Updating a SharePoint list choices column with gallery selections

[westerdaled]

Yesterday,  I had an issue  with positioning a gallery control in a Data Card.  Ironically , I was still able update the Data Card choices column with a collection built up of choice values.  Just when I placed the gallery in the Data Card this seem to stop working🙄

Just to recap, I have DataCard for a choices column which is hidden, but highlighted in the pic below.. I have expanded the DataCard and placed a Gallery control which hosts a single checkbox control :

The Gallery Items are populated with a SharePoint list.  Oddly I am having to use the Title column as otherwise I don't see any choice values  next to my checkboxes

'Supervision Types'.Title

I use the checkbox->check event  to simply keep collection maintained of choices

Clear(colSupervionTypesSelected);
// get each selection
ForAll(Filter(galSupervisionTypes.AllItems, chkSupervisionTypeSelected.Value = true), Collect(colSupervionTypesSelected,Title));

Now in the Update method of the DataCard , I attempt to update this required column - but this is not currently working, so the form submit shows a missing required column error. The colSupervisorTypesSelected does indeed have 2 rows matching the user selected choices shown in the pic.

//DataCardSupervisionTypeValue.SelectedItems
colSupervionTypesSelected

[RandyHayes]

@CNT 

Dig deeper...you will find that it will not work properly.

[westerdaled]

@CNT  This didn't work I am afraid the DataCard still reported it was missing values. 

[RandyHayes]

@westerdaled 

Were you able to implement the form in the canvas datacard and taking the Gallery out of the form to resolve the issue?

[westerdaled]

@RandyHayes 

We have a problem houston!  On my screen I add a new Form with a custom DataCard which I have expanded to fill most of the screen .  I removed the gallery from the original Supervision  Form and resized the form so I can easily move it around the screen canvas.

Unfortunately I can't cut & paste the original form and add this to the DataCard,  I also can't insert an Edit Form  in to the DataCard ( only adds to the screen) . However I can add a  simpler control like a button though. 

[RandyHayes · Accepted solution]

@westerdaled 

I believe you misunderstood - I mentioned that you needed a canvas datacard, not a form datacard.

From the insert menu, choose to insert a new screen and select a Scrollable Screen.  This will create a new screen in your app.  In that screen you will see on the left control tree a Canvas control listed.  It will have a datacard in it.

Click on the Canvas control in the tree.  Then resize the canvas control in the screen (this will separate some of the properties that are connected to the current screen).  Once it is resized, Cut the canvas control from the screen.

Now, return to your screen with the form and Paste the canvas control into that screen.  Unfortunately, this is the only way to add a canvas control to your app - it is not available from the insert menus.

NOW, resize the Canvas control in your screen to be where you want it and as large as you want it.  Then, choose your edit form and Cut it from the screen.  Then select the DataCard that is in the Canvas control and Paste.

Your form will now be in the datacard.  

Resize the datacard to be as large as you want it - keep in mind, it will scroll within the Canvas control.  Make sure your EditForm is full size so that IT doesn't scroll.  (again, the goal is to get the Canvas Datacard to scroll...not the form) 

Then, put your Gallery in the datacard (outside of the form) and place where you want.

The final result will be that the datacard will scroll as needed.  The contents in the datacard (the form and Gallery) will not scroll but will instead scroll WITH the datacard.

[westerdaled]

@RandyHayes 

Thanks very much for correcting my misunderstanding over which Data Card to use,   and for the detailed instructions.  Worked like a charm good to see the concept of the gallery and form , scrolling together, inside the Canvas DataCard . Just testing out the deep link that in a Power Automate ( on Create) that links back to the form now that I am able to finally create records in the SharePoint list..  Thanks again.

[RandyHayes]

@westerdaled 

Excellent!  Glad to help out!

[westerdaled]

Unfortunately, during user testing I keep finding issues with my approach using the gallery to replace a choice column UI.  Little things like when I set the DisplayMode of my Save Icon to DisplayMode.Disabled  if not  Form.Valid the culprit is always the gallery. checkbox selection, not consistently updating the required column selected values 😣  or that gallery showing previously selected checked values  ( despite testing a new user)

To recap

for Form.Mode = New , I want to present the user with my Form with showing default values , my check box gallery should not show any selections. Thereafter, I really want the current choice column dropdown to interchangeable with the new gallery approach i.e. Form.Updates should look the same for the choice field , not matter which approach is used.

In the Update function of the  Form ColumnName_DataCard1 that has choice columns 

// the old style default using the dropdown choice control that works 
//DataCardValue3.SelectedItems
// the new approach using the a collection determined by user check box selection that only works //when it feels like it!
colSupervionTypesSelected

Now the gallery and checkbox handling:

both chkSupervisionTypeSelected.OnCheck and chkSupervisionTypeSelected.OnUnCheck 

Clear(colSupervionTypesSelected);
// get each selection
ForAll(Filter(galSupervisionTypes.AllItems, chkSupervisionTypeSelected.Value = true), Collect(colSupervionTypesSelected,Title));
/*
various failed attempts to get this to work

ClearCollect(colSupervionTypesSelected,ShowColumns(Filter(galSupervisionTypes.AllItems, chkSupervisionTypeSelected.Value = true),"Title"))
ClearCollect(colSupervionTypesSelected, ForAll(Filter(galSupervisionTypes.AllItems, chkSupervisionTypeSelected.Value = true), {Value :ThisItem.Title}))
*/

[RandyHayes · Accepted solution]

@westerdaled 

I'm not sure where a collection snuck into this, but this is going to be the source of your issues.

Let's put this together properly.  I need to know the Item property of your EditForm.  This will be necessary to support Editing a record (more below).

Your Update property on the datacard should be based on the value you have in your combobox in the datacard. 

The Items property of the Combobox should be:  Choices([@yourDataSource].ChoiceColumnName)

The DefaultSelectedItems property of the Combobox should be: 

ForAll(
    Filter(galSupervisionTypes.AllItems, chkSupervisionTypeSelected.Value), 
    {Value: chkSupervisionTypeSelected.Text}
)

The Update property of your DataCard should be: yourComboboxName.SelectedItems

The Gallery should have an Items property of : Choices([@yourDataSource].ChoiceColumnName)

The Checkbox in the Gallery should have a Text property of : ThisItem.Value

The Default property of the CheckBox should be set to (this is where we need to know the item property): 

   Self.Text in yourItemProperty.ChoiceColumnName.Value

At this point everything should work as expected - no collections please!

Now, your form is also set properly.  In other words, the combobox still plays its role in the form, and thus, .Valid and .Unsaved properties on the form will be accurate. 

Put this in play and see what you have.

[westerdaled]

@RandyHayes 

To answer your question, the form Item already had a few thing set up in the OnVisible of the screen

// Are we calling the form via the link or in new mode
If (
    !IsBlank(Param("RecordId")),
    
    lclSupervisonRecordFound, 
    
     Defaults(DataSourceList)
    
    )

Thanks so much for the clear instructions .  I did have bits of your solution in place but was too fixated with using the collection. 

With your approach I can unhide the combobox (in debug mode)  and watch the selected values populate with values due to the check box selections. Cool that. Anyway run a few tests and even got bits of my approval Power Automate to show the link to the form , which when clicked shows the all the record values correctly .

Thanks again for leading me down a less stressful path.