Updating Context Variables with Tables

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Posted on by sperry1625

765 Super User 2024 Season 1

I have a context variable that contains a table. I want to update a record in that table with either Patch() or UpdateIf(). I keep getting an error that the first parameter to Patch() or UpdateIf() needs to be a collection. It is a collection. Do these functions have issues with Tables that are in a Context Variable? Does the variable need to be actual collection? Why can't it be a Table, I should be able to update a table!

This is frustrating, I HATE using variables with Global context when they are not needed. Is there a way to do this?

Thank you.

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AhmedSalih 6,680 Moderator on at

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Hello, @sperry1625, are you using the Table() function? If so, I would suggest that you load your table into a collection.

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sperry1625 765 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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Why? Collections are global, I really do not want to use a Global variable. Is there really no way to update a Table that is in a Context Variable or created using Set()?

Thank you.

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AhmedSalih 6,680 Moderator on at

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@sperry1625, As the error mentioned, UpdateIF and patch won't work with data table created with the Table() function. If the issue of creating collection is because of the performance, you can utilize the clear function always to clear up the data in the collection.

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Pstork1 69,653 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Context variables are objects, not collections. You may have an array (Table) embedded in the context variable, but the variable itself isn't a collection. Try embedding the table as a property and then doing an update if on that property.

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francoisb1 21 on at

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Hi @sperry1625
I have the same questions.
I need a table but want to avoid using global scope and so I don't use Collection.
Same idea is to store the table in a context variable.
But did you manager to update / add item to the table ?

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Pstork1 69,653 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Please post this as a new question. You'll get more responses and others will be able to find the answer more easily later.

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james_hathaway 427 on at

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I figured this one out...

I have a Table inside my Context called "_recordTable" defined as below.

UpdateContext({ _recordTable:Filter(Customers,Active) })

(Where "Customers" is a legitimate Datasource)

If I wanted to Patch or update that table, I ran into the same issue as the OP.

SOLUTION:

After a bit of digging and experimentation, I found the following works:

As Pstork1 suggested - The trick is to put the table inside another property in the Context record...

UpdateContext({ _recordTable: { _table:Filter(Customers,Active) } }); Patch(_recordTable._table, {ID:recordToUpdate.ID}, {Active:false});

J.

EDIT - After more experimentation, this solution does NOT actually work.
Although there is no error in the Studio, and No Runtime error displayed at all, the table is simply NOT updated at all.
This is misleading enough, because it acts as though the code runs perfectly, but it clearly produces an error.

If you set a variable to the result of the Patch with:
Set(_response,Patch(_recordTable._table, {ID:recordToUpdate.ID}, {Active:false}));

The variable "_response" shows the value:
Error - (The Data source supplied to the function is invalid)

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