Issue comparing multiselect ComboBox selected values with stored values in SharePoint text field

[CCJones]

I have a custom SharePoint list form where I set up a combobox using a lookup list of values. The combobox is multiple select enabled and it stores the result in a multiple lines of (plain) text field in the SharePoint list. I need to compare the values in the combobox with the value saved in the text field to know when the field has been updated. 

I have tried comparing Concat(TaskValue.SelectedItems, Title, ", ") with ThisItem.Task

Concat(TaskValue.SelectedItems, Title, ", ") = ThisItem.Task

and this never evaluates to true, so it always thinks there's been a change. 

How can I compare the value currently in the combobox and the value stored in the Task multiple line of plain text field accurately?

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CCJones ,

Try

 ThisItem.Task in Concat(TaskValue.SelectedItems, Title, ", ")

or simply

ThisItem.Task in TaskValue.SelectedItems.Title

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[CCJones]

Hi @WarrenBelz ,

Thanks for the response. This is always evaluating to false. Basically, I just need to know if any of the originally selected values have changed. If so, I need to set a boolean variable to true. 

This is the code I set up in the OnChange property of the combobox to test it:

If(
    Not(ThisItem.Task in TaskValue.SelectedItems.Title),
    Set(
        varTaskChanged,
        true
    )
    ),
    Set(
        varTaskChanged,
        false
    )
);

No matter what I do, adding new selections, deleting selections, it always evaluates varTaskChanged to true. 

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CCJones ,

I cannot see your data, but is is assuming that TaskValue is a Table (Multi-select Combo Box ?) with a field called Title in this Table (is this what the Combo Box is displaying?) and ThisItem.Task is a String Value. It then is looking for any instances of the String in the Table.

[CCJones]

Yes, it's a multiselect combobox (it's complicated because there are multiple systems that can be selected and based on the selected system, the combobox can be single or multiple select). When it's set to single select, your solution works since it's only one value changing. The task name is in the Title field of the table which is another SharePoint list. However, when there are multiple selections, ThisItem.Task in TaskValue.SelectedItems.Title never evaluates to true.  I just can't figure out how to compare exactly what is in the combobox with exactly what is in the text field. 

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CCJones ,

Again please note I cannot see your data, so have to rely on you to investigate.
Firstly what is the Items of TaskValue (note it cannot be both single and multi-select in structure at the same time although you can select only one item from a multi-select combo box). Also when you refer to ThisItem.Task, is this a Single Line of Text field in the data source ?

[CCJones]

---

@WarrenBelz wrote:

... (note it cannot be both single and multi-select in structure at the same time although you can select only one item from a multi-select combo box)

---

Yes, understood. But I am setting the "SelectMultiple" property as shown here:

If(
    SystemValue.Selected.System = "CluePoints",
    true,
    false
)

 When it only allows a single selection, the comparison is simple. When it allows multiple selections, not so much. 

---

@WarrenBelz wrote:

Firstly what is the Items of TaskValue 

---

Items is set to:

Filter(
    Sort(
        colTasks,
        SortOrder
    ),
    System = SystemValue.Selected.System
)

It is filtering out Tasks related to specific systems. 

DefaultSelectedItems is set to:

RenameColumns(
   Split(
      ThisItem.Task,
      ","
   ),
   "Value",
   "Title"
)

---

@WarrenBelz wrote:

...Also when you refer to ThisItem.Task, is this a Single Line of Text field in the data source ?

---

ThisItem.Task is a Multiple Lines of Text field in SharePoint. 

Thanks!

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CCJones ,

If you are trying to set a conditional data structure, my experience is that controls do not respond well to this (much like having different data sources conditionally) and whether this is a bug or by design (but an error message would be good), regularly simply do not produce the expected result. The outcome you are receiving suggests strongly that this is an example (and I can understand why as you cannot have an output that is valid only in certain circumstances)

I suggest you consider leaving it a multiple and simply select one item if that is all you need.

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[CCJones]

Unfortunately leaving it as multiple won't work either because I still can't get the comparison between what's in the combobox and what's in the multiple lines of text field. I'd love to make it single select only, but the option to select multiple is a requirement for a specific set of tasks. I'm sure they'd be amenable to just selecting one task for the systems that only require one, but again, I still can't get the comparison when multiple tasks are selected. This ruins my email notifications setup because of just one field. 

Thanks for the aid!

[WarrenBelz]

Hi @CCJones ,

I do not have exactly your example, but when I need conditional output to be provided, I have two/more controls, with one visible for each requirement and the Update of the Data Card or Patch also conditional as to which one gets used in the circumstance.

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