If you’ve been developing Power Apps Component Framework (PCF) dataset controls for Dynamics 365 Model-Driven Apps, you’ve probably hit this at some point: one PCF control calls context.parameters.dataset.refresh(), and suddenly every PCF control on the form fires its updateView() not just the one that triggered the refresh.
On a simple form it might go unnoticed. On a real-world CRM form with several custom PCF controls, it causes real problems:
- Controls that had nothing to do with the refresh are forced to re-render
- You see flickering, wasted CPU cycles, and confusing console output
- Debugging becomes harder because every control reports a full re-render on every action
This post walks through the exact scenario, shows the problem with two sample PCF controls, explains why it happens, and gives you a complete, working fix.
You’re Not Alone, This Is a Known Issue
This behavior is well documented both in Microsoft’s official documentation and by experienced PCF developers who have investigated it in depth.
The Microsoft official docs describe context.updatedProperties as the array that tells you what changed inside updateView. Crucially, it doesn’t prevent the call from happening — it just gives you the information to decide what to do with it...Read More
