Changing Data connection from DEV SharePoint list to PROD SharePoint list breaks app

[djoel]

In developing my PowerApp, I have a Dev version connected to a Dev SharePoint list.  When I export the app from my Dev to my Prod environment, I need to change the connection to my Prod SharePoint list.  The lists are identical; however, my app no longer works when I change the connection from Dev to Prod.  Specifically, the edit form doesn't populate with the data associated with the selected ID.  If I add a new edit form to the app and connect that new form to the Prod data, it functions as expected. 

Has anyone else experienced this same behavior?  How can I create an app in a Dev environment and deploy it to Prod using a different data source?

[K-A-R-L]

Hi @djoel ,

Can you please make sure you've published the app before exporting? It will only export the last published version of the app.

Cheers

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @djoel ,

Do you mean that the Edit form do not recognize the same SP List from your Prod environment?

Based on the issue that you mentioned, I think you have some misunderatanding on the connections in PowerApps. Actually, when you create a connection to your SP List from your app, a unique Connection ID would be generated and saved within the created connection.

Each connection you created in your app would have a unique Connection ID. The connection use the generated Connection ID to get the corresponding access token from app memory, then the connection could call corresponding service along with the access token.

So the connection you created in your Dev environment is not same as that in your Prod environment (They have different Connection ID), even though, the connection has same name.

On your side, please consider remove the previous connection from your Edit form, then re-bind it to the new created connection in your Prod environment, check if the issue is solved.

Best regards,

[djoel · Accepted solution]

Thank you for the response.  It appears I was following a red herring after all.  After submitting this request, I decided to start over from the point where I imported the app into my test environment.  This time, when I changed the data source, it worked.  I am chalking this one up to PowerApps anomalies.

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @djoel ,

Currently, within PowerApps, it is an known issue that when deploying an app from one environment to another environment, the connection you created in previous environment would be invalid, enen though, the connection in Target environment has same name as that in your source environment.

Note: Currently, PowerApps could not recognize the same connection name created in different environments.

As an fixed solution, you must re-create a new connection within your Target environment, and then re-bind your data forms to the new created connection.

If you would like this feature to be improved, please consider submit an idea to PowerApps Ideas Forum:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/PowerApps-Ideas/idb-p/PowerAppsIdeas

Best regards,

[reveur007]

I had a similar issue writing to a SharePoint List from the App when moved to PROD. It's a new SP List [copied from DEV/TEST to PROD]. But the App couldn't submit to the list [everything was good in DEV and TEST as the App was using the same SP List for both DEV and TEST]. I did the "edit", "save", "publish" the App from PROD env and it worked! Thanks K-A-R-L for this tip! 🙂

[reveur007]

Thanks for the update!

[reveur007]

Just a FYI- The issue was that the App worked good when I ran it within the APP [Edit mode] in PROD, it didn't work when I directly ran it from PROD env. So, after I selected the SP List [from resources] within the App [in Edit Mode], selected Edit to view the List and then did the "Save", "Publish" and then selected another browser/ new browser session [this is another issue with Power Apps!!]- the App worked fine in PROD.