Suggested Text

[Mupps]

Is it possible for a (third) field to auto-populate, as a suggestion, based on values entered into (two) other fields in the form, but then allow the overwriting of the text in the third field?  Example: I want a user to enter FirstName and LastName and then have the app autopopulate UserName with "FirstName" & "." & "LastName" as a suggestion, which can then be edited by the user or left unedited for submission.  I'm using a SharePoint list as my data source / repository

[Meneghino]

Hi @Mupps

I always create forms from scratch so that customisations can then be easily made.  Please have a look here:

http://baizini-it.com/blog/index.php/2017/09/28/powerapps-101-create-your-own-forms/

Any comments welcome.

In your case you woudl have two text inputs for first and last name and then a third text input whose Default property will be:

TextInputFirstName.Text&"."&TextInputLastName.Text

Then the save button can take its value from the third text input.

Hope this helps

[JRaasumaa]

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@Mupps wrote:

Is it possible for a (third) field to auto-populate, as a suggestion, based on values entered into (two) other fields in the form, but then allow the overwriting of the text in the third field?  Example: I want a user to enter FirstName and LastName and then have the app autopopulate UserName with "FirstName" & "." & "LastName" as a suggestion, which can then be edited by the user or left unedited for submission.  I'm using a SharePoint list as my data source / repository

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You could also do this with just 1 name entry field and put the "Default" value as a formula to find the space between first and last name (basically 2 fields to do exactly what you want.)

The only field that needs a formula is the Default field of the 2nd input box.

Mid(TextInput1.Text,1,Find(" ",TextInput1.Text)-1)&"."&Right(TextInput1.Text,Find(" ",TextInput1.Text))

[Mupps]

Thanks.  Nice idea, but the default text in the third box doesn't appear until the form is submitted (i.e. closed).  I was looking to be able to create a suggested username "on the fly" as the First and Last names are typed in.  Is this possible?  However, I might be able to use your suggestion in an approval form, so it's useful.

[Mupps]

Thanks.  Definitely need two boxes as sometimes we get users with more than two names listed and it's not clear which names are required to formulate the username.

[JRaasumaa]

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@Mupps wrote:

Thanks.  Nice idea, but the default text in the third box doesn't appear until the form is submitted (i.e. closed).  I was looking to be able to create a suggested username "on the fly" as the First and Last names are typed in.  Is this possible?  However, I might be able to use your suggestion in an approval form, so it's useful.

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The suggestion @Meneghino and myself posted literally do that, as you type into however many text input fields you want the default field of another box or item will change on the fly and allow you to then edit that text.

[Anonymous]

 Hi @Mupps

If you need to create your username on the fly, set your OnChange or OnSelect property of the second texbox to create a context variable:

UpdateContext({username: TextInputFirstName.Text&"."&TextInputLastName.Text})

And set your Text property of the third box to be the variable username

[Mupps]

Many thanks, @Anonymous, @Meneghino and @JRaasumaa

It's probably really obvious but I can't find the "Text" property.  Is it in the "Advanced" tab?    Can you help?

Do I reset the Default value of the third box to "Parent.Default", or do I leave it as "TextInputFirstName.Text&"."&TextInputLastName.Text" as suggested by @Meneghino?

[Mupps]

Some quick guidance on this would be really appreciated, guys.  🙂

[Mupps]

I returned to this, having realised where my misunderstanding was.  I’m still very much a newbie, so I’d made some incorrect assumptions.

The name for the "TextInput" in the formula supplied above is not, as I’d interpreted, the name of the field from which the form pulls its data, but the name of the “DataCard” that is used to capture (and display) the data within the form being designed.
So my solution looked like this:
My “First Name” field is entered via “DataCard12” Text Input; my “Last Name” field is entered via “DataCard13” Text Input; my “Proposed Username” field is entered via DataCard11” Text Input
In the “OnChange” property of my “DataCard12” Text Input I added this formula:

UpdateContext({U_name: DataCardValue12 & "@domain"})

In the “OnChange” property of my “DataCard13” Text Input I added this formula:

UpdateContext({U_name: DataCardValue12 & "." & DataCardValue13 & "@domain"})

In the “Default” property of my “DataCard11” Text Input, I put “U_Name”
I set the “Required” value of each “Card” to “true”
Now, when I enter text (e.g. “123”) into the “First Name” field and move focus, the “Proposed Username” updates to 123@domain
And when I enter text (e.g. “456”) into the “Last Name” field and move focus, the “Proposed Username” updates to 123.456@domain
This is a transitory value which, if left un-edited, will be submitted back to the data source, but can also be edited / overwritten, in which case this manually-entered value will be submitted back to the data source (which is what I wanted).
Thanks go to @JRaasumaa and @Meneghino