Create a choice

Choice columns allow you to include dropdown lists of fixed values to a user within your app to ensure data consistency. Choice columns were formerly referred to as option sets and are sometimes called picklists. Similar to tables, there are both standard choices or makers have the ability to create custom choice columns to use in apps.

Choices can be created while working from a solution in powerapps.com or on a table form in the form designer.

Choice columns can be single selection only (choice) or can allow multi-selection (choices). The following screenshot shows a multi-select choices column in a model-driven app.

Choices are either global or local. You can define a choice to use a set of options defined elsewhere (globally) which can be made available to other choice columns, or define a set of options only available within the choice column (locally). More information: Create and edit choice columns overview

Create a global choice within a solution

1. Sign into powerapps.com select Solutions, and then open the solution you want. If the item isn’t in the side panel pane, select …More and then select the item you want.
2. On the command bar, select New > Choice.
3. Enter the following properties:
   • Display name. Enter the Display name for your column. The Display name is used when presenting this column to your users.
   • In the Label field, enter the label you want displayed for the choice option.
   • The Value number represents a unique value for the option and isn't displayed in the choice column in an app. Notice there's a number generated for each Value automatically. We recommend that you not change this. Having a unique Value helps ensure that the value will be different from other option values that might be defined in other solutions and imported into your environment.
   • Select the color picker to the left of the Label if you want a color to appear for the option in model-driven app charts.
   • Additional properties.
     • Description. Add a description for the option.
     • External value. This value is used for virtual tables to map a value in an external data source with this option.
     • Hidden. Hide the option from the choice column at runtime in apps. For more information about the limitations of this property, go to Choice hidden property limitations.

     Caution

     The Hidden property should never be used as a secure way to prevent users from viewing or editing column values. These properties only apply to app components such as model-driven app forms and views but don't have an effect on a user's data privileges. When a column is hidden, users can still access column data in other ways, such as by making Web API calls. To secure columns, use column-level security to control access.

4. Select New choice to create another option for the choice.
5. Repeat the previous step to until you have the options you want for the choice.
6. Expand Advanced options to display additional properties:
   • Name. Unique name of the global choice including the solution publisher prefix.
   • External type name. This value is used for virtual tables to map a value in an external data source with this choice.
   • Description. Enter an optional description for the choice column.
7. Select Save.

Create a local choice to use in forms and views

Create a local choice column for a table that can be used in forms and views within a solution.

1. Sign into powerapps.com select Solutions, and then open the solution you want. If the item isn’t in the side panel pane, select …More and then select the item you want.

2. Open the table where you want to create the local choice, and then on the command bar, select New > Choice.

3. In the New column panel, enter properties for the choice column.

Configure properties for a local choice

• Display name. Enter the Display name for your column. The Display name is used when presenting this column to your users.
• Description. Enter an optional description of the choice column.
• Data type. Select Choice > Choice. Select Choice > Yes/No if you want a two option single select choice field.
• Behavior. Select calculated to enable the column to be included in calculated columns to automate manual calculations.
• Required. Setting this to Business required makes it so a record can't be saved without data in this column.
• Searchable. When selected, this column appears in Advanced Find and is available when customizing views.
• Selecting multiple choices is allowed. Select this option if you want to create a choice where the user can select more than one option (multi-select).
• Sync with global choice?
  • Yes. Select this option if you want the local choice to have the ability to use options from a global choice. Then, you can also select an existing global choice to use the options from that global choice.
  • No. Select this option if you don't want the choice to have the ability to use options from a global choice.
  • Sync this choice with. When Sync with global choice is Yes, you can select an existing choice column. Then, the options configured for that choice can be used for this choice.
  • If you chose No to enable a global choice, create the options for your choice by selecting Choices or, if you chose Yes, select Edit choice to edit the sync choice options or New choice to add new options:
  • In the Label field, enter the label you want displayed for the choice option.
  • The Value number represents a unique value for the option and isn't displayed in the choice column in an app. Notice there's a number generated for each Value automatically. We recommend that you not change this. Having a unique Value helps ensure that the value will be different from other option values that might be defined in other solutions and imported into your environment.
  • Select the color picker to the left of the Label if you want a color to appear for the option in model-driven app charts.
• Default choice. Select one of the options you created as the default choice.
• Schema name. This is the unique name used by the system and is automatically generated based on the display name and solution publisher prefix. After a new choice column is saved, you can't change this.
• Enable column security. Select this to allow for securing the data in the column beyond the security defined for the table.
• Enable auditing. If auditing has been enabled in the environment, this column can be included in change tracking.
• Appears in dashboard's global filter. Select this option to allow column to be available as a filter in interactive dashboards.
• Sortable. Select this option to allow sorting of this column when used in interactive dashboards.

Select Save.

Now the local choice column appears in the form and view designers to add for the table.

Create and edit global choices using solution explorer

For information about how to create and edit global choices using the classic solution explorer, go to Create or edit a global option set (on-premises).

Choice hidden property limitations

• The choice column hidden property is only applicable for model-driven apps. Other components that use Microsoft Dataverse tables, such as canvas apps, don't use the choice column hidden property.
• The choice column hidden property only works for app with the modern, refreshed look for model-driven apps enabled.
• The choice column hidden property isn't currently supported for multi-select choices even when the Selecting multiple choices is allowed option is selected.
• The hidden property only hides the option label and value when displayed in a model-driven app. Even when hidden, choice labels and values can be viewed and set by accessing the Dataverse table directly, such as from make.powerapps.com. Hidden options can also be set using the setValue client API method.