PowerApps deeplink to over 100 screens

[Flowbginner]

Hello

We have an internal onprem application where we want to put deeplinks that let a user navigate to specific screens in a PowerApp. I am talking about more than 100 screens. I saw an example where they use an IF statement and Param. This works fine if you have 2 or 3 screens but certainly not for 100 screens. Please can you give me some advice?

[iAm_ManCat]

Wow, 100 screens! I'm interested in what the App does (you don't have to reveal any specific details, I'm just interested in what kind of App needs 100 screens and what those are used for)

I would use a switch statement, have the Param be a number, then write a switch statement based on the numbers

- there's not much else you could do considering that the screen is an object and you can't pass an entire object in as a parameter to apps, only values such as text, number, colour etc.

[Flowbginner]

the app will be a subprocess logbook. Each screen will display a subprocess design.

in our onprem application we have to follow a strict process, but its divided in subprocesses or tasks. We want to display in a powerapp the description of each task. It is so complex and detailed that we'll have to use for each task a separate screen. The main reason why we want to use powerapps is mobile first.

[iAm_ManCat · Accepted solution]

Hey @Flowbginner 

I think it would be easier to maintain if you have your items on one page and then change them depending on the required task (then pass that required task in as a parameter so that the questions and options change).

I'll give an example - I created a Health and Safety audit App, with multiple different types of audit and different tasks for every audit type (some up to 40 tasks at the moment), but the task-completion screen is just one screen that updates its title, description and available fields/boxes depending on which audit is being done (similar to your processes) and then depending on what task within the audit (similar to your subprocesses).

The parameter being used sets what the AuditID & TaskID is, and then it pulls that Title & description & everything else from a collection that I define when the App starts - this way I don't have to do options for everything, I just have to set the ID, and everything else just does something along the lines of:

LookUp( QuestionArray, AuditID = AuditParameterID && TaskID=TaskParameterID ).Title

LookUp( QuestionArray, AuditID = AuditParameterID && TaskID=TaskParameterID ).Description

LookUp( QuestionArray, AuditID = AuditParameterID && TaskID=TaskParameterID ).RiskLevel

etc. etc.

So the only things that change are the AuditID (Process) & TaskID (Subprocess).

It's something I would definitely consider in your case, as maintaining a hundred+ screens (assuming the numbers will expand) will become very unwieldy, and if for example you need to change one box for all the screens you will need to do 100 changes instead of just 1.

We should always try use PowerApps to Improve processes rather than to just replicate them.

If, however, you are still convinced that you need 100 screens, then the only way you will be able to do that is with a long If( or a long Switch( statement, as Screens are objects rather than values and can't be passed as parameters.

Cheers,

ManCat

[mmhailye]

Agree with ManCat's suggestion...we implemented our Compliance checklist App this way - one Screen with lookups for the compliance Type and related Questions from a table (14 compliance Types X 10 questions per Type = 140 records).  Each card on the Screen does a lookup to grab the correct question based on the Type chosen at the top of the screen.

[Flowbginner]

This is far more complex than just questions 😛 Thank you for the tip!

[iAm_ManCat]

How are you intending on displaying the subprocess design?

If you give us more info regarding this then hopefully we can help you achieve a more manageable solution,

Cheers,

ManCat

[mmhailye]

Yes, the checklist solution I mentioned is one dimensional, but could be extended.  I have another App that handles 3 dimensions deep in the data model.  Do you have a data model diagram you can share so I can better see what you are trying to accomplish?