web
You’re offline. This is a read only version of the page.
close
Skip to main content

Announcements

News and Announcements icon
Community site session details

Community site session details

Session Id :
Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Apps / PowerApps does not upd...
Power Apps
Unanswered

PowerApps does not update SharePoint choice columns

(0) ShareShare
ReportReport
Posted on by Microsoft Employee

Hello,

 

I am a beginner to PowerApps and am facing some issues updating SharePoint fields using it. I have a SharePoint list with 3 dropdowns. I created its New Item Form using PowerApps and have used 3 cascading dropdowns. The choices of the dropdowns are being taken from an Excel table. However, when a new item is created and submitted in SharePoint, the dropdown columns remain blank. I tried using the LookUp function and could update 1 of the columns, but the other 2 dependent columns are not getting updated. Could anyone please help me with how those columns could be updated.

Any help will be much appreciated. Thank you!

Categories:
I have the same question (0)
  • WarrenBelz Profile Picture
    155,752 Most Valuable Professional on at

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    A few things

    • What are the Items and names of these drop-downs?
    • Are they drop-downs or Combo Boxes?
    • What are their Default values?
  • v-yutliu-msft Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    Do you mean that you could not update choice type column successfully?

    I agree with @WarrenBelz , many details need you to provide.  Or else, we could not give you a detailed solution.

    Here are my questions:

    1)do you want to use three drop downs to update 3 choice columns? (not combo boxes)

    2)the relationship between these three drop downs?

    3)the Items of the three drop downs?

    4)whether these three choice column allow multiple choice?

    5)the formula that you use to update? If you use form to update, I need the formulas in datacards' Update.

     

    Please notice that you could only update choice column with value that the column has this choice.

    For example: if the choice column has these choices: choice1,choice2,choice3.

    If you use choice4 to update this column, you will not succeed.

     

    Usually, we update choice column like this:

    1)the drop down's Items:

    Distinct(table1,field1)
    //table1 is my table name, field1 is my fieldname

    2)the update formula:

    Patch(list1,Defaults(list1),{choicefield:{Value:drop down1.Selected.Result},Title:"aaa"})
    //list1 is my list name, choicefield is my choice fieldname

    //all the value of field1 has related choice value in this column

    3)If you use form to update, you could set the datacard' s Update:

    {Value:drop down1.Selected.Result}

     

     

     

    Best regards,

  • WarrenBelz Profile Picture
    155,752 Most Valuable Professional on at

    Thank you @v-yutliu-msft for the additional information.

    @Anonymous I will respond further when I have the details I requested.

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hello @WarrenBelz 

     

    1. The Names and Items of the three drop-downs are as follows:

     

    Drop-down1 (Company Name) - Distinct(Table1,Company)

    Drop-down2 (Products) - Distinct(Filter(Table1,Company=DataCardValue5.Selected.Result),Products)

    Drop-down3 (Sub-Products) - Distinct(Filter(Table1,Company=DataCardValue5.Selected.Result, Products=ComboBox_Products.Selected.Result),SubProducts)

     

    Table1 is the table name in the Excel spreadsheet.

     

    2. All 3 of them are Combo boxes, but do not allow multiple selections

    3. Their default values are blank

     

    Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank you!

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hello @v-yutliu-msft 

     

    Please find my answers below:

     

    1)do you want to use three drop downs to update 3 choice columns? (not combo boxes)

    - I am using three combo boxes to update 3 choice columns

    2)the relationship between these three drop downs?

    - Drop-down1 has Company names, Drop-down2 is dependent on Drop-down1, and Drop-down3 is dependent on the values of both, Drop-down1 and Drop-down2

    3)the Items of the three drop downs?

    - I have included the formulas in my reply to @WarrenBelz 

    4)whether these three choice column allow multiple choice?

    - No

    5)the formula that you use to update? If you use form to update, I need the formulas in datacards' Update.

    - I have used LookUp(Choices('List1'.'Company Name'),Value=DataCardValue5.Selected.Result) and similar in the datacard's Update 

     

    Please notice that you could only update choice column with value that the column has this choice.

    For example: if the choice column has these choices: choice1,choice2,choice3.

    If you use choice4 to update this column, you will not succeed.

    - Yes, is there any other way to patch the values in the SharePoint list, because my Drop-down3 has 608 unique values, and I guess the limit is 500. Also, the choice options are single lines of text, which might be causing problems in the SharePoint choice column. Any workaround? 

    Thank you!

  • WarrenBelz Profile Picture
    155,752 Most Valuable Professional on at

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    Can you please tag whoever you want to continue this thread with as three-way conversations just confuse everyone.

     

  • v-yutliu-msft Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    1)Do you want to patch value to choices in choice column in powerapps?

    Yes, this is possible.

    You just need to set the choice column like this:

    562.PNG

     

    Then even if the value that you want patch has not existed in the choices of choice column, you could also patch successfully.

    However, choice column has this limit:

    The total limit for this is 255 characters, so if you have 50 choices, each one can only be 4-characters long on average

    (The total choices characters could only be 255 at most.)

    The 608 unique values is too much.

    I suggest you create multiple choice columns for Sub-Products.

    (the number is decided by the length of your value)

    For example:
    Sub-Products1 field with 1-50 unique choices  

    Sub-Products2 field with 51-100 unique choices

    Sub-Products3 field with 101-150 unique choices

    Sub-Products4 field with 151-200 unique choices

    ......

     

    2)How to update:

    Company Name Update:

    {Value:DataCardValue5.Selected.Result}

    Products Update:

     

    {Value:ComboBox_Products.Selected.Result}

     

    Sub-Products Update:

     

    {Value:ComboBox_Sub-Products.Selected.Result}

     

     

    Since you said  "my Drop-down3 has 608 unique values", I suggest you consider insert multiple Sub-Products field.

    For example:
    Sub-Products1's Items:   (1-50)

    FirstN(
    Distinct(Filter(Table1,Company=DataCardValue5.Selected.Result, Products=ComboBox_Products.Selected.Result),SubProducts),50
    )

    Sub-Products1 Update:

     

    {Value:ComboBox_Sub-Products1.Selected.Result}

     

    Sub-Products2's Items:   (51-100)

     

    Last(FirstN(
    Distinct(Filter(Table1,Company=DataCardValue5.Selected.Result, Products=ComboBox_Products.Selected.Result),SubProducts),100
    ),50
    )

     

    Sub-Products2 Update:

     

    {Value:ComboBox_Sub-Products2.Selected.Result}

     

     

     

    Best regards,

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hello @v-yutliu-msft 

     

    Yes, I want to patch values from the table to the choice columns in my SharePoint list. If that is the case, does the limit of 255 characters still apply? As I won't be choosing values from the choice column.

     

    I have enabled 'Can add values manually' in the choice columns and tried using the below code for patching the values: 

    Patch(list1,Defaults(list1),{choicefield:{Value:drop down1.Selected.Result},Title:"aaa"})
    //list1 is my list name, choicefield is my choice fieldname

     

    I am getting the below error:

    Behavior function in a non-behavior property. You can't use this property to change values elsewhere in the app.

     

  • v-yutliu-msft Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hi @Anonymous ,

    1)Yes, the choices' total max length of choice column is 255 charater.

    If you patch to choice column with choices total number more than 255, you will unsucceed.

     

    2)It seems that you use this formula in a non-behavior property.

    Patch function is a behavior function. You need to use this formula in behavior property. For example: button's OnSelect.

    What's more, the formula that I use is just an example, please replace with the data that you use.

     

    Best regards,

     

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hello @WarrenBelz 

     

    Could you please provide guidance on how this problem could be resolved.

    Thank you!

Under review

Thank you for your reply! To ensure a great experience for everyone, your content is awaiting approval by our Community Managers. Please check back later.

Helpful resources

Quick Links

Season of Sharing Community Challenge Launch!

Jump in, show your community spirit, and win prizes!

Kudos to our 2025 Community Spotlight Honorees

Expanding mentorship, skilling, and AI innovation

Congratulations to the May Top 10 Community Leaders!

These are the community rock stars!

Leaderboard > Power Apps

#1
Valantis Profile Picture

Valantis 483

#2
WarrenBelz Profile Picture

WarrenBelz 399 Most Valuable Professional

#3
11manish Profile Picture

11manish 327

Last 30 days Overall leaderboard