How do I setup my PowerApps form's comments field correctly?

[MN003]

The comments field is at the bottom and I've added a text input on top of it. What should I enter into the settings or what code should I use to make sure that the text/comments a user enters is saved to each record when someone clicks on the record in the SharePoint list and also so that the comments are displayed in the approval notification in my workflow to the approver?

[RandyHayes]

@MN003 

So have you simply checked on the CPComments field in the field chooser to add it to your form??

[MN003]

So I just created a fresh column called comments and did not add a text input on top of it in PowerApps and now my tests have been successful. 🙂 I think some of the resources and videos I've tried to learn from steered me in the wrong direction.

[MN003]

yep that's what I did, but I was also adding an additional text input on top of it. that could've been the issue.

[RandyHayes · Accepted solution]

@MN003 

Not surprising - there is a LOT of bad advice out there on PowerApps!!

To add the fields in a form, you simply select them in the field chooser of the form.  You can change the control type as well (for example you want a dropdown instead of a text input, or html input rather than plain text, etc.)

Keep it simple!

[MN003]

I see, it was definitely a struggle to find something that would help me until now. It gets discouraging then I find out I was doing something right early on after so much time lol but what can I do. Thank you! This was greatly appreciated! 🙂 Totally agree with you in keeping things simple. I also need help with my drop down that keeps displaying the first item after the form is submitted instead of what the user selected but maybe I'll need to repost that separately?

[RandyHayes]

@MN003 

Happy to help!  Be cautious of all the videos and blogs out there.  My red flag is if they start talking about collections or variables to get something simple done.  Also, if I see the copy/paste of formulas from one control to another.  There is a lot of built in functionality to PowerApps that I see plenty of videos on by people who obviously do not know they exists and offer a video on how to do it...it's a waste.

Now, tell me more about this dropdown.  I did not see that in your posts anywhere.

[MN003]

Definitely will keep that in mind. Just as you mentioned, once they start talking about things I haven't even used and it gets complicated I click away.

Yes for my drop down, just wanted to make sure it was ok to have under this post. It's same form just a different issue for me. So my drop down pulls a column of division names from a separate SP list and it works fine, it's just when the form is submitted and if you were to go back and click on the submitted request, the division that displays automatically reverts to the first division. The workflow processes the submission just fine but I just want to avoid confusion.

[RandyHayes]

@MN003 

Well, not so much an issue when talking about things you don't know...that's kind of why you're watching them - to learn about them.  The red flags are how they go about it.

So, for the dropdown, I need to know the following:

- What kind of control is it?  Is it really a dropdown or is it a combobox?  Two different beasts.

- What is the Items property of the dropdown?

- What is the column type of the underlying record (your form datasource) that you are storing the value in?

- The Default and Update properties of the DataCard that the dropdown is contained in?

[MN003]

That's true, I understand what you mean.

Sure,

• the dropdown control came from the input options so purely a dropdown. 
• the Items property is set to the list name 'List Name' (sorry if this isn't what you meant)
• the column type is a single line of text for each division name
• the default of the DataCard is currently ThisItem.Division and of the dropdown itself is "1"
• the update of the DataCard is Dropdown1.SelectedText.Value

[RandyHayes]

@MN003 

Very good.

The change to make is the Default property of the Dropdown.  Set it to Parent.Default

A couple of things though.  You will want to change your Update property to Dropdown1.Selected.someColumn.

The SelectedText property has been deprecated and should not be used any longer.

So, whatever column from the "List Name" list that you want to store in the underlying record column, change the "someColumn" to that column name.

Also, just for future reference - when you add a text field to a form and you want to make it a dropdown, simply change its Control Type to "Allowed Values".  (Note: After you unlock a datacard, you can no longer do this change)  PowerApps will automatically put a dropdown in your datacard and set up all the properties appropriately.  It will also expose a new property on the Datacard called AllowedValues.  In that property you would put your Items property that you currently have for the dropdown (with a couple minor changes to be appropriate).  So...just a nugget to put in your memory bank for future use to save you some time and frustration.