Any way to use Search() on an entity but use the fields from another entity?

[Mgodby]

Here is my issue. I have one entity called "Purchase Requisitions" and another called "Purchase Requisition Items". Every Purchase Requisition can have multiple Purchase Requisition Items and they are basically connected through a Requisition Number. 

My issue now is I have a gallery that uses "Purchase Requisitions" and what I want is to be able to use a search that will filter the "Purchase Requisitions" based on the fields from "Purchase Requisition Items". 

I know in Search() you need to provide the fields for the entity you are searching through, but is there a way to use fields from a different entity?

All the fields here are from "Purchase Requisitions", but is there a way to use fields from another entity for this? Is it even possible? Thanks.

[PowerAddict]

One way that I think you can achieve this is to have 2 galleries. First in which you search h requisition items based on the search criteria, then another gallery that display any and all requiditions that are referenced by the items in the 2nd gallery.

Let me know if this helps.

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Hardit Bhatia
The Power Addict
https://thepoweraddict.com

[Mgodby]

Yeah I was thinking doing that, only fear I have would be performance. My other work around was to create a multi-line field and then populate that field with all of the correct values from the Purchase Requisition items separated by a coma. The character limit is around 1million and 48 thousand so that might be okay but my fear with that is the performance. 

[Mgodby]

Do you think creating a view could work? Someone recommended that to me but what worries me is that if I am doing this calculation in the "Items" value of the gallery that might not work. Does that sound like something that could work?

[poweractivate]

@Mgodby 

Try instead to use AddColumns to create a table that merges your different column entities and searching through that table (the table created by AddColumns should be able to used in the Search function)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/functions/function-table-shaping

[PaulD1]

Does your organisation mirror your CDS data to an Azure SQL instance? 

If so it is easy in SQL to create a view (query) that will join the 'Requisition' and 'Requisition Items' tables, allow you to do a delegable search and return just the required columns for a performant result.

My biggest gripe with CDS is that you enter data in a relational fashion (e.g. with a 'Requisition' and a 'Requisition Items' table with a key between them) but have no way of extracting the data in a relational/set based fashion (another than, possibly fetchXML, but even if that works, you'll have to go through a Flow to get it).

[PowerAddict]

@poweractivate the only reason I do not like AddColumns is that the even if expressions within the AddColumns are delegable, AddColumns itself is not. So it is bound by the delegation limit. Worse, it is not even highlighted as a delegation warning. Suffered big time because of this in a production app.

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If you like this reply, please give kudos. And if this solves your problem, please accept this reply as the solution.

Thanks!
Hardit Bhatia
The Power Addict
https://thepoweraddict.com

[v-yutliu-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mgodby ,

Could you describe more clearly about how do you want to filter Purchase Requisitions based on the fields from "Purchase Requisition Items"?

Do you want to enter data in a textinput, filter "Purchase Requisition Items"based on this and then get related items in "Purchase Requisitions"?

Could you tell me

1)the data type of the field in "Purchase Requisition Items" that you want to filter based on the textinput?

2)the data type of Requisition Number field in "Purchase Requisition Items" and "Purchase Requisitions"?

I assume that the field that you want to filter based on is text type, Requisition Number is number type in both two entities.

If so, please firstly connect with these two entities.

Then try this formula:

Filter(Purchase Requisitions,Requisition Number in Search(Purchase Requisition Items,Textinput1.Text,"fieldname").Requisition Number)

If Requisition Number field in "Purchase Requisition Items" is lookup field, in "Purchase Requisitions" is number type, try this:

Filter(Purchase Requisitions,Requisition Number in Search(Purchase Requisition Items,Textinput1.Text,"fieldname").Requisition Number.Requisition Number)

Best regards,