized will appear.
• Update a record  (Screenshot6)

         Here I put the below formula in the column to save merged data.

         concat(variables('from_hour'),variables('from_minute'),variables('from_second'))

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Audreyma]

Hi @Fubar 

Thank you for your reply. 

I don't quite understand what you mean in the last paragraph...

Could you give me some more explanations?  Thanks in advance!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Edit: realised I had the trigger columns as though they were retrieved columns.  Also forgot you were doing an option set for the values - this will take more effort to get into the concat using something like triggerOutputs()?['body/_optionsetfieldname_label']

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BTW, I also created a real-time workflow today. Unfortunately, it didn't work,either.

Do you know any methods for workflow troubleshooting?

For function test, I just set the action as"Send Email".

The whole config is as below.

Condition: When a record is created,updated, or there is any status, field change.

Steps: 

1. If the status of the record is active.

2. Then send a mail to specific user ABC.

 

 

[Fubar · Accepted solution]

• In the workflow, set the Scope or Organization  (generally this is what you use most - user = workflow will only run on records owned by the user executing the workflow).
• For your scenario, would anticipate you only have Create and Change ticked (and inside the Change, the 3 fields ticked - there should be a view link next to the fields change tickbox where you can tick the individual fields) 
• Set Start when: After, After 

Also, as it is a workflow you can change it from realtime to background when ever you want (button in the command bar).  By default the realtime workflow will record when there was a failure (on the portal if a realtime workflow fails you will get an error shown to the Portal user), with a background workflow you can tick/untick the box to retain the session for both successful and failures - this can help when it looks like it didn't run as the session will tell you it did (sessions are on the right hand column)

My previous comment was about a) the bit I struck out in the post, b) that in Flow, optionsets are an object (referenced by their Value/index not the label you see in the dropdown), to get what you see in the drop down (i.e. what you want to concat) you need to reference the field in a special way as it is its label that you are concatenating.

[Audreyma · Accepted solution]

Hi @Fubar  @OliverRodrigues ,

Good news, I made it just now!

Hour,minute and second are merged successfully. 

Actually there is no need to use Concat formula.

In the column which I use to save merged results, I select the 3 columns from Form assistant  and connect them directly with ":".

It works normally whenever I create a new record or update a current record.

{From_Hour(entityname)}:{From_Minute(entityname)}:{From_Second(entityname)} 

Thank you so much for all your help regarding this question!

[Fubar]

@Audreymaas I said earlier the workflow is a little bit easier for some things.

If resolved please mark the Solution as Solved.