Mapping a Table to a Variable

[DevadathanK]

Hi all,

Im having a doubt in PowerApps.
So let me describe the scenario below;

First, i am adding 10 excel sheet tables as datasources in the PowerApp.
Ex. Table1, Table2,... Table10

Im having a main table, where each of these table names are given in a specific column

Column 1 Column 2 ...
1. Table1
2. Table 2
... ...

In Powerapps, i connected the above table and made a dropdown, in such a way that the dropdown's items are the values in Column 2.

So, when a tablename is selected from the dropdown, the corresponding table's data is shown in a gallery, positioned below the dropdown.

Presently, i have done this by using the If condition,
If(Dropdown.SelectedItem.Value="Table1",Gallery.item=......)

But the problem is that, when a new table is added (both as a datasource and adding the table name into Column 2 of the main table), im also having to go to the PowerApp and add an If condition to the gallery's display.

I want to remove any interaction/modification with the Powerapp formulas and just leave the changes to the excelsheets.
So that no matter how many tables are added, the powerapp adapts accordingly without having to write any new code in the App.

Is there any alternative to this issue?

Thanks for your help!

[mdevaney · Accepted solution]

@DevadathanK 

Unfortunately, every new Excel table you add will require you to take two steps

#1 - Add A New Datasource to the PowerApps

#2 - Modify Your Code in the PowerApp

The only alternative here is to take your 10 tables and combined them into 1 table with an new column to indicate what the "source" is.  Of course, this assumes all 10 of your tables have the same columns.

Source	Column1	Column2	Column3	Column4	Column5
Table1	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table1	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table1	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table2	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table3	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table3	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table4	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table4	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table4	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table4	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value

Then if you wanted to get only the values from Table1 you would simply write a FILTER statement like this

Filter(your_datasource_name, Source="Table1")

The result would be...

Source	Column1	Column2	Column3	Column4	Column5
Table1	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table1	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value
Table1	some value	some value	some value	some value	some value

Of course, you can make FILTER on any Table: "Table2", "Table3", "Table4" and store that string in a variable.  So now you will have a more 'dynamic' data table structure with no need to modify code or add datasources.

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[Drrickryp]

Hi @DevadathanK 

I am trying to understand exactly what you are trying to do and I have a few questions.  Other than the Main table that has the names of the other tables, are all of the column names the same?  If so, you could combine all of the tables and add a column with the unique table name.  Then all you would use the  Distinct() property on the table and the new column as the datasource of your dropdown.  You would filter the gallery on the result of your dropdown.  So if the combined table is called Alltables and the new column is called tablename, the formula for the dropdown would be 

Distinct(Alltables,tablename)

and the Items property of the gallery would be:

Filter(Alltables,Newcolumn=Dropdown1.Selected.Result)