Dataverse Choice columns are quick to create and are straightforward for Makers to incorporate into their app, however, they are very limited.  A more flexible alternative is to host the data in a separate table and access that table using a Lookup column

Dataverse Choice or Reference Tables?

Before deciding which is the best option think about the functionality of your app.  If the requirement is nothing more complex than a Dropdown list displaying a relatively small number of options, using a Choice column is fine.  If your requirement is more complex, then seriously consider using a separate Dataverse table to hold the data instead

Below is a summary of what you can and can’t do with a Choice column.  Use it to help decide at what point a Choice column becomes a constraint and use a Reference table instead

Action Choice Column Reference Table
Provide a simple list that can be easily incorporated into a Power App
Yes
Not as easy as a Choice column to create but straightforward to create a Lookup column instead to access a separate Dataverse table
Provide a simple list that can be easily incorporated into a Power App
Yes
No. The list of data would need to be created in the table
Make use of the many pre-created option lists in Dataverse and add directly into a Choice column
Yes
Not as quick as a Choice column but still easy to update directly in Dataverse or using Excel or a similar tool
Quick to set up. Easy to update
Yes
Yes
The selected item in the list can be used to filter another dataset
Yes
Yes
The data list itself can be filtered before being presented on screen
No. Because a Choice column is just a text list (with a secondary column containing a reference number) there is no associated data against which to filter
Yes
The list be sorted in Canvas Apps
No. The data will have to be entered in Dataverse exactly how you want it displayed in an app
Yes
Can contain associated data rather than just a single column list
No. You could associate data in a separate table with the data listed in the Choice column, but it would be more straight forward to use a Reference Table instead
Yes
Options can be updated directly from a Canvas App
No. Access to Dataverse is required for this. Choices are primarily for data list that are not likely to change
Yes
Long lists can be grouped or cascaded to 2 or more Dropdowns
No. As mentioned above, there is no associated data to provide the grouping. Use a reference table instead
Yes

If in doubt, remember, whilst it takes a little longer to setup a Lookup column to a reference table, there’s nothing you can do with a Choice column that you can’t do with a reference table and you can do a whole lot more besides!

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