Save and retrieve pictures in Share Point

[sajarac]

Hi there,

I hope someone can provide a clear explanation and also please an "EASY" way to achive this?

For a couple of years I have been trying to upload pictures using my app and a share point list. the only solution so far was saving the URL base64. By doing this I was able for the rest of my coworkers to see the pictures in their devices. Because Shaere point doesn't support picture authentication "Microsoft guy said that".

I have all my pictures stored as a base64 text but is a pain in the neck to download those pictures to create for intance a report.

Anyone know a good solution without invloving code/flow/etc? I mean a simple solution for a person who knows the basic?

Thanks in advance for any response.

Att: a desperate person!!

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @sajarac,

Where do you upload your pictures into? A SP list or A SP library?

If you want to upload your pictures into a SP library, I afraid that there is no simple way to achieve your needs in PowerApps currently.

Currently, as an available solution, you should pass the Image content (Blob data) into a flow, then within the flow, create a image file within your SP library.

More details about uploading a image into a SP library, please check the following blog or video:

https://youtu.be/mp-8B1fLrqs

http://repointtechnologies.com/saving-images-from-powerapps-to-sharepoint/

I agree with your thought almost, currently SP library does not support Picture authentication, so your coworkers could not see these uploaded pictures within a shared app that you created.

As an alternative solution, you could create an app to list these uploaded pictures, then share this app to your coworkers and assign proper permissions of your SP Site to them. After that, please embed this shared app into a SP Site Page, then your coworkers could see these pictures within the embedded app in your SP Site Page.

More details about embedding an app into a SP Site, please check the following article:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/embed-apps-dev#embed-your-app-in-a-webs...

If you want to upload your pictures into a SP list as an attachment, I think the Attachments control could achieve your needs. You could consider generate an app from your SP list, then upload pictures via Attachments control. More details about Attachments control, please check the following article:

https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/add-attachments-to-sharepoint-lists/

In order to let your coworkers to see these uploaded pictures within an app you shared to them, as an alternative solution, please take a try with above solution I provided (Embed your shared app into a SP Site Page).

Best regards,

Kris

[sajarac]

Thank you very much for your complete explanation. And yes, I am currently saving my pictures into a SP List as URL text, because that is the only way for the rest of the people to see the pictures, now I have that list connected with a MS Access database because I need to manipulate the data, unfortunatelly I can not retrieve the pictures I need to use and onlive bas64 to image converter but this operation has to be one picture at the time...Pain in the neck!!.

Do you know if any possible solution is in the loop to fix this? something really simple ? something than any person with a minimum of expertise can develop and implement? all of the solutions so far are quitte difficult or tedious.

Thanks in advance

[rebeccas]

If you aren't doing a lot of picutres you can just use the attachments column that defaults on the SharePoint list. If you open it from a mobil device and click add attachment it will open your camera. It is REAL simple to do it that way and requires nothing extra. 

This only works if there will be...idk..maybe less than 5 pictures per line item or so.

[sajarac]

Thank you for your reply, 

Do you know if by doing this the rest of the people will be able to see the pictures? I am asking because of the share point authentication.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[rebeccas]

Yes, if the have access to the SPList (which they would have to if they are using the app) then they can see the pictures. You can even put them in a gallery so they can scroll through and view the pictures in the app and download them if they need to. No special coding or anything needed for this option.

The only thing I can say is depending on your security settings it make take a few minutes or something for it to show. Usually when it is attached it is running some security checks in the background before it fully puts on the attachment so it will take maybe 2 or 3 mintues before anyone else will see it. (Flow does that too...often have to put in a delay if you want to email attachments that are on SP List or it will send the email before they are fully attached).

[rebeccas]

@sajarac

See attached is a simple one I did that they take photos when an issue is noticed on a piece of equipment. I changed the text to say "Click here to take photo" so they realize what to do and that is just the Attachment Card of a Form for that box...it is good for a quick and easy solution and honestly it works better than the camera in some ways because it doesn't run down the battery of the phone so much like they camera one does.

[sajarac]

Interesting..... Sounds like that is the solution. 

Here is my scenario. I have this app, the app is connected with several SP lists, in each list the users need to take photos and create a record, etc. I have around 250 users in that app. The only way to get the pictures back was saving as a URL, so the app works the users they are able to see the pictures on their phone, ipad, web browser etc. but for me is a pain bacause I need to retrieve that 64base picture.

So saying that I mean I need to change everything in order to get this thing works, right?

[rebeccas]

@sajarac

This should work fine what your needing as a simple solution. As long as they won't be taking a ton of pictures per line item. And the gallery that pulls in the attachments is pretty easy to do too where they can view the pictures in the App from their device. 

I use it on several of mine so I don't have to do a bunch of unneccessary coding to achieve the same exact thing. Sometimes more is just more! A lot of people do a really complicated apps that don't look any different to the user and just run slower than it would if they kept it simple. 

[sajarac]

Thank you very much, well in my case could be some pictures or maybe 100+, 

But good advice, and you are right, this should be easy, but the problems is Sharepoint it doesn't support authenticatrion so far, that is way a lot of frustration and all of the solutions so far are for a really guru guys.

Best Regards,