SharePoint Integrated PowerApps Form - Error: "The specified column is read-only and can't be modified".

[HammettDown]

Hello. I am having an issue with a SharePoint document library that utilizes the PowerApps customized form in SP. The app allows the user to start on the welcome page and select either assigning a number (via a lookup from a list) or submitting for approval (via a change of choice column status). The lookup function will pick a number from a different SP list and assign it to that document. The approval function lets the user click a button that changes the status column in the library to "Request Peer Review", which then starts some PowerAutomate flows. 

All this functionality has worked just fine with no problems in any scenario for months. However, it just now started to give me an error "The specified column is read-only and can't be modified". The only things I have changed to the library since I last confirmed the app worked are adding a few columns for more data points and some other PowerAutomate flows that just copy text from other columns for different data points.

SubmitForm(SharePointForm1_2);
Patch(
    'CE Document Library',
    SharePointIntegration.Selected,
   {'Approval Status':{Value: "Request Peer Review"}}
)

From everything I've read on other similar issues, it appears to be attempting to patch a column that is read-only (such as a calculated column, lookup column, or something like modified-by, modified, etc.). Why would it just start to do that after it's been working fine for so long?

[MudassarSZ365]

Hi @HammettDown ,

Here are some things you might want to check:

Column Settings: Ensure that the column you're trying to patch ('Approval Status' in your case) is not set to read-only in the SharePoint list settings. Sometimes, columns can be set to read-only due to changes in content approval settings or other list/library settings.

Column Type Change: If the column type has been changed recently, for example, from a Choice to a Managed Metadata column, or to any other type that might not be directly patchable, this could cause issues.

Content Approval: If you're working with the 'Approval Status' column in a SharePoint document library with content approval enabled, it's possible that changes to the settings of the content approval feature might have affected the ability to modify this column directly. Typically, this field should be managed through the content approval process, not directly patched.

Power Automate Flows: Check the Power Automate flows you've added. If any flow is triggering upon modification of the same item and locking it for editing, or if they modify the columns in such a way that conflicts with the PowerApps patch operation, that could cause issues.

List/Library Settings: Sometimes, SharePoint list/library settings are changed, affecting columns indirectly. For example, versioning settings could potentially impact how items are edited.

App Permissions: Ensure that the PowerApps app still has the appropriate permissions to modify list items.

To troubleshoot, I suggest the following steps:

Check Column Settings: Go to the SharePoint list settings and check the column settings for 'Approval Status'. Ensure that it's not read-only and is a type that can be edited.
Review Changes: Look at any recent changes to the SharePoint list/library or to related Power Automate flows. See if any of these changes could have affected the 'Approval Status' column.
Test Directly in SharePoint: Try manually changing the 'Approval Status' in the SharePoint list to see if the field can be edited outside of PowerApps.
Use SharePoint Form: Attempt to change the 'Approval Status' via the default SharePoint form instead of the PowerApps custom form to see if the error persists.
Test Patch: As a test, try patching another editable text column with a simple value to confirm if the issue is with the 'Patch' function or specifically with the 'Approval Status' column.
PowerApps Version: Ensure that your PowerApps version hasn't been updated recently which might affect the functionality of your app. Sometimes platform updates can lead to unexpected behaviors.

Kindly mark the solution as accepted if it resolves your issue.

Best Regards
Muhammad Mudassar Mazhar

[HammettDown]

Thanks for the tips to test this out. I have confirmed that all fields I am attempting to edit from the PowerApp are editable from SharePoint column field edits, meaning I can manually change them. I did have some PowerAutomate flows running that would run anytime an edit was made (which turned out to be basically non-stop). At first that flow was changing the status to "Draft" each time. That flow was pulling the name of the file and a number assigned to it and putting it in single text fields. I since corrected this and turned off this flow and have changed it to be scheduled. The flow doesn't have any permission changes though, only a trigger when an item is modified, a "Get Items" and an "Update Items". The flow is now off and not running but I'm still seeing the error.

Also, I can't find a setting for Read-Only on this column type. This issue is happening to multiple columns that can be edited manually in properties.

As a side note, I have this exact same setup on a different SP site. It works just fine. The only difference is it has a few less columns (I have added some for extra data points) and it had the flow running on it.

[MudassarSZ365]

@HammettDown ,

Given the additional context you've provided, it seems you've ruled out the direct causes related to permissions and settings. However, the problem persists. Here are some further steps to diagnose and potentially resolve the issue:

1. **Column Validation or Site Column**:
- Check if there is any column validation set on any of the columns that could be failing due to the data provided.
- If the columns are site columns (shared across multiple lists/libraries), ensure that there are no settings at the site column level that could be affecting this.

2. **List Item Event Receivers**:
- There might be List Item Event Receivers attached to the list/library that are not visible through the UI. These might be interfering with updates.
- You can check for event receivers by using SharePoint PnP PowerShell commands or by contacting your SharePoint administrator.

3. **Cached Data**:
- Sometimes, the form or SharePoint might have cached data that causes conflicts. Try to clear the cache by logging out, clearing browser cache, or trying in a different browser/incognito mode.

4. **Formulas in PowerApps**:
- Double-check the formulas in PowerApps, especially where the `Patch` function is used. Ensure that no invisible characters or syntax errors might be causing the issue.

5. **SharePoint Versioning and Draft Item Security**:
- If the library has versioning and/or draft item security settings, these might interfere with how items are updated. Especially check if the settings for who can see draft items might affect how PowerApps interacts with the list.

6. **Test with a New Form**:
- As a test, try creating a new form and patching the same fields to see if the error replicates. This could help isolate if the issue is with the current form setup or the list itself.

7. **Custom Scripts or SharePoint Framework Customizations**:
- Verify if there are any custom scripts or SharePoint Framework (SPFx) customizations that could interfere with the form submissions.

8. **Compare Working vs. Non-Working Environment**:
- Since you mentioned a similar setup works on a different SP site, compare the two environments in detail. Look at the versioning settings, content types, workflows, column settings, and anything that could be different.

9. **Inspect Browser Console**:
- Open the browser's developer tools and inspect the console for any errors when you submit the form. Sometimes, the console errors can give more insight into what is failing.

10. **Detailed SharePoint Logs**:
- Consider reaching out to your SharePoint admin to see if they can get more detailed logs on why the updates might be failing.

11. **Check SharePoint Updates**:
- Sometimes, Microsoft rolls out updates to SharePoint Online that can cause unexpected behaviors. Check the Office 365 Message Center or the Health dashboard to see if there have been any recent updates or advisories that could relate to your issue.

12. **Contact Microsoft Support**:
- If none of the above steps help, consider raising a support ticket with Microsoft. They will have the necessary tools to delve deeper into the issue, including logs and advanced diagnostic tools.

13. **Power Platform Admin Center**:
- Review the Power Platform Admin Center for any policies or settings that might have changed and could impact your app.

14. **Copy and Republish App**:
- As a last resort, you could try to save your app as a package, and then import it to see if the issue persists. Sometimes, republishing the app can resolve hidden issues.

When you troubleshoot such issues, it's essential to make changes one at a time and test thoroughly after each change to identify the root cause.

This will look up the tab in the collection where the TabId matches the CurrentTabId.

Kindly mark the solution as accepted if it resolves your issue.

Best Regards
Muhammad Mudassar Mazhar

[HammettDown]

Thank you for the suggested methods to correct the issue. I've gone through many and have yet to be successful with it. Currently my only diagnosis is that something was corrupted during some of the automation, as it was running a "when item or file is modified" connector which essentially has it running constantly with many overlapping iterations. 

I've since gone a different route that is not using PowerApps to perform the modification or actual update to the library item properties. I reverted back to performing the updating in SharePoint itself as it was still working fine with that.