MS PowerApps timestamp button doesn't work

[Aschwinb]

0

I am trying to make an app where a user can click a button 'start' when he starts an action and 'stop' when he stops an action. Both of these actions should result in adding a timestamp to the record (column in excel file)

the following function is linked to my button 'start':

OnSelect = Patch( Planning, First(Filter( Planning, StartTime = "" ) ), { StartTime: Text( Now() ) } )

(Planning is the name of the table in my excel file, StarTime= name of the column in Excel where the timestamp should be added)

When I try the app, clicking the button doesn't result in an addiction of the timestamp in my excel file.

link to pictures of powerapps and excel table: https://imgur.com/a/XgQF56y

What is wrong with my function/code?

Thanks in Advance!!

[timl · Accepted solution]

Hi @Aschwinb 

Could you replace the commas with semi-colons to see if that makes a difference?

Patch( Planning; First(Filter( Planning; StartTime = "" ) ); { StartTime: Text( Now() ) } )

If not, could you click the red error icon that appears next to the start button and let us know what the error message is?

[Aschwinb]

Still doesn't work 😞

this is the error I get: translated: the requested ressource is locked. Serverresponsibility: Can't write file to filesource. file is locked.........

---

@timl wrote:

Hi @Aschwinb 

Could you replace the commas with semi-colons to see if that makes a difference?

Patch( Planning; First(Filter( Planning; StartTime = "" ) ); { StartTime: Text( Now() ) } )

If not, could you click the red error icon that appears next to the start button and let us know what the error message is?

---

[timl]

Hi @Aschwinb 

The syntax with semi-colons appears correct because the function names in your formula bar are now coloured correctly.

The 'resource locked' error typically occurs when your Excel file is open somewhere else. To resolve this, I would make sure that the file isn't opened elsewhere, or by another user. Once you're sure this is the case, I would try again.

[Aschwinb]

Ok that was the problem, thank you so much!

Now I have one more problem, when I click 2 times on the start button, it writes a timestamp on the next row of my excel table (which is new 'ship' in my case), while I want every ship to be unique and only have one timestamp.

When I click on 'start' for ship with surveyor A for 2 times, instead of overwriting the time for start, it adds a new timestamp for ship with surveyor B, which I don't want.

[v-yutliu-msft]

Hi @Aschwinb ,

I suggest you change your formula about filter data.

Try this formula:

Patch( Planning; ThisItem ; { StartTime: Text( Now() ) } )

The reason why you met the problem is that if you click once the start button, the original item's StartTime field will not be blank. So if you click the start button twice, the patched item will be the next one.

Best regards,

Community Support Team _ Phoebe Liu

[timl · Accepted solution]

Hi @Aschwinb 

Another way is to store the record that you just updated in variable. If you then click the Start button again, you can modify your formula so that it updates the last updated record, rather than the next record with a blank start time.

In the OnVisible property of your screen, you can initialise a variable called LastUpdatedRecord like so.

Set(LastUpdatedRecord, Blank())

You can then modify your Patch function like so:

Set(LastUpdatedRecord;
    Patch( Planning;
           If(IsBlank(LastUpdatedRecord); 
              First(Filter( Planning; StartTime = "" ) );
              LastUpdatedRecord
           );
           { StartTime: Text( Now() ) }
    )
)