Answered

Submitting forms: Expected String Error

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by amgravs2

I have an app where user choices are saved across multiple screens ot one summary table. An issue that I'm runniing into is that I am constantly receiving an error where, once the form is submitted, it calls out a field and says "expected string." I can fix this by changing the excel column data type to "Number" but once I successfully submit, PowerApps changes the column back to "General" and the cycle continues if I close out of the app.

Anyone else notice this/have permanent fixes?

Categories:

Building Power Apps

I have the same question (0)

All responses (10)

Answers (1)

v-yamao-msft Microsoft Employee on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hi amgravs2,

Could you show me more details to help reproduce this issue on my side?

I assume that your app is based on an Excel table. You have a submit button to submit data to the Excel table.

I am not sure with this “PowerApps changes the column back to "General"”, could you show me a screenshot about it?

To test this issue, I create an app based on Excel table which is stored on Dropbox. I can write data back to the data from PowerApps without issues.

About the Excel table, I have a number column, and I configure the number column’s data type to “Number”.

Then auto create an app based on this table, try to save data to the table, succeed. Then I go to the Excel table to check the data type, it is Number, which doesn’t change back to “General” as you mentioned.

Please feel free correct me if my reproduce step is different with yours. And it would be great if you could provide more details about this issue.

Best regards,
Mabel Mao

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
amgravs2 6 on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hi v-yamao-msft,

I have my excel hosted on onedrive. "General" is the formatting type (see screenshots of error and table). What / have found is that this error occurs whenever I'm tyring to submit numbers to a cell that is not under the "Number" format. As you can see, I'm trying to change that cell to $555.00 from the 23 that is a placeholder. In the past, once I get the error, I have opened the excel document, changed the format to "Number" and then refreshed data source and successfully submitted. However, once the data is submitted by PowerApps, the formatting for that cell returns to "General" and the error will occur again.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
freshjerky 6 on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Any resolution to this? I have the same issue. Thanks.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
grizzlegrazz 4 on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

I also have the same proble

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
freshjerky 6 on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

I have been unable to find a resolution. I have an inventory report that is submitted monthly. Without fail, every month, the app fails for the users. I have to go in and change the cell types from General to Number in the excel file and then they can submit. Last month, I got an opposite message where the error said it was expected a number, the field type was a number, and the entered value was a number. That was the straw that drove me to switch back to google forms. Its not as pretty, but it consistently works.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
CFursPApps 4 on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hey guys! Dunno if any of you have since found a resolution but I think I just did, so maybe this will help future users. I, too, was just sitting here breaking my teeth, clenching, and then it occurred to me -- If your Excel table is hosted in OneDrive, you may recall that many of the standard features are disabled and don't necessarily write back to the *true NATIVE excel file* itself. When opening your table in OneDrive, use the "OPEN IN EXCEL" option, change the format to Number and close the native Excel file. If you check your OneDrive-hosted table, the format will have changed as expected. I then, on a couple of occasions now, made changes in the app which FINALLY wrote back to the table successfully AND the hosted table format remains intact as "Number." YAYYYY!

Hope you have the same results!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Masor 57 on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

I had the samen issue.
So I Opened the Excelfile in Excel desktop (not online) and format the cells as a number.
Save the Excel sheet.
This wil probably fix your issue

I worked for me 🙂

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Verified answer

econoshift 7 on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

I had exact the same issue and I think I found the solution.
When I change the column format by selecting 'Number' with the drop down in the 'Home' menu in Excel and save the file in OneDrive, the number format will change back to 'General' eventually.
But, if you do that by the Format Cells dialog with specifics detailed, it prevents from changing back to 'General'. Also, it may be a good idea to do that after saving the file in your hard disk and save back it in OneDrive as @CFursPApps mentioned.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
AAlvarez 4 on at

Like (1)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hi everyone,

I also had this issue and none of the solutions outlined in this thread was able to resolve my problem. While trying to submit a form, I got the "Number expected" error even though the datacard contained a numeric value and the excel source table was properly formated. After each incident, I noticed that the Excel table changed its format to "General" and, as one of the users posted, I went thru that issue a lot but the solution was to simply reformat the column in Excel until days ago that nothing appeared to fix the issue. After a lot of frustrations (mine and my users) I deleted the datacard in my Form and then added it again and voila!! my app is up and runing again! I hope someone finds this information useful.
Cheers!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Simytech 2 on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

This problem is still present (2023), and I also deleted/added the datacard.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No