Reliably detect SaveData() and LoadData() availability on app start

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Posted on by TiagoFreire

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Hi all,

I am developing an app which I want to make work in the browser as well as on-the-go.

There isn't a proper way to detect whether SaveData() and LoadData() are available, and they cause an error if I try to run them on the browser. (I have already posted a idea for improvement in this regard: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Apps-Ideas/Identify-where-the-app-is-running-with-RunTime-IsBrowser-Runtime/idi-p/403520)

It seems that the functions for acceleration, compass and GPS data kinda-sorta work on the browser though, and I am trying to do a hack to indirectly detect whether I can SaveData() and LoadData().

Location.Altitude is always Blank on the browser, but it correctly fills with real-time data on devices.

(tested on: Pocophone F1, Samsung Galaxy Tab S3)

I tried to use Location.Altitude on the OnStart() event, however it is blank at that time, all the time, in the tested platforms.

I can sometimes detect it afterwards with a Screen's OnVisible(), but it is unreliable.
Although rarely, the unreliable event caught the Location.Altitude blank in the OnVisible event.

I would need a way to guarantee that I can get an app variable that is always blank on the web browser, but has a different value on mobile, to be able to avoid SaveData and LoadData, but know when I can use them 100% of the time the platform supports it.

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Building Power Apps

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v-monli-msft Microsoft Employee on at

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Hi @TiagoFreire ,

What is your data source? Can you please share the detailed related formulas?

Regards,

Mona

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TiagoFreire 313 on at

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As I said, I tried to read Location.Altitude in the OnStart event and in the OnVisible event of the first screen .

On PC, Location.Altitude is always blank, making for a good candidate to indirectly detect the availability of SaveData() and LoadData().

I used the following logic to test it out:

If(IsBlank(Location.Altitude), Set(hasSaveLoad,false),Set(hasSaveLoad,true))

However...

On devices:

OnStart - hasSaveLoad is always set to false.
OnVisible - hasSaveLoad is mostly set to true, sometimes set to false. (Not really hard to reproduce, happened several times)

On a button after the app warmed up: hasSaveLoad is always set to true.

Being able to detect the availability of SaveData() and LoadData() at app initial load is very important for a myriad of applications.

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TiagoFreire 313 on at

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UPDATE: If I fully close the PowerApps Runtime and cold start it, it's actually pretty easy to get a FALSE value in the OnVisible event.

If I leave the PowerApps runtime open, and just close and reopen the test app from the PowerApps - My Apps screen, it tends to set the variable to true after it read Location.Altitude at least once in the OnVisible event (still not guaranteed though).

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TiagoFreire 313 on at

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UPDATE#2: I did further testing, adding another variable: timerSaveLoad.

I created a Timer in the app which autostarts, and waited 10 miliseconds before triggering:

If(!IsBlank(Location.Altitude),Set(timerSaveLoad,true),Set(timerSaveLoad,false))

Using a Timer is also an unreliable way to detect the value.
Sometimes it sets timerSaveLoad to true, sometimes to false.

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