Latest update breaks powerapps variable passing

[codebrane]

Going from the ui, it appears there has been an update to the Powerapps framework and a previously working app no longer works. The data sharing appears to have stopped working, e.g. this worked before the upgrade:

the OnSelect for a button no longer seems to pass the variable:

Navigate(AppointmentsScreen,Fade, {student: student})

and it says it can't evaulate the formula due to context variable types different in other areas of the app but nothing has changed.

In AppointmentsScreen I now get "invalid use of '.'" when accessing student.StudentId. Navigating from an icon such as '>' still works and passes the variable but the button appears to no longer passes the variable.

Is there any information?

[codebrane]

it's the publshed, working version that's trashed. I published it, made no more changes, got some feedback. Upgrade happened, working app no longer works. The published version has been trashed.

When I opened that version in the editor that was trashed too. There's no version to go back to as everything is trashed after the upgrade.

[codebrane]

any comment on this from the powerapps team?

[codebrane]

I deleted each one of the broken screens from the editor, then CTRL-Z them back in and that solved the problem, for a moment anyway. I did a complete run of the app and all screens worked while running from the editor. Prior to running successfully I saved that version, then closed the editor.

When I reopened the editor all the broken screens were back and the app is once again trashed. There's no point publishing the fixed version as the framework has trashed it automatically.

Where do I file a bug report as I assume the same behaviour is affecting the published (and previously working) app?

[codebrane]

I can confirm deleting the broken screens and restoring them using CTRL-Z always fixes the problem. Saving the app doesn't break anything. Closing the editor and reopening it trashes the app and breaks the screens again.

It seems to think a context variable that is a record from a sharepoint list exists 'somewhere' in the app not in the form all the screens expect it. I've tried in Safari with all cookes/settings cleared out and it's the same. The editor is unusable.

I tried the editor on the Edge browser and got the old style user interface (pre-upgrade) and that trashes it too.

I tried saving the fixed version and opening it in the Edge browser on Windows 10 but that trashes it too.

It would appear the editor no longer works after the upgrade.

[codebrane]

any update on this issue? Even publishing a working app trashes it.

[v-xida-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @codebrane,

Could you please share a bit more about the issue within your app?

Based on the error message that you provided, I suppose that you have re-defined the student context variable, is it true?

Please check if you have re-defined the student variable with a different data type within your app.

In addition, as an alternative solution, you could consider take a try to set a Global variable (using Set function) to store the value that you want to pass to the AppointmentsScreen, then you could use this global variable within your app everywhere (instead of using Navigate function to pass variable).

If the issue still exists, please take a try to re-create your app, then check if the issue is solved.

Best regards,

Kris

[codebrane]

thanks for that @v-xida-msft. I haven't changed anything from the working app. The latest patch to the framework has caused the issue. I don't think recreating a complex app with multiple screens and 'code' is a suitable solution as why would it solve anything if the framework itself is the issue?

Prior to the latest release of the framework the app was working, both in the online editor and the published version.

Can you comment on why the app works if I delete the screens and restore them using CTRL-Z? Once I've restored the working version by this hack, I save the app and its still working. I publish the app and the published version is broken by the framework and when I reopen the working app the framework breaks it again.

[codebrane]

thanks for the Set suggestion @v-xida-msft. I migrated all UpdateContext calls to be Set calls and all is working again. UpdateContext doesn't appear to work any more but I'll raise another post for that.