New vs OnChange

[JillH]

Hi all

I have a SharePoint-based PowerApp form with a small quirk. 

There is an input field; the OnChange code is this:

Patch('Analytics Request Form', ThisItem, {January: JanInput.Text})

But - when a user first creates a form, enters a number in the JanInput box and hits save, it's not saving it. If they create the form, save it, then Edit it, and enter a number there, and hit save - it works. All other fields on the form save correctly when the item is first created - but not this one.

DisplayMode is Edit, Default is  ThisItem.January, and other than sizing, those are the only settings. Am I missing something?

TIA! 

[mdevaney]

@JillH 

The 2nd parameter of PATCH tells PowerApps which record to Edit.  In your formula you have ThisItem.

Patch('Analytics Request Form', ThisItem, {January: JanInput.Text})

When creating a new SharePoint list item it doesn't exist until you click the Save button.  That's why its not patching: ThisItem doesn't exist yet.

As a workaround you could put this code in the OnSave property to accommodate any new form submissions.

Set(myJanuaryInput, JanInput.Text);
Submit(your_form_name);
If(
    your_form_name.FormMode = FormMode.New,
    Patch('Analytics Request Form', ThisItem, {January: myJanuaryInput})
)

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[JillH]

Ooooh ok yep that makes sense.

However... I have 11 other fields (one for each month). I'd have to noodle through how to write that out to cover all 12!

Here's what's in OnSave currently - I assume that's the right spot?

[mdevaney]

@JillH 

Yes, OnSave is the right spot.

When you say that you must write a PATCH for the changes to 12 fields I was thinking that's kind of peculiar.  I wonder, are you using an Edit Form or did you build from scratch?  An Edit Form would include the code for adding new entries into SharePoint and updating entries and you wouldn't have to write anything custom.

I am curious, what approach did you take to build this app?

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[JillH]

Ah - well, it was the only way I could figure out how to get the lay out I wanted (the months stretched along the bottom) given how the form was built. I created a data card that I could stretch all the way across, added the text inputs, then used patch to connect them to their respective SharePoint fields.

When I tried to switch from a 3 column to a 12 column layout, everything got quite bungled, so I used the above as a work-around.  It's a live form with 100-200 users a day, so it involved minimal disruption. I'm thinking though that way still might be preferred, and I'd just manually force the location & spacing for each data card. Unless there is some other way? I will say, using Patch there has been pretty annoying - there's a 5-10 second lag when someone makes a change...

[mdevaney]

@JillH 

Positioning form fields is kind of an art.  Playing with the X, Y, Height and Width values just takes time and experimentation.

[JillH · Accepted solution]

Fascinating - after all of that, I dove in, took out all the text input/patch fields, put in the regular fields, edited their sizes - and voila. No layout issues. The first time I tried it, all the boxes got all scrambled and it was terrible. This time? Easy.

Thanks for your help - it's much appreciated!

[mdevaney]

@JillH 

No problem at all.  Please mark whichever post answered the question (even if its your own) to close the thread.

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