Answered

How to expand a variable to a screen name for Navigate?

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by CMetcalfe

I can't figure out how to pass a text to the screen name argument of the Navigate function.

I can generate the text of the next screen name, and use it in a label, but I can't seem get navigate to accept anything other than manually entered text.

I've been unsuccessful with the following approaches (and variants that I've lost track off)...

Navigate(Screen & (scrNum+1),ScreenTransition.Fade))

Navigate(Screen & Text(scrNum+1),ScreenTransition.Fade)

Navigate(Text("Screen" & (scrNum+1)),ScreenTransition.Fade)

Navigate(Concatenate("Screen",Text(scrNum+1)), ScreenTransition.Fade)

I also tried simplifying the expansion by removing the arithmetic and iterating through the above

UpdateContext({nextScr:(scrNum+1)};

Navigate(Screen & nextScr),ScreenTransition.Fade)

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Categories:

Building Power Apps

All responses (7)

Answers (1)

Sort by

mdevaney 29,993 Moderator on at

Like
a
(3)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!
@CMetcalfe

You cannot refer to a screen name indirectly in PowerApps as you are attempting to do.

It's not ideal but you can use SWITCH like this if your app is being developed over several screens.

Set(scrNum, scrNum + 1); Switch( scrNum, 1, Navigate(Screen1, Fade), 2, Navigate(Screen2, Fade), 3, Navigate(Screen3, Fade), 4, Navigate(Screen4, Fade), 5, Navigate(Screen5, Fade) )

The other approach would be to put everything on a single screen and make the controls visible when the appropriate page number matches the variable scrNum. It would involve putting code like this in the Visible property of each control.

scrNum=1 //if you want the control to show when on Page1

---
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."
CMetcalfe 5 on at

Like
a
(0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hi @mdevaney - thank you for taking the time to respond, even if it wasn't the answer I was expecting!

Sigh: So the Navigate function only accepts strings that originated from the keyboard? How does it even tell? /s 😉

I'll just have to go through my project and manually edit all of the 'advance' icons.
mdevaney 29,993 Moderator on at

Like
a
(1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

@CMetcalfe

Q: "Sigh: So the Navigate function only accepts strings that originated from the keyboard? How does it even tell?"

A: References to screen names must always be static (as opposed to variable). Right now that's just the way things are...

Have you ever encountered the INDIRECT function is Microsoft Excel? To enact your solution that's essentially what would be needed to do it. INDIRECT takes a string as an argument and evaluates to a cell reference. In PowerApps we would need INDIRECT to evaluate to a control reference.

If you have a strong desire to see this functionality included in PowerApps you can always go create an Idea and encourage others to vote on it.

Link to MS Ideas

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Apps-Community/ct-p/PowerApps1

---
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."
Verified answer

v-siky-msft Microsoft Employee on at

Like
a
(1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hi @CMetcalfe ,

The control cannot be called by its string name!
the Screen1 you entered in the formula bar is a control, but the "Screen1" is a string, they are different type.
Currently, the function to invoke controls as strings is not supported in PowerApps. If you want this feature, please submit an idea to PowerApps Idea forum.
Best regards,
Sik
CMetcalfe 5 on at

Like
a
(0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

@v-siky-msft: Thank you for your response.

The distinction between a control name and it's 'string name' isn't very intuitive, but your screenshots showing that they are different data types was helpful.

Cheers!
rschneider 77 on at

Like
a
(0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

I've created an Idea for this: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Apps-Ideas/Let-Navigate-also-use-variables/idi-p/732599#M32207
CU15091556-0 49 on at

Like
a
(0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Here's where you can upvote this.