Power Apps Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

Cover
Copyright
Contributors
Table of Contents
Preface
Part 1: Overall Project Planning
Chapter 1: Understanding Requirements and Project Planning
	Technical requirements
	Obtaining a Developer Plan
	Power Apps overview
	Understanding client requirements
		Engaging with the client
		Defining project scope
	Importance of project planning
		Project management roles
		Project management methodologies
		Project management tools
		Other project management tools
	Establishing a Power Apps Foundation
		Data sources
		Overall Power App layout
		Security requirements
		Integration with other applications
		Where will the Power App reside?
	Summary
Chapter 2: Working with Solutions
	Technical requirements
	Strategic decision-making for solutions and environments
		Environments
		Security and governance
	The crucial role of solutions in Power Apps
		Creating publishers
		Defining and creating solutions
		Dataverse and ALM
		Setting relationships in Dataverse
		Defining views and forms in Dataverse
		Implementing business rules in Dataverse
		Versions and deployment pipelines
	Summary
Chapter 3: Power Platform Environments
	Technical requirements
	What is an environment?
	When to create a new environment
		Considerations for creating a new environment
		Licensing considerations
		Deployment pipelines
		Co-development and code review
		Governance for Power BI and Power Platform
	Creating a new environment
	Unmanaged versus managed solutions
		Managed and unmanaged solutions
		Solution components
		Solution lifecycle
	Exporting and importing a solution
	Summary
Chapter 4: Choosing the Right Tool – Navigating Canvas Apps, Power Pages, and Model-Driven Apps
	Technical requirements
	Understanding when to use a canvas app
		Creating a canvas app – understanding the why and how
		Hands-on exercise – building your first canvas app
	When to use Power Pages
	When to use a model-driven app
		Summary and comparison
		Exploring the model-driven app
	Summary
Chapter 5: Data Connections
	Technical requirements
	Using Excel as a data source
		Creating a new Power App by uploading an Excel file
		Creating a blank canvas app with Excel
		Advantages of Excel
		Disadvantages of Excel
	Using SharePoint Lists as a data source
		Creating a Power App from SharePoint
		Creating a new Power App from a SharePoint list
		Advantages of SharePoint Lists
		Disadvantages of SharePoint Lists
	Using Dataverse as a data source
		Overview of Dataverse
		Key features and benefits
		Considerations for using Dataverse
		A step-by-step guide on how to add data via Dataverse
	Comparing Excel, SharePoint Lists, and Dataverse
	Other data connections
	Using dataflows as a data source
		Overview of dataflows in Power Apps
		Key features and benefits
		Considerations for using dataflows
		A step-by-step guide – utilizing dataflows as data sources
	Summary
Part 2: Advanced Power App Techniques
Chapter 6: Variables, Collections, and Data Filtering
	Technical requirements
	Variables and variable scope
		Importance of variables
		Types of variables
	Global variables
		Creating global variables
		Accessing global variables
		Examples of global variables
	Context variables
		Creating context variables
		Accessing context variables
		Examples of context variables
	With() function and Named Formulas
		Using the With() function
		Using Named Formulas
		Comparing global variables and Named Formulas
	Collections
		Importance of using collections
		Creating collections
		Removing records with Clear(), Remove(), and RemoveIf()
		Advantages of using collections
		Delegation in collections
	Variable comparisons and inventory
		Summary of descriptions and best uses
		Variable Inventory
	Filtering data
		Using the Filter() function
		Using the Search() Function
		What is the difference between Filter() and Search()?
		Using the LookUp() function
	Summary
Chapter 7: Canvas App Formulas
	Technical requirements
	Exploring formulas in canvas apps
		Creating a submit button formula for canvas apps
		Adding a success screen after a Submit button click
		Adding a back button to the success screen
		Adding a new form after the back button is clicked
		Displaying all events in a gallery view
		Adding a refresh button to the event gallery
		Adding sorting to the event gallery
		Adding search to the event gallery
		Filtering active events
	Summary
Chapter 8: Conditional Formatting and URL Deep Linking
	Technical requirements
	Applying conditional formatting
		Importance of conditional formatting
		Core benefits
		Concepts within conditional formatting
		Example of basic conditional formatting
		Examples of conditional formatting
		Best practices
	Implementing URL deep linking
		What is URL deep linking?
		Understanding URL structures in Power Apps
		Using parameters in URLs
		Retrieving incoming URL parameters in your Power Apps app
		Using parameters in app logic
	Enhancing the overall UI/UX
		Creating an Admin button
		Using conditional formatting to validate email address formats
		URL deep linking for editing a record
	Summary
Part 3: Power Platform and Other Integrations
Chapter 9: Integration with Power Automate/Teams/Outlook
	Technical requirements
	Sending an Outlook email using Power Automate
	Automating Outlook calendar invitations with Power Automate
	Using adaptive cards in Teams notifications
		Building an adaptive card
		Building a Power Automate flow with an adaptive card
	Summary
Chapter 10: Integration with Power BI
	Technical requirements
	An overview of Power BI and its capabilities
	Embedding Power BI visuals in a canvas app
		Benefits of embedding Power BI visuals
		Embedding a Power BI dashboard tile in a canvas app
		Embedding a Power BI report in a canvas app
	Embedding Power BI visuals in a model-driven app
	Embedding a Power App in a Power BI report
		Embedding a Power App – scenario 1
		Embedding a Power App improved – scenario 2
	Important considerations and best practices
	Summary
Chapter 11: Integrating Power Apps with SharePoint
	Technical requirements
	Embedding Power Apps in a SharePoint site
		Overview of SharePoint
		Benefits of integrating Power Apps with SharePoint
		Example of an embedded Power App on a SharePoint page
		Adding a Power App to a SharePoint site
	Creating a custom SharePoint list form with Power Apps
		Overview of SharePoint list forms
		Creating a custom SharePoint list form
		Overview of the SharePointIntegration Item
		How to edit or delete a custom SharePoint form
	Summary
Chapter 12: Integration with Power Virtual Agents/Copilot
	Technical requirements
	Exploring Copilot Studio
		Understanding the value of Copilot
		Understanding the Copilot Studio interface
	Connecting to a data source
		Setting up data connections
	Creating custom topics
		Examples of custom topics
		Designing custom topics
		Managing and testing custom topics
	Building a Power App with Copilot
		Developing the Power App with Copilot
		Testing and deploying the Power App
	Summary
Part 4: Governance, Security, and Deployment
Chapter 13: Governance, Security, and Application Life Cycle Management
	Technical requirements
	Establishing a Power Platform environment strategy
		Avoid using the default environment
		Create multiple environments for specific purposes
		Environment best practices
		Establish a naming convention strategy
	Understanding service accounts versus individual accounts
		What is a service account?
		Key differences from individual accounts
		Use cases for service accounts
	DLP – implementing data policies in Power Platform environments
		Key concepts of Power Platform data policies
		Establishing Power Platform data policies
	Understanding ALM concepts
		Applying ALM in Power Platform
	Summary
Chapter 14: Error Handling
	Technical requirements
	Overview of error handling
		Types of errors in Power Apps
	Using built-in error functions in Power Apps
		IfError() function
		IsError() function
		Notify() function
		IsBlankOrError() function
		Errors() function
	Using the OnError property
		Examples of use cases for OnError
		Creating a custom error notification
	Creating custom error messages
		Designing user-friendly error messages
		Implementing custom error messages with variables
		Using the Notify() function for dynamic error messaging
		Displaying error messages on the screen
		Final note on error handling
	Summary
Chapter 15: Registering a Power App in Azure
	Technical requirements
	The importance of registering an app in Azure
		Enhanced security
		Seamless integration with Azure services
		Improved application management
		Compliance and governance
		Custom branding and user experience
		Support for multi-tenant scenarios
	Registering a Power App in Azure
	When to add the Azure app ID, client ID, and secret ID within Power Apps?
		Understanding the role of Power Apps credentials
		Scenarios requiring app ID, client ID, and client secret in the event planning application
	Summary
	Final thoughts
Index
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