'Created By' Confusion

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Posted on by JoelL

Hello and thanks in advance for considering my question.

I have a gallery, containing a list of requests. Upon the selection of an item in the list, I have the variable set as:

Set(varRecordEmail, ThisItem)

Standard stuff. It then navigates to a new approval screen where the record data is parsed from varRecordEmail IE, name, department, status, ETC....

If the user presses the 'approve' button, the gallery is patched back to the list and an email is sent to the requestor. For that email I am using varRecordEmail.'Created By'.Email. I tested this 50 times yesterday without issue. Now, this morning, I have an error and when I hover over or retype, 'Created By' is not even an option when combined with varRecordEmail. If fact, 'Created By' is the only thing from variable that isn't available.

Consequently, I also use varRecord as a variable on the very first screen on my app. Once set, anywhere I go in the app I can insert a label and set it to varRecord.'Created By'.Email, and it works perfectly. I can see no difference in the two.

I feel like I have done this exact thing many time and have no issue. WTH am I missing???

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WarrenBelz 154,413 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @JoelL

You are correct that the varRecordEmail.'Created By'.Email value should be available to you across the app, but your last comment may provide a bit of a clue. Are you also using UpdateContext to set varRecord on the relevant screen - if so this (different) variable will take precedent on that screen over the Global item.

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JoelL 63 on at

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Thanks, Warren. I should have mentioned, that these are both set as global variables. The first screen just happens to be where the varRecord variable is defined.

Joel

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timl 36,682 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hi JoelL

This is very strange, particularly if it worked about 50 times yesterday.

What data source are you using? Is it Dataverse? If so, this could be due to the 'explicit column selection' feature not loading 'Created By' as part of its performance optimisation.

To troubleshoot/progress this, I would add a label to your gallery and set it to ThisItem.'Created By'.Email

Irrespective of whatever data source you're using, this could be some glitch in the interpreter and by adding 'Created By' to the gallery, that would ensure that it's there when you call Set(varRecordEmail, ThisItem).

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JoelL 63 on at

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Thank you, Timl for your response.

The data source is a SP list. I added this label as part of my troubleshooting already and it works perfectly fine, which is why I am left scratching my head here. In the gallery where the variable is defined, I can add ThisItem.'Created By'.Email which returns the correct information but even there, in that same gallery, if I add a button to which I attach: Set(varRecordEmail, ThisItem), click it and attempt to add a label with varRecordEmail.'Created By'.Email, the error appears immediately.

Here is the result of the label. Works.

This is my OnSelect

This is what I get after navigating and trying to call the data

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JoelL 63 on at

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Upon checking under 'list settings', something I should have started with, the actual name of the column is 'Author'. If I apply that name in place of 'Created By', this issue is resolved. I have always used 'Created By' in this scenario and in fact, where varRecord.'Created By'.Email still works fine in this app, that column is also named Author in the SP list. Why one works and one does not I may never know but for now, happy :)

Thanks

Joel

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