Blogs by Ashwin

  Introduction Choosing a color scheme is one aspect. However, ensuring that it's simple to modify throughout your entire application is an extremely crucial decision. In your initial app, we highly suggest establishing a consistent approach from the beginning. It's essential to prioritize having a cohesive brand and color palette. You can accomplish this easily by setting your colors while editing in Power App Studio. If done correctly, they can be reused and modified with great ease. Power Apps Modern Themes   You can access the built-in theme options from the App Authoring Menu, allowing you to select from a pre-existing theme or design your own for use with your app's controls. This feature may be turned on by default, but if the option is not visible, you will need to activate modern controls and themes in the app settings located in the build hub menu. You can now see a themes section on the left side, where you can pick an existing theme or create a new one. When you...

  About As you begin to explore the realm of app development and start working on your first application, there will be several common factors to keep in mind. Let's examine some of the more basic concepts. Building For Different Devices When starting to create Canvas apps from scratch, you have the option to select either a Tablet or Phone layout. Experienced Power Apps developers often suggest that this choice is not crucial since they incorporate responsive designs into their applications, making them adaptable to various devices. However, for those new to the process, selecting the tablet or phone format initially provides suitable screen dimensions to work with. If your application will mostly be accessed by mobile users, opt for the phone option. If you intend to use your app in a web browser, within a Teams environment, or on a tablet, select the tablet option. The Power Platform does offer the capability to automatically create apps, for instance, from SharePoint lists thro...

  What Other Options Are There to Build a Power App? If you click Create tab from the Power Apps Dashboard and select Blank App, you have 3 choices: Blank Canvas App Canvas applications are designed for use on mobile phones or tablets. They can also function on desktop computers, but they display as though they are being viewed on a mobile device. One of the advantages of Canvas apps is that you can build them directly from a data source. Using different approaches to initiate the process, you can automatically create a screen for Browsing, Editing, and Viewing your information. Blank App Based on Dataverse They resemble Canvas Apps but are intentionally designed to be ‘responsive,’ which means they will adjust to the device being used and scale accordingly. The Dataverse, formerly known as CDS or the Common Data Service, has been established using reusable table structures found in a product called Dynamics 365. It aims to offer ready-to-use storage and relationships that cater to...

  Starting With Copilot   To initiate Copilot, go to the Home tab in the Power Apps Dashboard and begin outlining the application you wish to create in the prompt box located at the top. It will strive to provide you with all the necessary components and even launch a separate conversation where you can modify and request changes to data, controls, and various other features of your app. There is also a data setup phase after this step which allows you to adjust and configure your data structure using natural language. This enables you to instruct Copilot to modify your data. For example, you can insert additional columns, specify data types, include sample records, and modify them. When you are satisfied with your data, you can click on Create App, and your application will be created. You can return to your data anytime to make adjustments. Lastly, there is the Power Apps Studio Copilot that enables you to modify and refine your app instantly through natural language. You ca...

  The Power Apps Studio To access Power Apps Studio, click on the Create Tab in the Dashboard. Occasionally, new features may be introduced, and elements might change, but the fundamental layout and structure will stay consistent. Each section serves a distinct purpose for the Citizen Developer. The Power Apps studio contain the following: App Authoring Menu There is Selection pane to switch between data sources and insert options. On the left pane in Power Apps Studio, you can switch between options such as- Tree View (like file explorer this allows you to navigate pages and controls in your apps) Insert (This is where you find controls you want to add to your apps) Themes (Change the underlying theme of your app) Data (You connect to sources of data for your app from here) Media (Import images, audio, video and other assets to the app studio) Power Automate - if you’d like to trigger automations from your Power App, you can do so from this icon. Variables (View global and lo...

  The Power Apps Dashboard The dashboard consolidates a selection of quick links to essential features of Power Apps to assist you in getting started swiftly. By clicking the Home Icon in the left navigation menu, a screen will appear. The primary sections to be aware of are outlined below: Start From Copilot- This is the newest feature of Power Apps and the Power Platform, enabling you to articulate the app you want to create using everyday language, while AI generates the app for you. It will offer a fundamental table and app structure to assist you in addressing your requirements. Copilot is continually enhancing, so this is certainly a tool worth revisiting from time to time. Other Ways To Create An App- We have several ways to initiate our app development process. We can begin with the data, which is a solid approach, or we can focus on page designs and app templates, heavily shaped by user experience. Your Apps- Below is a collection of apps commonly accessed within your Powe...