Appended Comments

[AdamH]

I have been fighting with this little problem for a while now. 

I have seen SEVERAL posts around this subject and yet I still cannot find a stable solution. 

I watched a post on youtube by Shane Young and got the appended comments to work. I was able to enter a comment, it would post (using patch) to the sharepoint list, and then display the comment back in the PowerApp. However there was a small bug.

As soon as another field within the record was changed, the comments in the 'Note History' field vanished - but still remained within the sharepoint list and no longer display.

This is what I have so far: 

Has anyone concurred this issue? 

[Anonymous]

@monalo I hope I can explain it as well as the folks who are really good at this stuff.

First, in regard to the varFormData.  The initial variable is in my button that I use to create a new task in the system.  In the OnSelect of the button:

ResetForm('Form Name');

Set(varFormData,Defaults('SP List Name'));

Set(varFormMode,FormMode.New);

Navigate('Screen Name',ScreenTransition.Fade)

On the form that is used to create the task, go to DefaultMode and enter varFormData

There is a great video from Reza Dorani that explains it a little better:  Multiple Screen Form Control in Power Apps - YouTube

In regard to the Patch() function, it is in the button that is used to update a task that has already been submitted.  My system is set up so that I can edit and update an already existing task initially using an edit button with OnSelect as:

Set(varFormMode,FormMode.Edit).

Once in the edit mode, I have a save update button with OnSelect as:

Patch('SP List Name',varFormData,'Form Name'.Updates,
{Comments: User().FullName & " " & Now() & " " & Rich Text Comments Name.HtmlText & Name of HTML box with Running Comments.HtmlText});
If(IsEmpty(Errors('SP List Name')),Notify("This task has been updated successfully",NotificationType.Success));
Navigate('Screen Name');
Notify(First(Errors(SP List Name')).Message,NotificationType.Error)

I think because SharePoint under the append function creates different versions of the comments, when someone makes an update in SharePoint, it resets the box in PowerApps. I have also found that after everything has already been created, I turned the Append in SharePoint to no and it still functions.  Not sure how your system is set up in PowerApps in regard to Appended comments, but Reza also has a great video that I used to set mine up.  

Power Apps append changes to existing text (Append Comments) - YouTube

Hope that makes sense.  Let me know if something doesn't make sense and I will try to clarify.

[monalo]

@Anonymous Thank you, this was helpful! Since my canvas app was a SharePointIntegration, I had to do a little work around so that users were not clicking on the Save function within SharePoint, but rather utilizing the Submit button where I used your Patch function with OnSelect. So far it's working great, thank you again!!

[KalaiX]

Same. Same. Same. Been trying to figure this out for months. Exactly as you described is exactly what happens to my power app. I have a multisecreen form that is submitted with a patch submit. As soon as an item in one of those forms are edited and save; poof. Notes are gone. Still coming up with nothing to resolve it. 

[KalaiX]

Hi!  I’ve used Reza’s video for many things, including this. My appended notes continue to disappear anytime the form is edited. Nothing is working 😞

[AdamH]

@Anonymous @monalo 

I'm sorry - I have not been on here for some time. This post is rather old for me in regards to the version of the app I was building at the time, it has changed a lot since this post. Did you find a solution? 

[Anonymous]

@KalaiX , have you gone back to SharePoint and looked to see if the comments are indeed captured there.  If the comments are showing in SharePoint when you submit the form, then we know there is something in the code from Power Apps to SharePoint.  In addition, if the comments are in SharePoint, are all of the comments being captured or does it look like each subsequent comment is being overwritten by the new one.  

[Anonymous]

Thanks @AdamH .  I did find a solution to this one and now everything is working great. 

[KalaiX]

@Anonymous , thank you for your help!  I eventually just gave up since I was working on a deadline.  I decided to create a 2nd SP list, then used its connection to a difference screen that I added strictly for notes.  Its a bit inconvenient that I have to now consider 2 SP Lists for all of my entries, but its actually been working pretty well...i no longer worry about any notes being lost so baby frankenstein will work for now.  Thank you so much for the follow up!

[Anonymous]

@KalaiX , sounds good.  Glad you found a solution, although maybe not the one you initially wanted.