Combobox Multi Select - Default Selected Items - 2 datasources

[SomeEmployee]

Hi,

I'm having trouble figuring out the default selected items of a multi selection combo box that pulls choices from one data source (Job_Posting_Tables) but needs to retrieve the default items from a second data source (Transaction_Tables)

I'll try to describe what I've done as clearly as possible.

Note that the combo box is found within a form control (therefore the combo box is found within a card)

Also note that the submission of the selected items works just fine! The problem is retrieving the right items.

The goal is simply to select job postings from the Job_Posting_Tables to then create a record in Transaction_Tables with those job postings.

___

Info about the combo box:

Name: Job_Posting_Combobox 

Items:

Job_Posting_Tables

Default selected items (most likely wrong): 

Filter(
    Job_Posting_Tables,
    Job_Posting in Filter(
        Transaction_Tables,
        'Transaction ID' = Transaction_Selected
    ).'Job Posting'
)

Update value of the card:

If(
    Len(Concat(Job_Posting_Combobox.SelectedItems, Job_Posting & ", ")) > 0,
    Left(
        Concat(Job_Posting_Combobox.SelectedItems, Job_Posting & ", "),
        Len(Concat(Job_Posting_Combobox.SelectedItems, Job_Posting & ", ")) - 2
    ),
    ""
)

The formula im currently using for the default selected items wont pull the right items, instead by default, it selects ALL possible values from the Job_Posting_Tables (column: Job_Posting)

Meaning as I select an item in my gallery (regardless of what is truly stored in ThisItem.'Job Posting') every existing job posting from Job_Posting_Tables are selected by default in the combo box.

Also note that the right record/item is selected on the form, I have a label that lets me know which 'Transaction ID' has been selected (which is the unique record code), so I don’t believe the issue lies there.

_________

Now I have another multi select combo box that only behaves on one and separate data source (Client_Table_Tests)

The items for that combo box is: 

["PAYROLL", "INC", "PERM", "TTP"]

Default selected items:

[LookUp(Client_Table_Tests, Client_ID = Client_Selected).Type]

Update on card: 

If(
    Len(
        Concat(
            ComboboxCanvas11.SelectedItems,
            Value & ", "
        )
    ) > 0,
    Left(
        Concat(
            ComboboxCanvas11.SelectedItems,
            Value & ", "
        ),
        Len(
            Concat(
                ComboboxCanvas11.SelectedItems,
                Value & ", "
            )
        ) - 2
    ),
    ""
)

This second combo box works great! I can select the right type values, submit the form, and as I come back to the record the right types are selected by default.

___

Thanks for the suggestions!

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @SomeEmployee ,

Assuming you are sending the content to a multi-select column, the DefaultSelectedItems should be

ForAll(
   ThisItem.Job_Posting,
   {'Job Posting': Job_Posting}
)

but I am a little confused with your Concat() function on the Update unless you are using a Text field, in which case this blog of mine may be useful to you.

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[SomeEmployee]

Hi Warren,

Thank you for your reply, I've simplified the update property of the card holding the combo box as it did not need to be as long:

Concat(Job_Posting_Combobox.SelectedItems, Job_Posting , ",")

All data sources im using are dataverse and all the columns are text. I should've mentioned it, i suppose that is why the formula you gave me wont work.

ForAll(
   ThisItem.Job_Posting,
   {'Job Posting': Job_Posting}
)

I went over your blog and it seems like im moving forward (hopefully).

I tried changing the default selected items to 

RenameColumns(Split(ThisItem.'Job Posting', ","),"Value", "Job_Posting")

and also to

Split(ThisItem.'Job Posting', ",")

while both of which do not return any errors, they do not retrieve any items either (default items are left blank)

Frankly i do not understand both of these last formulas as in my mind the default selected property needs to explicitly refer to the source of the combo box (Job_Posting_Tables), otherwise i would simply say 

ThisItem.Job_Posting

Would you have any suggestions, directions or tips as to what i need to make sure to understand?

Btw this is greatly appreciated!!

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @SomeEmployee 

I can now see of the Items of the relevant Combo Box (I read the top one initially) simplify this somewhat as your underlying Table field in the Combo Box is Value, which is also the output of Split - so DefaultSelectedItems should be 

Split(
   ThisItem.'Job Posting', 
   ","
)

Your Data Card Update should be

Concat(
   ComboBoxCanvas11.SelectedItems,
   Value, 
   ","
)

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[SomeEmployee]

so I tried changing the update property of the card to:

Concat(
   ComboBoxCanvas11.SelectedItems,
   Value, 
   ","
)

 but "value" is not valid, i suppose its because the items of the combo box is a table and not an array like ["XXX", "XYY"]

Job_Posting_Tables

So i reverted back to:

Concat(Job_Posting_Combobox.SelectedItems, Job_Posting , ",")

as for default selected items of the combo box, i am using: 

Split(
   ThisItem.'Job Posting', 
   ","
)

So the problem of not having any default selected items being retrieved on the form persists, I assume its because there is no match or there is a problem between the items (Job_Posting_Tables) and the default selected items formula.

_____________

Just to reiterate, the submission of multiple job postings works just fine and the update property of the card works too, selecting multiple job postings and submitting results in for example: 4818, 1849, 4181 directly in dataverse.

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @SomeEmployee ,

This is where I am unclear on your settings as you posted the Items as

["PAYROLL", "INC", "PERM", "TTP"]

hence the Value reference I made. The Items now obviously refer the Job_Posting field, so the Update should be as you have it now

Concat(
   Job_Posting_Combobox.SelectedItems, 
   Job_Posting, 
   ","
)

The DefaultSelectedItems should be (although you are saying it does not work)

RenameColumns(
   Split(
      ThisItem.'Job Posting',
      ","
   ),
   "Value",
   "Job_Posting"
)

or another way

ForAll(
   Split(
      ThisItem.'Job Posting',
      ","
   ) As _JP,
   {Job_Posting: _JP.Value}
)

Please click Accept as solution if my post helped you solve your issue. This will help others find it more readily. It also closes the item. If the content was useful in other ways, please consider giving it Thumbs Up.

MVP (Business Applications)   Visit my blog Practical Power Apps

[SomeEmployee]

Ah! I see the confusion, my original post is divided in 2, the first part of which is my quest to find a solution and the second is an example of another combo box i have that behaves as it should, that second part is completely separate.

So to summarize where i currently stand:

Combo box name: Job_Posting_Combobox

Items: Job_Posting_Tables

Update on card: 

Concat(Job_Posting_Combobox.SelectedItems, Job_Posting , ",")

As for the default selected items, i tried the 3 suggestions but none retrieve any items at all, but return no errors either.

ForAll(
   Split(
      ThisItem.'Job Posting',
      ","
   ) As _JP,
   {Job_Posting: _JP.Value}
)

RenameColumns(
   Split(
      ThisItem.'Job Posting',
      ","
   ),
   "Value",
   "Job_Posting"
)

Split(ThisItem.'Job Posting', ",")

My guess is that since the records of the form are pulled from Transaction_Tables and since the item suggestions of the combo box from Job_Posting_Tables, we need to explicitly reference Job_Posting_Tables somehow in the default selected items of the combo box, as of now all the mentions of ThisItem.XXX refer directly and only to the records in Transaction_Tables.

It is my understanding that the default selected items need to reference the source of the items of that same combo box.

Thanks again!

[WarrenBelz]

@SomeEmployee ,

Before we go any further here, if you put a Label in the Data Card with

ThisItem.'Job Posting'

do you see the values you expect separated by commas ?

[SomeEmployee]

Yes absolutely,

The right values appear in the label and i tested with different records: 

[WarrenBelz · Accepted solution]

@SomeEmployee ,

Are you using a Modern or Classic Combo Box ? If Modern, I suggest you go back to Classic until these are properly sorted.