Help on building on a productivity tracker

[ZERAREZ]

Hi, I am fairly new to Power Apps and I'm tasked to create a productivity tracker with the following requirements:

1. Track and record time spent on each item.

2. Allow the time to be paused and resumed but only return the time spent on the task excluding the idle time in between. 

3. Allow to switch tasks in between. 

Currently, I was able to create the SharePoint List and the base App; however, I am having an issue on the 'timer'. The app includes a Gallery with 'Add Icon' which I am intending to use as the trigger to start the timer and record the current time using Now() but it's not working. I also intend to use the 'Check Icon' as SubmitForm to trigger end timer and record again using Now().

Here's a screen grab of my list and app. Hope someone can help out. 

Start Time

NewForm(Form1); UpdateContext({newMode: true});

Set(varNewItem,Patch('Test-UW DAR',Defaults('Test-UW DAR'),{Title: User().FullName,Start: Now(), 'Active Session': true}));

UpdateContext({VarTimerActive: true});
UpdateContext({VarTimerReset: false});

End Time

SubmitForm(Form1);

Set(varNewItem,Patch('Test-UW DAR',Defaults('Test-UW DAR'),{End: Now(), 'Active Session': false}));

UpdateContext({VarTimerActive: false});
UpdateContext({VarTimerReset: true})

Thanks in advance!

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @ZERAREZ ,

I am a little unclear as to whether you want two records here or want the start and end on the one record. I am assuming the second option for now. I also assume that the Start of your Timer is varTimerActive and the Reset is varTimerReset. So to start

NewForm(Form1); 
UpdateContext(
   {
      newMode: true,
      varTimerActive: false
      varTimerReset: false
   }
);
UpdateContext({varTimerActive: true});
Set(
   varNewItem,
   Patch(
      'Test-UW DAR',
      Defaults('Test-UW DAR'),
      {
         Title: User().FullName,
         Start: Now(), 
         'Active Session': true
      }
   )
);

Now Submit the Form

SubmitForm(Form1);
UpdateContext({varTimerActive: false});

and OnSuccess of the Form

UpdateContext({varTimerActive: true});
Patch(
   'Test-UW DAR',
   {
      ID:  varNewItem.ID,
      End: Now(), 
      'Active Session': false
   }
);
UpdateContext(
   {
      varTimerActive: false
      varTimerReset: true
   }
)

The issue with a Timer is that its functions are triggered by a change in the Variable - so you need to reset them a couple of times.

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

[ZERAREZ]

Hi Warren,

Appreciate your quick response and help.

Yes, you're correct to assume I just need to update 1 list. 

I tried applying the formulas and updated some of the variables based on their names on the list; however, I encountered some issues as follows:

1. After clicking submit, it shows an error message but also creates an incomplete record. here's a sample:

The Start and End times were not added and the Active session was not changed to NO.

2. The error after submitting is:

Network Error When Using Patch Function: Field ' ' is required.

As you can see, the list was updated but the error is still present. I researched on it and think it is due to the option below being turned on but, I can't turn it off since I need those data.

3. Here is the error showing on the formula, when I tried removing the field stated on the error in number 2, it now changed to another required field. 

So now I'm stumped on how the formula would actually update the Start and End columns and eliminating the error message. 

[WarrenBelz]

@ZERAREZ ,

You have to turn off the requirement for EndA to have information or you will not be able to write the initial record. It will be populated once the Form is submitted.

[ZERAREZ]

@WarrenBelz ,

Actually both StartA and EndA have the requirement turned off. Fields that has the requirement turned ON are Title, Reference#, Cluster, Transaction Type and Status. 

Still showing this error 

Is it required for me to turn them all off? 

[WarrenBelz]

@ZERAREZ ,

You need to turn off anything you are not writing to in the initial patch - out of these, you are only writing to Title (as well as Start and 'Active Session' ), so you cannot have compulsory data on the other four (Reference#, Cluster, 'Transaction Type' and Status ).

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

[ZERAREZ]

Thanks Warren, 

I removed the Mandatory option on the items and just added that option on the App itself. It now updates the Start time and End time but having issues with the other columns. What I did is just to revert everything to SubmitForm instead and since what I only need is a date and a time on how long the process took, I used the timer's value instead of calculating elapsed the time between Start and End. 

Thanks so much for the help!

[WarrenBelz]

@ZERAREZ 

Any field that is not going to have data it it when you write a new record needs the requirement turned off.

[ZERAREZ]

Hi Warren, 

I applied what you just mentioned on a new App; however, the problem I'm encountering is the Start and End time is being saved on a different ID than the SubmitForm ID. 

Is there a way that the data of SubmitForm will be saved on the ID of the first patch triggered or is this a limitation of using SubmitForm?

[WarrenBelz · Accepted solution]

@ZERAREZ ,

I assumed that you had a second list recoding the times - this is getting a bit more complex now. The first bit should still be correct

NewForm(Form1); 
UpdateContext(
   {
      newMode: true,
      varTimerActive: false
      varTimerReset: false
   }
);
UpdateContext({varTimerActive: true});
Set(
   varNewItem,
   Patch(
      'Test-UW DAR',
      Defaults('Test-UW DAR'),
      {
         Title: User().FullName,
         Start: Now(), 
         'Active Session': true
      }
   )
);

but now you cannot submit your Form anymore - you need to patch it all.

UpdateContext({varTimerActive: false});
UpdateContext({varTimerActive: true});
Patch(
   'Test-UW DAR',
   {
      ID:  varNewItem.ID.
      End: Now(), 
      'Active Session': false
   },
   Form1.Updates
);
UpdateContext(
   {
      varTimerActive: false
      varTimerReset: true
   }
)

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