My first app - Facilitate SharePoint List navigation

[AnBa1]

Hello all,

I'm starting my path with Powerapps. Some colleagues asked me to upload a very large Sharepoint List (around 230 columns), this means that when they need to fill content in the list (generally they only need to use one column) they spend a long time scrolling the form to find the correct column to fill for the item.

I thought about building a PowerApp to help them to do it easily by having a way to choose the item they want to modify and then using some dropdown menus to find only the column they need.

This is an example of the structure of the list:

Status type 1 - receipt date

Status type 1 - has the item been checked

Status type 1 - has the item been delivered to the client

Status type 2 - has the item been received to the client

Status type 2 - receipt date

Status type 2 - has the item been checked

Status type 2 - has the item been delivered to the client

Status item 3 - has the item been received to the client

Status type 3 - receipt date

Status type 3 - has the item been checked

Status type 3 - has the item been delivered to the client

Status item 3 - has the item been received to the client

Item

12/08/2021

Yes

No

No

I would like to make them easy to find the exact columns they need by  having :

Step 1)    dropdown menu1 -> "Choose your item" (they would select the item they need to modify information for)

Step 2) dropdown menu2 -> "Choose your status type" (they would choose the status type 1 or status type 2...)

=

Then the app will only display the 3 columns linked to their choice. If for example they choose the item number 2 and the status type 3 the app will only display the three columns of the status type 3 linked to the item number 2.

What is the easier way to do it? 

Thank you in advance 

[vidyadhar]

Use showColumns functions to get results (use conditional statement to change columns ,depending upon your requirement)

Link for showColumns function:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/functions/function-table-shaping

[AnBa1]

Thank you vidyadhar,

which complement would you use with the showcolumn in the app? the "table" one?

[zmorek]

I'd consider restructuring that table - 230 columns is huge, and from what I can tell, the "Status Types" repeat frequently (unless you did that on purpose just for illustrative purposes. For example, there's almost no difference between 1 and 2 above).

• Perhaps a way to select an item (drop down, combo box, gallery, whatever)
• A way to select a status (drop down, combo box, gallery, whatever)
• Patch/update SharePoint list with 3 columns:
  • Title (for the Item)
  • Status (to hold the item's status)
  • Date (to hold the date, if applicable)

You could consider something like this, which would require you to determine what statuses are duplicated/unnecessary. Then you could consider making the status drop down dependent on the item (e.g. if Item1 is selected, they can only select status A, B, and C); or do make a list that can do that lookup/filters for you.

There's lots of ways to do this, but I guess my first suggestion is to consider a list restructure.

[GR29]

@AnBa1 - agree with @zmorek . also please include mandatory columns in your power apps, along with columns that would need value from end user.

Also, it looks like items delivery & inspection is mixed and put together. May be you could segregate the delivery related fields of a product & inspection of it.

[AnBa1]

Unfortunately I need the 230 columns because each 5 columns are linked to a service that we offer (one column for pricing, one for invoicing and so on), as you said the "status" was just for illustrative purposes. 

What you are suggesting was exactly what I would like to achieve: 

1) a dropdown to select an item

2) a dropdown to select a service

----> 3) Only the concerned columns appear and the user can insert content.

What component should I use? I tried the "form" complement but I think that It's not useful in this case. 

Thank you again

[GR29]

@AnBa1 - see if this blog helps. Also consider checkbox for selecting a service instead of dropdown, its more user friendly.

[vidyadhar]

yes, use the table

[AnBa1]

Thank you,

It's not really what I'm trying to do though