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Power Apps: Forms, Variables, & Collections

By Ashwin Venugopal -
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  Forms Forms are set up in a manner akin to galleries, utilizing a drag and drop interface for their creation and configuration. We have the ability to change the arrangement of items in our form (referred to as data cards) by simply dragging and dropping within the interface. Additionally, we can select various options for each of our fields along with their visibility and editability through the properties. If we prefer not to allow our users to input data, we can also opt to remove fields (data cards) from our form. Just like Galleries, we have significant design flexibility and can utilize the properties of individual controls in our form to modify elements such as color and behavior. By default, forms do not allow users to submit data, this functionality must be implemented manually by the developer. Depending on your desired form behavior, there are various methods to achieve this, with the most common being a clickable button on the canvas that sends the data entered into t...
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Connecting Power Apps To External Data

By Ashwin Venugopal -
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  Connecting Power Apps To External Data Power Apps offers excellent capabilities for connecting to data from various systems and locations, including those within Microsoft 365 as well as external sources. Over 200 connectors are currently available. You can establish connections for your Power App through the Data tab in the App Authoring Menu.  Let’s connect to a SharePoint lis t so we can surface its data visually in our app: First, navigate to the Data tab in the App Authoring Menu. Then select Add data. Search for SharePoint and select it from the list. Then choose a list (or multiple) from the SharePoint site of your choosing and select Connect. Now our data is available to us in our app, and we can utilize it within our controls. Galleries We can enable the functionality to add to the list or modify existing entries through Form controls, and we can also display the list visually using Galleries: Add a Vertical or Horizontal Gallery to your canvas from the In...
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Power Apps: Formulas & Properties

By Ashwin Venugopal -
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  Formulas and Properties   Power Apps typically include numerous properties and formulas. Every element within a Power App will have a range of properties to utilize. A portion of these will characterize a specific attribute of the item. A screen for example has: BackgroundImage Fill ImagePosition LoadingSpinner LoadingSpinnerColor These properties are set up and persist until you change them. Some properties will perform actions based upon a state of the item. For example, a screen has: OnHidden OnStart OnVisible Properties of this kind will perform a change linked to the property only when that specific behavior is triggered; for instance, when a screen appears, you can refresh the data. To implement change or specify an action that occurs when a property is activated, Formulas are utilized. Consider formulas as guidelines. They can perform calculations, trigger events, or assist in establishing a logical progression within which specific actions may occur. They resemble Ex...
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Power Apps: Managing Themes & Styling Options

By Ashwin Venugopal -
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  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...
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Building A Power App: What's Next ?

By Ashwin Venugopal -
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  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...
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Building A Power App

By Ashwin Venugopal -
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  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...
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Power Apps and Copilot

By Ashwin Venugopal -
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  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...
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