Answered

Power Apps Choices() Function for Dropdown Menu - Need an Initial Value of 'Select a type'

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee

I am designing a Power App using a SPO list as the data source. I have a dropdown on the screen and a few text controls with a submit button that uses a Patch to write the data to the SP list. My dropdown's Items property uses the code below to populate the dropdown from the choices in my 'Employee-Type' list column.

This works great however the dropdown is always pre-populated with a value and I want the initial value to be "Select an Employee Type". Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Choices('SPO-List-Name'.'Employee-Type')

Categories:

Building Power Apps

I have the same question (0)

All responses (4)

Answers (1)

Sort by

Pstork1 69,541 Most Valuable Professional on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

The way I've done this in the past is to dump the data source field into a collection after I add the one additional choice that I want at the top of the collection. Then use that collection in the Choices() formula.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Verified answer

mdevaney 29,991 Moderator on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!
@Anonymous

We have to add "Select an Employee Type" to top of the list of available options since there is no placeholder text property in a dropdown.

Put this code in the OnVisible property of your screen.

ClearCollect(myDropdownOptions, {Value: "Select an Employee Type"}); Collect(myDropdownOptions, Choices('SPO-List-Name'.'Employee-Type');

Then use the collection in the Items property of your dropdown

myDropdownOptions

Finally, write your placeholder text string in the Default value of the dropdown

"Select an Employee Type"

---
Please click "Accept as Solution" if my post answered your question so that others may find it more quickly. If you found this post helpful consider giving it a "Thumbs Up."

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Drrickryp Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!
Hi @Anonymous

The easiest way is if you can access your SharePoint list, add _Select an Employee Type as an option and sort the list Ascending in PowerApps. If not, you can create a collection that includes this option and then collect the rest of the data from SPO.

Collect(emptype,Distinct(SPO-List-Name','Employee-Type')),Collect(emptype,{Result:"_Select an Employee Type"})

You would put this formula in the OnVisible property of your screen. you can then use Sort(emptype, Result) as the items property of a dropdown control.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Thank you @mdevaney for providing a detailed solution!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No