Multi-Select Options Set

[Kelarov]

Hi All.
So, I'm sort of new to Power Apps, so bear with me.

Suppose I have a table called Device, and in a particular device I can have several Software installed [and multiple software can be installed in multiple devices].
Is it possible to create a column in Device, say, "Installed Software List" as a sort of "check box"-type column which will list ALL records of a, say, `Installed Software` Table, such that, once I select a device record on the Model-Driven App, all the software entries, which were checked for that particular device, are listed?

I've tried all the Views and Form options, but it seems to me that such a common solution and procedure is only possible if you create some sort of custom connection, I guess?!! ☹️

Also, if achieving that via the a Model-Driven App, is it possible to do it via a Canvas App? If yes, how should I create the relationship between Device and Installed Software to facilitate that?
I'd then study how to create a Canvas App and try that then.

If you need a bit more of background, please let me know. But basically the plan is to:
- Use the standard Account Table, which will be used as `Customer`
- Create a `Device` Table, whose Owned By Column would link to a Customer Name
- Create an `Operating System Information` Table, which should be looked up by the Device Table's `OS` Column
- Create an `Installed Software` Table, with SW Name, Vendor, and Install Date Columns, and it's these entries that should be made available to be checked on the "Installed Software List" I wrote about in the beginning.

I appreciate any help/insight into this.

[AhmedSalih]

@Kelarov, you can achieve this in Both MDA and Canvas Apps. Note, Dataverse doesn't have a checkbox type of a column, but you use Yes/No choice column. 

You have to create relationship between your tables:

Operating System Information N:1 Device Table 

Installed Software N:1 Device Table

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Microsoft Business Application MVP

[FLMike]

Hi,

Option 1

You would have setup a Many to Many relationship between the Device Table and the Software table, because each device can have many pieces of software and each software could be associated to multiple devices.

BTW, relationships do not change because you create a Canvas App nor a Model Driven. It's all the same.

You could have another option. And you may like it better, some do, some don't.

Option 2

Create an mapping table in between, (which is what the many to many does behind the scenes). But you drive it and then you have a 1 to many relationship from Device to mapping table, which enables easy .Notation

In this case you would give people the ability to select software (from the software table, which is just a literal unique software list). Then you create the records in the mapping table and access it from your apps

Either way, these are options 🙂  same for model or canvas

Cheers
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Thank You
Michael Gernaey MCT | MCSE | MCP | Self-Contractor| Ex-Microsoft
https://gernaeysoftware.com
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[Kelarov]

Hi @FLMike, first of all, thanks for the reply.
Let me just clarify some points regarding Option 2:
- You're saying that the Mapping Table would then have two columns, say, "Device" and "Installed Software" which would be lookup columns into the respective tables - did I get it right? 
- In the Mapping Table, after the information on the Installed Software Table is filled, they would be able to select the Device [from the corresponding lookup column] and a particular Software record [from the resp. lookup column], but then if they wanted to added another Installed Software to that Device, they'd need to create another record in the Mapping Table, right?!!, since you can't select multiple entries when selecting from the Mapping Table's Installed Software column, right?

> Then you create the records in the mapping table and access it from your apps
Here you suggest that Mapping Table would be the Table driving the Apps, right, and the others would be just the Maintaining Tables, correct?

Thank you again for taking your time.

[FLMike · Accepted solution]

Hi @Kelarov 

I think we are there or super close. For Option 2

In the UI, you would have a drop down for them to select 1-M software that they want on the Device.

Then you would simply loop through the SelectedItems and create 1-M records in the mapping table that match Device + New Software. 

So it looks like

Device1 SoftwareA

Device1 SoftwareD

So they could select more than 1 at a time to add software not do one at a time.

And your non-mapping tables are just static tables (in a sense), where your Software List, may get updated sometimes but its just a unique like, and each person has a Devic list (I assume) and theirs is just a unique list of what they have.

Again, this is done behind the sense in Many to Many relationships, aka N:1 and 1:N. I just prefer to handle it myself as it makes my life and apps easier (to me).

Cheers
If you like my answer, please Mark it as Resolved, and give it a thumbs up, so it can help others
Thank You
Michael Gernaey MCT | MCSE | MCP | Self-Contractor| Ex-Microsoft
https://gernaeysoftware.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgernaey