Character limit on multi-line text field not correct

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Posted on by DCHammer

716 Moderator

Multi-line text field will only allow 255 characters via the app.

If I put anything >255, the form just doesn't submit, No error message, Just no submit.

Reduce to 255 and it saves.
Datacard is pointed to "Comments" which is a multi-line text field but may in fact have been a single line text field that was changed.
Datacard Max Length is "DataSourceInfo([@'Account Move - Requests'], DataSourceInfo.MaxLength, Comments)" which should result in no limit at all.

Text control Max Length is Parent.MaxLength

I even tried manually changing the max length on the datacard to 500 and it didn't work.

PowerApps has cached a character limit for that field that I can't seem to modify.

I assume others have seen this happen. I'm 99.9% sure that deleting that datacard and creating a new one will solve the problem but that's going to mean an hour of messing around with multiple cards when they all shift positions on the form when I delete which I'm just trying to avoid.

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Building Power Apps

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vipuljain03 657 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Recheck DataCard Max Length: The formula DataSourceInfo([@'Account Move - Requests'], DataSourceInfo.MaxLength, Comments) you mentioned is correct for dynamically setting the max length based on the data source. However, double-check if this formula is returning the correct maximum length by testing it in a label (DataSourceInfo([@'Account Move - Requests'], DataSourceInfo.MaxLength, Comments)).

As a last resort, recreate the data card, this might be the cleanest solution.

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DCHammer 716 Moderator on at

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I figured it out. I'm just occasionally a little thick.

It suddenly registered with me looking at the SP list that the same text in the Comments field was in the Title. Which didn't register as a problem until 2 minutes ago.

At some point in dev, I created a card pointed at Title which got it's value from the same text control as Comments. And guess what? Title has a 255 limit.

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Pstork1 68,717 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Text fields, whether single line or multiline are always limited to 255 characters. If you want more than that then you need to use a Rich Text field.

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DCHammer 716 Moderator on at

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Good suggestion @vipuljain03 about the right value. It was. Somewhere, somehow it's cached it and removing the datacard I also had connected to Title was part of the problem. So when I removed the Title datacard, the form actually submits, but it doesn't save the comments from the text control anywhere at all.

As you suggested, deleting and re-adding a datacard for that field is going to be the answer. Including the hour of rearranging and setting control properties.

The first person that codes a control property copier is going to be drowning in gifts.

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DCHammer 716 Moderator on at

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So I figured out how to resolve it.

I modified the existing datacard that has proper design properties and controls but wasn't actually saving to the field like I thought it was and it was actually the Title card hidden in the background doing the lifting. This visual custom card does now correctly display the contents of the field even though it won't save to it.

I added a new card connected to the Comments field, deleted all the controls other than the text control for housekeeping, hid the card and set the Default property on this control to txtComments.Text which is the input control inside the old datacard.

It's definitely a stupid kludge but I don't have to mess around and rebuild the form to solve this problem.

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