Power Apps: Types of variables on the canvas apps

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 The goal of this post is to demonstrate in practice the types of variables you can use when creating a Canvas application. There are three types of variables in power apps:

  • Context : This type of variable are active for as long as you are on a specific screen; if you open another screen, you will not be able to access this variable.
  • Global : A global variable can also be accessed from other screens.
  • Collections : The Collections are different than Context and Global variables, as you can store more than one items.

For more details about the Power Apps variable types, please check this link: Types of variables   The different types of variable through an example:

Context variable

 For this example, I have created a new screen with 4 Text labels, 2 Text Inputs and 2 Buttons.

 

 {Get Address}, button code:

UpdateContext({Address: TextInput1.Text})

{Get Postal Code}, button code:

UpdateContext({Postal_Code:TextInput2.Text})

Label, code:

"My Address is "& Address & "and my postal code is " & Postal_Code

The above code in action

Context Variable Example

For more details about context variable, please, check this link: Use a context variable

Global variable

 {Get Address}, button code:

Set(GblVAddress, TextInput1.Text)


   
{Get Postal Code}, button code:

Set(GblVPostal_Code,TextInput2.Text)

Label, code:

"My Address is" & GblVAddress & "and my postal code is " & GblVPostal_Code

 

Global variables, as opposed to context variables, can be accessed via the Global variables menu:

The above code in action

Power Apps - Global Variable

For more details about global variable, please, check this link: Use a global variable

Collections

For this example, I have created a new screen with 2 Text labels, 2 Text Inputs and 1 Button and a Gallery.

{Get Data}, button code:

Collect(colData, {Name: txtName.Text, LastName: txtLastName.Text})
  • Insert a new gallery item
  • From the right-hand side, select as a Data source the "colData" collection
    • Select on Subtitle1 the "Name" value
    • Select on Title1 the "LastName" value

The above code in action

Power Apps - Collection Example

 For more details about collection, please, check this link: Use a collection