Store settings locally - force update when app is published

[StuCrooks]

I have an app that loads 4 separate tables which store items for the corresponding dropdowns in the app.  The reason I have done this is that after the first load, the app loads a lot quicker by not having to go and get the table data from SQL.  This table data will hardly ever change.... but, if it does change I want to be able to force an update of the tables when the app is next published. the intension is that the app will see that it is newly updated, and go and update the local saved data and therefore be up to date.  

I'm struggling with how to do this.  I can do it manually by creating a button that the user would have to click, but they would need to be advised to go and do that.

Does anyone have an idea on how I could achieve this. Is there a setting "App updated" or something that I could hook into.

Thanks in advance

Stu

[mdevaney · Accepted solution]

@StuCrooks 
I would suggest creating a new table called App Cache.  Then store the current app version inside it.

Title	Value
App Version	1.1

Then set a variable in the app's OnStart property to track the current version.  Use an IF statement to determine whether the app should load from local data or the database.

Set(gblAppVersion, "1.0");
If(
    LookUp('App Cache', Title="App Version", Value)=gblAppVersion,
    LoadData(your_table_name),
    ClearCollect(your_table_name);
    SaveData(your_table_name)
)

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[StuCrooks]

Hi @mdevaney 

Thanks for the quick reply.  This could work.. however, I'm still trying to get my head around your answer.  Where does the table sit?  Also, how would I control so that the user only sync's the data 1 time, until the next update of course.

Stu

[StuCrooks]

This is what I ended up doing. 

Step 1. The first section uses the PowerAppsforMakers data connector.  You need to add this in connectors first.  This basically counts the number of saved/published versions of the app.  Courtesy of @Anonymous. 

Step 2. Then I used a bit of a variation of the above from @mdevaney .

In app.startup..

ClearCollect(myAppVersions, PowerAppsforMakers.GetAppVersions("APPID"));
ClearCollect(myAppVersionsv2,Ungroup(myAppVersions,"value"));
ClearCollect(myAppVersionsv3,Filter(myAppVersionsv2, properties.lifeCycleId = "Published"));
Set(AppVersion, CountRows(myAppVersionsv3));

//load data from the offline collection if there is any
LoadData(OfflineAppVersion,"OfflineAppVersion",true);
Set(LocalAppVersion, Value(First(OfflineAppVersion).Value));

// check if the appversion matches the local saved version and if so, load data from local cache
If(LocalAppVersion <> AppVersion, 
// ... do the stuff you want to do as well, like update the offline tables etc...
// then update the offline collection
ClearCollect(OfflineAppVersion,  AppVersion);
//set the value of the local app version to the new app version
SaveData(OfflineAppVersion,"OfflineAppVersion")
)

Cheers

Stu