Power Platform Community Forum Thread Details

Hello Everyone!
Hope you're doing well.

I just got kinda stuck with a recent requirement and wanted your opinions on this.

I have a canvas app. The client wants to add a feature to import records from canvas app using an excel file. Just like the button we have in Model-Driven App (Import from Excel). I know this is possible somehow using Power Automate as I once saw this in a past project. But unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take a good look at it.

If someone has done it can you kindly guide me with the proper approach. Any link to documentation or Video will also be very useful. Thanks in advance.

Categories:

Building Power Apps

Found a close enough solution:

Design the UI: Create a button or a control in your canvas app interface to trigger the import process.
Configure Power Automate: Use Power Automate (previously known as Microsoft Flow) to handle the import process. Power Automate allows you to create automated workflows that can perform various tasks, including importing data from an Excel file.
Create a new Power Automate flow: In Power Automate, create a new flow. You can start with a blank flow or use a template that suits your requirements.
Configure the trigger: Set the trigger for the flow to activate when the button in your canvas app is clicked. For example, you can use the Power Apps trigger to initiate the flow.
Add Excel actions: Within the flow, add actions to interact with the Excel file. You can use the "Excel Online (Business)" connector or the "Excel Online (OneDrive)" connector to perform operations on the Excel file.
Define import logic: Specify the logic to read the data from the Excel file. You can use actions like "List rows present in a table" or "Get rows" to retrieve the data from the Excel file.
Process imported data: Once you have the data from the Excel file, you can perform any necessary transformations or validations on the data within the flow. You can use actions like "Apply to each" to iterate through the imported data and perform actions on each record.
Save records to the desired data source: Within the flow, use actions or connectors to save the imported data into the desired data source, such as a SharePoint list, a SQL database, or any other supported data destination.
Handle errors and provide feedback: Implement error handling within the flow to handle any issues that may arise during the import process. You can use actions like "Compose" or "Send an email" to send notifications or provide feedback to the user in case of errors or successful imports.
Test and deploy: Test the flow by running it manually or by triggering it from your canvas app. Once you are satisfied with the results, deploy the solution to your production environment.

It's important to note that the exact configuration and steps may vary depending on the specifics of your app and the connectors you use. However, this general approach using Power Automate should help you achieve the desired import functionality in your canvas app.

P.S.

ChatGPT gave me this approach which triggered the full approach in my mind. I watched the "upload file to sharepoint from canvas app" video from Reza Dorrani.

Uploaded the file from canvas app to sharepoint (Temporarily) then used list rows and apply to each action to create records... this works but still it is not dynamic. I want it to be dynamic so that it can auto map the fields. Is it even possible?

Regards,

Shaheer Ahmad