Modern Sites/Pages limitations - Project Road Blocks.

[Michael Duffy]

Evening everyone,

I'm looking for some advice on how I can get around some roadblocks i'm hitting with the modern UI. Here's the issues:

1. I need to be able to disable / hide fields on a modern UI form (NewForm.aspx / EditForm.aspx). Previously this would have been done using JS in a SEWP/CEWP. The only solution I have found here is to hide it from the form by customizing the content type (but this hides it from everyone).
   The newly released powerapps functionality (Here) would have solved this easily but comes with its own quirks that cause issues for the requirements below.
   
   
2. Attachments - the Modern form supports adding attachments to items but the powerapps functionality does not - PA only supports read only operations when it comes to attachments (At least for now) which prevents me from using PA to solve issue 1.
   
   
3. Multiple notes - Previously I would have dealt with this by simply turning on versioning and "append changes" to a multiline text box. However, when append changes is turned on, the Modern UI changes to a classic form. Powerapps handles it better but only shows the latest addition to the text box - any previous entries are not shown on the PA form but are correctly stored on the list item.

These requirements could be met fairly quickly using the classic UI with only a little bit of JS for the field hide / disable part - SharePoint does the other two requirements out of the box with no issue.
Any input on how these requirements can be met using powerapps or the modern UI would be appreciated.
I'm not against using SPFx Web Parts / Extensions but don't want to create completely custom forms  as I feel that goes against everything that was mentioned at ESPC17.

Thanks.
M

[#2]

Hi Michael,
My 2 cents here:
1. As you have said, this is coming with PowerApps integration...PowrApps integration for SPO List / Document Libraries forms is currently being rolled out in First Release...another alternative here could be SPFx Extensions, but it could be also very limited for your scenario
2. If PowerApps is not OK for you, then I only see something around SPFx Extensions about a possibility but I think is going to be very far to meet you requirements

[#3]

Thanks for your input Juan, much appreciated.

It looks like I'll need to stick with Classic mode for now or wait until the attachment functionality is available in Powerapps.
Unfortunately attaching files is a mandatory requirement so Powerapps can't be used in this instance.

The modern UI looks and works well but given the fact I can't customize the form or use the append text feature on a multi-line text box (it reverts to a classic form) takes that out of the tool belt as well.

I have looked at SPFx extensions to add command bar / context buttons but I've not been able to come to a complete solution meeting all requirements; Either attachments go, or the append text feature goes.

Without re-writing a lot of code that works out of the box in classic mode, my options seem limited to either using Classic Mode or waiting to be able to use attachments (read/write) through Powerapps

If anyone can think of a workaround / method that the Modern UI can be used while still being able to attach files and keep a history of case notes (either through append text to a multiline textbox or by linking to a seperate list) then let me know.

Thanks again for your help Juan.

[#4]

Hey Michael, following up on this. Attachments are now supported in PowerApps for number 2. And the number

3. multi-line text append support is coming by mid July for Targeted Release tenants per admin message: MC141280