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Session Id : xOq1QCx3c1IJH2HGIQwDVb
Power Apps - Building Power Apps
Answered

Update sharepoint field with empty string

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Posted on 11 Mar 2020 12:53:38 by

Hi! I have a modified sharepoint form. Within that form there is a dropdownlist. If I select a value, save, and then edit that post and select an empty string in the same dropdownlist, my field will still contain the old value. I want to be able to update my field with an empty string. How?

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  • steven_S Profile Picture
    44 on 28 Apr 2022 at 07:23:10
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    In the Update property:

     

    If it's a text field:

    If(IsBlank(DataCardValue1);"";DataCardValue1)

     

    A dropdown:

     

    If(IsBlank(DropDown1.Selected.xxx);"";DropDown1.Selected.xxx)

  • TLBGT Profile Picture
    4 on 08 Feb 2021 at 23:48:42
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    This worked for me. Thanks for posting this. I'd been searching for a solution for hours when I ran across this. To be for others as to exactly what worked:

    turned on the "Formula-level error management" option found the Experimental Features section of the Advanced setting part of the app's settings, then republished the app.

     

    So this works. That said, Microsoft are you kidding me? This is just another example of the "cobbled together" impression that Power Apps must leave on any experienced developer when trying to do anything more than "Hello World".

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on 31 Mar 2020 at 08:03:28
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    Hi! I found the solution (in my case, the accepted solution in this thread was not my solution). In SharePoint my field types was of type choice. I change the field type to plain text and then in PowerApps I added two dropdowns manually, and it worked. There was no need for me to use choice fields in SharePoint since I was using another datasource (a SharePoint list) for my dropdowns anyway.

     

    A note of concern - when I change the existing field to another type this change didn't reflect in PowerApps, even thought I re-added the fields and refresh the datasource. Power Apps still thought the field was of type Choice and therefor I got an strange error, the form didn't work at all. I needed to delete the fields in SharePoint and recreated them.

  • Verified answer
    v-xida-msft Profile Picture
    on 18 Mar 2020 at 08:21:28
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    Do you want to update the Dropdown field in your SP List with blank value (clear Dropdown field in your SP List)?

     

    Based on the needs that you mentioned, I think the "Formula-level error management" option could achieve your needs. Please consider turn on the "Formula-level error management" option within Advanced settings of App settings of your app, then re-published your canvas app, check if the issue is solved.

     

    Please check and see if the following blog would help in your scenario:

    https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/new-feature-error-handling-and-writing-null-values-to-databases/

     

    Also please check and see if the solution within the following thread would help in your scenario:

    https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Power-Apps/Clear-DateField-and-Lookup-Column-value/m-p/136709

     

    Best regards,

  • WarrenBelz Profile Picture
    148,864 Most Valuable Professional on 16 Mar 2020 at 10:16:36
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    Try

    ClearCollect(
     SelectedUnits;
     AddColumns(
     Filter(
     Organisation;
     Department = Departmments_Dropdown.SelectedText.Value
     );
     "Title";
     ""
     )
    );;

     

    Please click Accept as solution if my post helped you solve your issue. This will help others find it more readily. It also closes the item. If the content was useful in other ways, please consider giving it Thumbs Up.

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on 13 Mar 2020 at 07:51:54
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    Thanks for reply. AllowEmptySelection is set to true already, This is my DataCard data properties:

     

    powerapps error 2.png

     

    This is my dropdownlist data properties:

    powerapps error.png

  • eka24 Profile Picture
    20,921 on 12 Mar 2020 at 13:35:38
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    You can disable multiple selection in combobox.

    Change AllowEmptySelection to true.

    Also take a screenshot of the dropdown if the above does not work

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on 12 Mar 2020 at 13:16:21
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    Thanks but it's not working.  Also I'd like to use a dropdown since it's only a single value that should be selected.

     

    SelectionUnits is my datasource where I add an empty item like this:

     

    ClearCollect(
     SelectedUnits;
     {Title: ""};
     Filter(
     Organisation;
     Department = Departmments_Dropdown.SelectedText.Value
     )
    );;

     

    If I put a value in Title like {Title: "test"} it's working, but an empty string is not. A space {Title: " "} is not working. 

     

  • eka24 Profile Picture
    20,921 on 12 Mar 2020 at 10:16:56
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    Try this:
    Replace your dropdown with a Combobox and observe the effect

     

    If you like this reply, please give kudos. And if this solves your problem, please accept this reply as the solution

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    on 12 Mar 2020 at 09:24:41
    Re: Update sharepoint field with empty string

    The default value is not the problem, problem is if there are an existing post and a value stored in that field already. When edit that post, select an empty value using my dropdown list (my dropdown has an empty item)… my update event seems to ignore that value/field completely in the update event. The old value will not be overwritten with my empty string.

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