#PowerPlatformTip 108 – ‘Double-Click Magic in PowerApps’

💡 Challenge

How can we utilize both single and double clicks on the same button in PowerApps to perform separate actions, reflecting the state of interaction more accurately?

✅ Solution

Implement a method that leverages a combination of a click counter and a timer to differentiate between single and double clicks, executing actions accordingly.

🔧 How It’s Done

Here’s how to do it:

1. Click Tracking
   🔸 Increment locPopUp variable to count clicks.
   🔸 Use in OnSelect:
   powerapps UpdateContext({locPopUp: locPopUp + 1})

2. Timer Initiation
   🔸 Start the timer by setting locPopUpTimer to true.
   🔸 Use in OnSelect:
   powerapps UpdateContext({locPopUpTimer: true});

3. Timer Configuration
   🔸 Set the timer’s Duration to 1000 (milliseconds).
   🔸 Enable AutoStart on the timer control.

4. Action Determination
   🔸 In the timer’s OnTimerEnd, check the locPopUp count.
   🔸 Reset locPopUpTimer to false:
   powerapps UpdateContext({locPopUpTimer: false})

5. Popup Visibility and Reset
   🔸 Display popups based on locPopUp value when locPopUpTimer is false.
   🔸 On closing the popup, reset locPopUp to 0:
   powerapps UpdateContext({locPopUp: 0});

🎉 Result

This setup effectively differentiates between single and double clicks, allowing PowerApps to execute contextually relevant actions based on user interaction speed. It mimics traditional desktop application behavior, enhancing the user experience within PowerApps.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 Versatile Interactions: Enables complex user interactions within a simple UI framework.
🔸 User Experience: Offers intuitive operational modes that users are familiar with from desktop environments.
🔸 Efficient Design: Reduces the need for multiple buttons for different actions, keeping the UI clean and user-friendly.

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🎥 Video Tutorial

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🛠️ FAQ

1. How does the method distinguish between a single and double click?
It uses a click counter (locPopUp) and a timer (locPopUpTimer). When the button is clicked, the counter increments and the timer starts. If a second click occurs before the timer ends, it’s treated as a double click; otherwise, it’s a single click action.

2. Can I adjust the interval used to detect a double click?
Yes. You can modify the timer’s Duration property (e.g., set it to 500ms or 1000ms) to suit the expected speed of user interaction in your app.

3. How can I apply this pattern for a double-click-only action?
Use a formula that compares the current time to the last click time (e.g., with Now() and DateAdd) and set a variable (like locDobble) to true when two clicks occur within the defined interval.

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