Patch Function Multiple Columns to a SharePoint List

[Anonymous]

i have a form where i have a drop down which contains value 1-5. on selection of the number the form shows a People Picker filed and a multiple line field. 
what i want to achieve is that when users selects 3 from the drop down, the form shows three people picker column and 3 multiple line filed. 
I want to save all these three records as separate line in my share point list and not the other 2 columns which are empty. 
So when ever patch happens it should check if the columns have data all the 5 people picker and 5 multiple line text field and create records for those columns in which data is present.

I am a bit new to Patch function, so any help would be really appreciated as i am stuck on it for 2 days now.

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Could you please share a bit more about your scenario?

Do you add 5 People filed (Person1, Person2, .... Person5) and 5 Multiple line field (MultText1, MultText2 , .... MultText5) in your SP List?

Based on the needs that you mentioned, I have made a test on my side, please consider take a try with the following:

Firstly, if you want to control the People fileds (Perdon1, Person2, .... Person5) and Multiple line fields visible within your Edit form, please take a try with the following workaround:

Set the Visible property of the Person1 field data card and MultText1 field data card within the Edit form to following:

If(
   NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value >= 1,
   true,
   false
)

Set the Visible property of the Person2 field data card and MultText2 field data card within the Edit form to following:

If(
   NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value >= 2,
   true,
   false
)

Set the Visible property of the Person3 field data card and MultText3 field data card within the Edit form to following:

If(
   NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value >= 3,
   true,
   false
)

...

...

Set the Visible property of the Person5 field data card and MultText5 field data card within the Edit form to following:

If(
   NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value >= 5,
   true,
   false
)

If you want to patch the Person field value and MulText field value back to your SP List as separated records from your Edit form, please consider take a try with the following workaround:

Add a "Submit" button in your app, set the OnSelect property to following:

ForAll(
       FirstN([1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10], NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value), /* NumberDropdownBox represents the Dropdown box where you select the number vlaue 1 - 5  */
       Patch(
             'YourSPList',
             Defaults('YourSPList'),
             {
                Person1: If(Value = 1, Person1ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText1: If(Value = 1, MulText1Box.Text),
                Person2: If(Value = 2, Person2ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText2: If(Value = 2, MulText2Box.Text),
                Person3: If(Value = 3, Person3ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText3: If(Value = 3, MulText3Box.Text),
                Person4: If(Value = 4, Person4ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText4: If(Value = 4, MulText4Box.Text),
                Person5: If(Value = 5, Person5ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText5: If(Value = 5, MulText5Box.Text)
             }
       )
)

Note: I assume that you added 5 People filed (Person1, Person2, .... Person5) and 5 Multiple line field (MultText1, MultText2 , .... MultText5) in your SP List, and the Edit form in your app connects to the SP List. Person1, Person2, ... Person5 are all Person type fields in your SP List, MulTex1, MulText2, .... MulText5 are all Multiple Text type fields in your SP list.

More details about the Patch function and ForAll function, please check the following article:

Patch function, ForAll function

Best regards,

[Anonymous]

@v-xida-msft as you rightly said i have 5 different People Picker Column and 5 different Multi line text in my SP List.
just  few query in the below code:

1. Will this code also write the value of numbered drop down  box value in my SP list?
2. the columns mentioned as Person 1 and Multext 1 are the internal names of the fields in my SP List?
3. will this code not copy the blank columns if they do not have data in them?

ForAll(
       First N([1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10], NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value), /* NumberDropdownBox represents the Drop down box where you select the number vlaue 1 - 5  */
       Patch(
             'YourSPList',
             Defaults('YourSPList'),
             {
                Person1: If(Value = 1, Person1ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText1: If(Value = 1, MulText1Box.Text),
                Person2: If(Value = 2, Person2ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText2: If(Value = 2, MulText2Box.Text),
                Person3: If(Value = 3, Person3ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText3: If(Value = 3, MulText3Box.Text),
                Person4: If(Value = 4, Person4ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText4: If(Value = 4, MulText4Box.Text),
                Person5: If(Value = 5, Person5ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText5: If(Value = 5, MulText5Box.Text)
             }
       )
)

[Anonymous]

@v-xida-msft  while trying to hide the columns using the condition given, it says invalid argument type. Expected a number value in the if condition. any reason why?

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Please consider modify above field data cards visible condition formula as below:

Set the Visible property of the Person1 field data card and MultText1 field data card within the Edit form to following:

If(
   Value(NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value) >= 1,
   true,
   false
)

Set the Visible property of the Person2 field data card and MultText2 field data card within the Edit form to following:

If(
   Value(NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value) >= 2,
   true,
   false
)

Set the Visible property of the Person3 field data card and MultText3 field data card within the Edit form to following:

If(
   Value(NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value) >= 3,
   true,
   false
)

...

...

For your questions, please check the following response:

1. Will this code also write the value of numbered drop down  box value in my SP list?

 If you want also to save the selected Number Dropdown box value back to your SP list, please modify above formula as below:

ForAll(
       FirstN([1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10], Value(NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value)), /* NumberDropdownBox represents the Dropdown box where you select the number vlaue 1 - 5  */
       Patch(
             'YourSPList',
             Defaults('YourSPList'),
             {
                NumberField: Value(NumberDropdownBox.Selected.Value), // NumberField represents the Number column in your SP List to store the Number Dropdown selected value
                Person1: If(Value = 1, Person1ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText1: If(Value = 1, MulText1Box.Text),
                Person2: If(Value = 2, Person2ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText2: If(Value = 2, MulText2Box.Text),
                Person3: If(Value = 3, Person3ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText3: If(Value = 3, MulText3Box.Text),
                Person4: If(Value = 4, Person4ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText4: If(Value = 4, MulText4Box.Text),
                Person5: If(Value = 5, Person5ComboBox.Selected),
                MulText5: If(Value = 5, MulText5Box.Text)
             }
       )
)

2. The columns mentioned as Person 1 and Multext 1 are the internal names of the fields in my SP List?

Yes, the Person1 and MulText1 represents the Person type field and Multiple Text field in your SP List, on your side, you should replace the Person1 and MulText1 name in above formula with actual column name from your SP List.

3. will this code not copy the blank columns if they do not have data in them?

Yes. Above formula would patch data back to your SP List based on the corresponding Person field and Multiple Text field. E.G. If you select 2 within the Number Dropdown box, the above formula would save 2 separated records into your SP List. The first record would be populated with proper value in Person1 field and MulText1 field, the rest of Person field and MulText fields would be Blank. The second record would be populated with proper value in Person2 field and MulText2 field, the rest of Person field and MulText fields would be Blank.

Please take a try with above solution, check if could help in your scenario.

Best regards,

[Anonymous]

@v-xida-msft i have tried your below code and made following changes. My Number drop down contains values "one","Two","Three","Four","Five" so i have changed the following code:

Please see image 1
in the Code under defaults(SP List) i am getting the following error : Please see image 2. 

ForAll(
       FirstN(["One","Two","Three","Four","Five"], DataCardValue11.Selected.Value),
       Patch(
             'Rewards & Recognition',
             Defaults('Rewards & Recognition'),
             {
                EmployeeName1: If(DataCardValue11.Selected.Value = "One", DataCardValue2.Selected),
                SpotAwardcomments1: If(Value = "One", DataCardValue30.Text),
                EmployeeName2: If(Value = "Two", DataCardValue7.Selected),
                SpotAwardComments2: If(Value = "Two", DataCardValue25.Text),
                EmployeeName3: If(Value = "Three", DataCardValue15.Selected),
                SpotAwardComments: If(Value = "Three", DataCardValue26.Text),
                EmployeeName: If(Value = "Four", DataCardValue19.Selected),
                SpotAwardComments5: If(Value = "Four", DataCardValue27.Text),
                EmployeeName5: If(Value = "Five", DataCardValue22.Selected),
                SpotAwardComments5: If(Value = "Five", DataCardValue28.Text)
             }
       )
);

Image 1

image 2

Could you kindly help me out in this?

[v-xida-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Do you type ["One", "Two", "Three", ... "Five"] within the Items property of the Number Dropdown box rather than [1,2,3,4,5]?

Do you enable "Allow Multiple selections" option for the "EmployeeName1" field (Person type field) in your SP list?

I assume that the DataCardValue2, DataCardValue7, DataCardValue15, DataCardValue19 and DataCardValue22 represents the Person Picker up ComboBox within your Edit form, is it true?

Please consider modify your formula as below:

ForAll(
       FirstN(
              ["One","Two","Three","Four","Five"], 
              Switch(
                     DataCardValue11.Selected.Value,
                     "One", 1,
                     "Two", 2,
                     "Three", 3,
                     "Four", 4,
                     "Five", 5
              )
       ),
       Patch(
             'Rewards & Recognition',
             Defaults('Rewards & Recognition'),
             {
                EmployeeName1: If(DataCardValue11.Selected.Value = "One", DataCardValue2.SelectedItems),
                SpotAwardcomments1: If(Value = "One", DataCardValue30.Text),
                EmployeeName2: If(Value = "Two", DataCardValue7.SelectedItems),
                SpotAwardComments2: If(Value = "Two", DataCardValue25.Text),
                EmployeeName3: If(Value = "Three", DataCardValue15.SelectedItems),
                SpotAwardComments: If(Value = "Three", DataCardValue26.Text),
                EmployeeName: If(Value = "Four", DataCardValue19.SelectedItems),
                SpotAwardComments5: If(Value = "Four", DataCardValue27.Text),
                EmployeeName5: If(Value = "Five", DataCardValue22.SelectedItems),
                SpotAwardComments5: If(Value = "Five", DataCardValue28.Text)
             }
       )
);

Please also consider modify the data card visible condition formula as below:

If(
    Switch(DataCardValue11.Selected.Value,"One", 1,"Two", 2,"Three", 3,"Four", 4,"Five", 5) >= 1,
    true,
    false
)

If(
    Switch(DataCardValue11.Selected.Value,"One", 1,"Two", 2,"Three", 3,"Four", 4,"Five", 5) >= 2,
    true,
    false
)

If(
    Switch(DataCardValue11.Selected.Value,"One", 1,"Two", 2,"Three", 3,"Four", 4,"Five", 5) >= 3,
    true,
    false
)

...

....

Please take a try with above solution, check if the issue is solved.

Best regards,

[Anonymous]

@v-xida-msft  I have changed and now the code is working.

1. However, number of spot award is not being copied , i am getting the same error as expected type is number. 

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Could you please show more details about the error message?

Please check if you have provided a porper number value for the parameter within your Patch formula. If the provided value is a Text number value, e.g. '2'. please consider use Value() function to convert the Text number value into a number value.

Best regards,

[Anonymous]

@v-xida-msft i have attached the error that i am facing the below. i am sorry i am little weak in powerapps when it comes to patch or for all function. this is really new to me.