Collect Not Adding Values

[IPC_ahaas]

I have a button with OnSelect

Collect(
    MultiSave,
    {
        Tag: InpTagNumber.Text,
        Date: Text(CalShiftDate.SelectedDate),
        WoodType: InpWoodType.Text,
        Location: InpCreatedLocation.Text,
        Thickness: InpThickness.Text,
        Length: InpLength.Text,
        Width: InpWidth.Text,
        Qty: InpQuantity.Text
    }
)

When I click the button, the values for "Tag", "Shift", "Location", "WoodType", and "Qty" are not being added to the table. The inconsistency of these fields not being captured, while others are, is confusing.

[poweractivate]

@IPC_ahaas 

1. "Shift" is not present in your example. So for now I'll presume it shouldn't be there at all.

2. Do you ever Collect elsewhere in your app (and by that I mean anywhere else at all in the app) on MultiSave on something like only the Thickness, Date, Length Width, and omit the Tag, Location, WoodType, and Qty on those Collect function calls? (You may be able to click on the ellipses to the right of Settings, click Collections, click the name of the Collection MultiSave then click Usage and it might even tell you all the places you're using the Collection in any way). 

If you ever do this, you need to amend all of those other Collect function calls which are missing those fields, to always include the other fields you reported were missing. So all the Collect calls to the same Collection should have the same schema - that is, should always have all the fields you want in there.

Just set them as Blank() e.g. Tag:Blank(),WoodType:Blank(), etc... when you don't want them to have a value.

If you don't do this, you might end up getting the issue you are describing.

This is because the Collection should have the same schema. If you are giving a mixed schema, Power Apps will pick only one. My guess it's picking the time you Collect on MultiSave and provide a Record containing only the Length, Width, and Qty, for example. If you ever Collect on MultiSave on anything else, you might just get the very issue you are describing!

The issue you are describing ends up being the way it's intended to work and is not a bug. You should try the suggestion to set the fields you don't want at the moment, as Blank() e.g. Tag:Blank(),WoodType:Blank(), etc... when you don't want them to have a value yet on that Collect function call, then it might resolve your issue.

You can also consider using more than one Collection, if you find that easier - however, in many cases, this might be confusing - I'd say stick with one Collection and set the fields you don't want at the moment, as Blank() e.g. Tag:Blank(),WoodType:Blank(), etc... when you don't want those fields to have a value yet on that Collect function call.

Note that if you are going to ever Patch this Collection to a Data Source or otherwise attempt to write to a data source (possibly even without using Patch directly), and what you are writing to the data source may have Blank() values in them, you may need to enable the Formula-level error management feature or you may get issues where Blank() values are not being written to the data source ( note that you may actually want this kept Off if you specifically don't want Blank() values written to the data source )

3. To troubleshoot the above more easily, just change the MultiSave collection to another name such as MultiSave02. See if this seems to immediately resolve the issue. If it does, then it is likely because MultiSave is being used elsewhere with a different, reduced set of columns. If you are sure you are not doing that, just try renaming everywhere else you use MultiSave to MultiSave02 too and see if it helps. If it does not help, then the issue is very likely really as it was described above and renaming the Collection everywhere you use it, will not help to resolve the issue in that case.

4. You can also try this: the following feature is not really intended to be used this way, so I don't recommend it - but in case it helps, you can check if enabling the Dynamic schema feature helps you (it might not, since it's not really intended to be used for this purpose, but rather to allow for multiple possible schemas, usually from custom connectors or even certain out of the box connectors that may return a mixed schema):

After enabling the above, see if it lets you use Collections that sometimes omit columns in function calls to Collect and on a subsequent call to Collect then suddenly  lets you use use a Record that includes those columns without it omitting the columns. If it does, I guess you could try and use this feature if you want for making it so you can sometimes omit columns from Collections and other times include them, but I do not generally recommend doing anything like this. It is also likely not to work, since it's not intended for this purpose. Instead you can check the earlier suggestions, as I recommend those.

See if it helps @IPC_ahaas 

[IPC_ahaas]

Hi @poweractivate , thanks for the reply.

1. Good catch on that one, I forgot to re-add it. I've fixed that now.

2a. I had another Scene that was using the same collection, so I removed it completely. The Scene I am working on is meant to replace that one anyway.

2b. I don't have any ellipses to the right of Settings, but under View, I have a Collections button. Clicking on that shows my collection with all the value I am expecting to see.

2c. I've enabled that setting now.

3. I've done this and I'm still having the same issue.

4. I'll save that for a last resort.

[IPC_ahaas]

My table in the App

The Collections screen

I should be getting Tag, WoodType, Location, and Qty because they are being recorded.

[poweractivate · Accepted solution]

@IPC_ahaas It seems you might be referring to the Data Table Control you seem to be using in the app as missing the values, even when the Collection is not missing the values!

The issue seems to be with the Data Table Control then, and not the Collection. 

Since to me it appears you didn't have any issues with the Collection itself, you may try omitting the columns sometimes, including them other times, and see if it's fine (however, you may not want to push it, the issues I described, may still happen anyway).

Try creating a new Data Table Control and adding the Collection and fields again to this new Control. If it works, and you don't think you really need it, delete the other Data Table Control. The issue seems to be with the Data Table Control. See if it helps @IPC_ahaas 

If it looks like a Data Table Control but is really a Gallery Control, then I'd suggest similar advice here too: try creating a new Gallery Control, set your Collection MultiSave as the Data Source, and then add the fields in again. If it works, you could either try carefully fixing the Data Cards on the old Gallery Control, using this new one as a reference, or, if you don't think you don't even need anything else that's in it, then just remove the old Gallery Control and use the new one instead.

[IPC_ahaas]

I recreated the DataTable and that fixed it right away.