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Excel file table fails to import into Dataverse........ adding this to the growing chorus of people with this problem

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Posted on by greggpowell

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Running into repeated failure getting an Excel Table imported into Dataverse - here is the process I used - though I did try other various permutations and combinations -

The most basic and straight forward process - the intuitive way to do this - it fails every time with every excel ,xslx or csv table I use - even one as simple as only 2 columns of 5 rows of names and e-mail addresses.

Pictures to follow along with what I did are linked below...........

Process that fails:

1. Power Apps > Data > Tables (left menu-picture 1) - Data dropdown at the top of power apps - Get Data (picture 2) - Select excel workbook (green excel icon - picture 3).

2. Power Query Connect to Data Source - from here I select the Excel file on OneDrive (it is saved as a table) (picture 4) - select Next (bottom right).

3. Power Query Choose Data (picture 5). Select Transform data on bottom right.

4. Power Query - Edit Queries - select Choose columns (picture 6) - select OK then select Next (bottom right)....

5. In Power Query Map tables - Column Mapping - I select Name in the "Unique primary name column" - everything else is as you see in (picture 7) - select Next (bottom right)

6. select refresh manually top left and Create (bottom right)

7. Rename data flow that this created to same name as the table (picture 8 )

8. Wait for flow to do initial refresh - success (Picture 9)

9. Go back and find the table under Power Apps > Data > Tables..... there it is picture 10

10. Let's go edit the data in the new table I just created.... picture 11

11. Let's look under Tables > Test_Table3_from_file > Data (picture 12)........... and only the names are there - the unique primary name column I selected in 5 above - none of my other data is there

12. And - when I look under Tables > Test_Table3_from_file > Columns..... same thing - none of my columns are listed

13. Here is the header of the excel workbook I selected in #1 above...... (picture 13).

There seems to be a growing chorus of people who have this exact same problem going back a few years. Today, I spent almost 90 minutes on the phone with a Microsoft developer who I have access to thru work - he also could not figure out why we can't get the excel table to import into Dataverse -the way Microsoft seems it to be intended . It seems as if the excel table columns get lost in translation between the successful import into Power Query - and their dataflow into Dataverse.

I've have looked at a number of solutions including the 'work arounds' some have attempted to suggest - using Dynamics365 > Data management > Imports >Excel Template > create template (couldn't get that to work BTW). Those are all band aids to the problem....

IS POWER APPS ABILITY TO IMPORT EXCEL TABLES INTO DATAVERSE BROKEN..... AND JUST A BADLY KEPT SECRET???

Please provide some help here. I'm at my wits end. Brain is fried. My project is hanging out to dry until I can fix this.

I've made promises on deliverables that I'm missing right now because of this mess.

picture 1 - 13 are on this link.... https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aAYI8OflGwOkWkY1W_lp3SvpXil8uz2P?usp=sharing

Thanks.

Gregg Powell

I have spent over 20 hours trying to make this work

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Microsoft Dataverse with Power Apps

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v-xiaochen-msft on at

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Hi @greggpowell ,

When a table is created, it displays Active View by default.

The View displays 2 columns, primary name column and Created On column.

You could choose 'All columns' View.

In addition , you could modify your default view and save and publish it.

Best Regards,
Wearsky
If my post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help others. Thanks.

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greggpowell 137 on at

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Wearsky - that suggestion doesn't even address the problem I'm having as I laid it out in some degree of detail last night. Thanks though, for at least attempting an answer.

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EricRegnier 8,720 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @greggpowell,

Cheers for the details post and images. From your screenshots, I actually think the import worked successfully. In the Data tab, you've selected a view with only the Name and Created On column. Pick "All columns" from the lists and you'll see everything:

Note: you can change that view to include more column. Select the "View" tab and then the "Active Test_Table3_from_files" and add the required column. Click save and publish. More on views: https://docs.microsoft.com/powerapps/maker/model-driven-apps/create-edit-views-app-designer

Hope this helps!

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EricRegnier 8,720 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Another way to look at your tables and data is via the Advanced Find. In make.powerapps.com, select advanced settings:

then:

More info: https://docs.microsoft.com/powerapps/user/advanced-find

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greggpowell 137 on at

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Eric,
Thanks for your response.
This didn't actually work....
You mention "In the Data tab, you've selected a view with only the Name and Created On column. Pick "All columns" from the lists and you'll see everything:"

So, I went back into Data>Table and in the top right, I selected 'All' - but the problem is - the columns that it shows are not the columns in the excel data file.... see the first image I attached....

You also mentioned "Note: you can change that view to include more column. Select the "View" tab and then the "Active Test_Table3_from_files" and add the required column."

So - when I go back into the app, and, under views - select 'Active_Test_Table_4_from_excel_File' - and then select 'Edit Fields' - None of the fields presented with check boxes are the fields from my data. See the 2nd image attached.

In both cases, it's just metadata in the columns.

Everything points to Power App's ability to import excel file or csv tables being BROKEN. And, judging by t he comments going back years - it's been this way and Microsoft has done nothing to fix it.

I do not want this to be the case. I need to be able to make this work. I did find a work around, but it is a harder solution that is tedious - it involves creating a table instead of getting data, and then manually typing in each column name exactly as it appears. This is not acceptable. What does one do if there are 100, or 1000 columns in the data?

Still fishing for a solution though....

Thanks
Gregg
AZ

screenshot_202106...

screenshot_202106...

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greggpowell 137 on at

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WRITING IN ALL CAPS HERE TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ISSUE.................Sorry.

~~POWER APPS ABILITY TO IMPORT EXCEL OR CSV TABLES INTO DATAVERSE IS BROKEN!!!~~......................... SOLVED - SEE BELOW

In fact, I want to be wrong. But sadly, the only way to import data into Dataverse is thru a "work-around". One must first make a new table - manually type in every column name. It is only THEN that you can import the data into the newly created table. There is no way import the table directly into Dataverse from Power Apps thru the Power Query Editor....... THAT FEATURE IS BROKEN - COMPLETELY. So the true solution would be for Microsoft to FIX THIS.....

There is a work around where you can import the data in thru Dynamics365 Data Management - but that's an even uglier work around.

I'm asking MICROSOFT TO FIX THIS BROKEN POWER APP DATAVERSE IMPORT TOOL!!!!

I encourage you to thumbs up this post to hopefully help Microsoft to take notice.

Gregg Powell
AZ

Spoiler (Highlight to read)
~~POWER APPS ABILITY TO IMPORT EXCEL OR CSV TABLES INTO DATAVERSE IS B-R-O-K-E-N!!!~~
POWER APPS ABILITY TO IMPORT EXCEL OR CSV TABLES INTO DATAVERSE IS B-R-O-K-E-N!!!

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greggpowell 137 on at

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SOLUTION:
Steve Pucelik from Microsoft gave me this solution after I spent 2 weeks of getting nowhere, and literally countless hours looking for help from people here, and from MS Tech Support.

1. Once the excel file is imported into Dataverse thru Power Query - be sure the Dataflow ran, and finished updating.
2. After importing the data into Power Query (while in Power Query) - be sure all columns are selected (just click on the choose columns button to be sure all are selected), and click on the "use first row as headers button"
3. After next, Under column mapping - keep the "Unique Primary Name Box" as "auto-generated", and give the "Name Column" box a unique name not matching an existing column name - something like "primarykey". This insures that the values in the Unique Primary column are actually unique. Under Load Settings, Select the "Load to new table" radio button, and give the table name and table display name boxes names you'll recognize later in the custom table list. Next - Refresh manually if you want, and then create.
4. Refresh the browser
5. Go in to Dataflows right away - find the flow with the Next Refresh still in Progress. Rename it to something that links it to the table it is connected to (this should be done automatically by Power Apps - but it is not). I name it the same as the table name. Of course, you must wait for the flow to finish it's initial refresh before you go on. This isn't actually necessary - but it is a good practice so you don't wind up with many generically named flows that you can't match to your tables.
6. Back to Tables - under custom tables - find the table you just created.
7. HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART EVERYONE MISSED!!! ----- Now go to Views - Select Active-TableName .... Pick the Active view of the table...
8. On the left - click on the columns names to add them to the view
9. In the top right - hit save, and then publish.
10. Go back to the Data > Tables in Power apps, for the table you were just working on.
11. Click on the Data menu item (lower one to the right of Keys) - select refresh data at the top below the purple banner - and refresh the data - (you may not need to do this).....
12. All of the columns and your original data in the excel file will be there.

BIG THANKS TO STEVE PUCELIK AT MICROSOFT FOR SOLVING THIS CONUMDRUM!

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jamesam 2 on at

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I had the same issue, it took me 2 hours to work it out. The table i was trying to upload to had a relationship. The tables with the relationships need to have a primary key. You can then work out the headers by exporting first, and then use the headers to upload the data. E.g. a sample header with a relationship might look like "cr3ff_customer_code. cr3ff_company_code".

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