SharePoint Lists: Recreating as Dataverse Tables | Calculated Columns

/ Charles

The ask, help a power user recreate several of their SharePoint Online (SPO) lists as Dataverse data tables. For the most part, their column types map pretty well, but one of the SPO list columns is Calculated. So, what is the comparable Dataverse column type?

Figure 1 - SharePoint Online settings screen. Create a new column of type Calculated.
Figure 1 – SharePoint Online settings screen. Create a new column of type Calculated.

Though there will be differences, SPO Calculated columns could be recreated as a Dataverse Formula columns. Helping this power user create their very first Formula, let’s create a “Full Name” column, concatenating “First Name” and “Last Name”:

Figure 2 - Dataverse data table with "First Name," "Last Name," and "Email" columns.
Figure 2 – Dataverse data table with “First Name,” “Last Name,” and “Email” columns.

To get started, navigate to the Dataverse table, then select “Columns” under Schema. On the next screen, select New column, set the Display name to “Full Name,” and choose type Formula, which will open the formula text area. Now, because column names like “First Name” and “Last Name” have spaces, they need to be treated as string literals with single apostrophes, so enter the formula like:

  • Concatenate(‘First Name’, ” “, ‘Last Name’)
Figure 3 - Dataverse "New column" of type Formula.
Figure 3 – Dataverse “New column” of type Formula.
Figure 4 - Dataverse "Full Name" column using the Concatenate formula.
Figure 4 – Dataverse “Full Name” column using the Concatenate formula.

Save the changes, add the column to the view, and they’re all set!

Figure 5 - Dataverse table with Formula column "Full Name."
Figure 5 – Dataverse table with Formula column “Full Name.”

Conclusion:
Microsoft Dataverse isn’t scary. It’s actually pretty easy to adopt, even for those coming from strong SharePoint backgrounds, as they recreate their existing lists.

“We beg you to save young America from the blight of race prejudice. Do not bind the children within the narrow circles of your own lives.”

Charles Hamilton Houston

#BlackLivesMatter

Leave a comment