PowerApps is a new service for building and using custom business apps that connect to your data. It also works across the web and mobile – without the time and expense of custom software development. Today’s blog will walk you through the process of generating an app using a trial version of Dynamics 365 online.
Let’s start off with a little background. PowerApps connects to existing data sources and services including Dynamics 365, OneDrive, Microsoft Azure, SharePoint, Salesforce, Excel, Google Drive, and Dropbox, to automatically generate a meaningful business app for your business. You can instantly publish apps via web and mobile including laptops, tablets, and phones (Android, iOS, and Windows). It also allows you to work in a visual designer to customize a fully-functional app and build apps that use device capabilities including cameras, GPS, and pen control. And the best part is that you get all of this without having to code!
PowerApps Works for Employees and Developers
Perks for employees:
Quickly create apps that work on any device using templates to get started quickly and a visual designer to automate workflows
Use built-in connections or ones customized by your company to connect PowerApps to cloud services such as Office 365, Dynamics CRM, Salesforce, Dropbox, OneDrive, and on-premises systems including SharePoint, SQL Server, Oracle databases, SAP and more
Share PowerApps like documents. It’s as simple as typing an email address and your coworkers can take advantage of an app you created
Perks for developers and IT professionals:
PowerApps includes Azure App Service for employee-facing apps so native web and mobile apps get into employee hands faster than ever
Build additional data connections and APIs to any existing business systems, thus empowering any users in your organization to create the apps they need
Data security and privacy controls are respected by PowerApps, so you can manage data access and maintain corporate policies.
Generating an App Automatically
You can quickly generate apps using data sources such as:
Common Data Model
Dynamics CRM Online
OneDrive for Business
Salesforce
SharePoint
Generating an App Using a Trial Version of Dynamics 365 Online:
Open Microsoft PowerApps and Select New
Select Dynamics 365
Select New Connection
Select Dynamics CRM Online & Select Connect
Select Power Objects (Note: this will connect to the Dynamics CRM Instance associated with you PowerApps login)
Displays all entities for the CRM instance
Select an Entity & select Connect (Note: for this blog, I have chosen the contacts entity)
Building the Phone App Templates
Screen Configurations
PowerApps OOB display 3 Screen templates
Browse Screen
Detail Screen
Edit Screen
Each Template will have multiple corresponding Screen Layouts.
Browse Items, One line Description
Browse Items, One line Description, Rating
Browse Items, Thumbnail image, Header and Description
Browse Items, Header and Description
Browse Items, Header, Sub Header and Description
Browse Items, Header, Sub Header, Description and Footer
Browse Items, Header, Description and Link
Browse Items, Grid with Pictures
Browse Items, Header, Pictures, Description and Footer
Layout Configuration
Fields can be added to the Detail Screen layout by drag and drop Entity Fields
Individual Fields can be formatted
You can add any control in a variety of categories by clicking the Insert tab of the toolbar and selecting any of the following categories.
You can add a variety of controls to your app, and configure their properties directly, from the toolbar, or in the formula bar.
You can also add any control in a variety of categories by clicking the Insert tab of the toolbar and selecting any of the following categories.
Text Box
Button
Text
Controls
Gallery
Forms
Media
Charts
Icons
Add a screen
Add a data connection
Show a list of items
Add a form
Show the current user
Add a list control
Add a chart
Add multimedia
Scan a barcode
Add a flow
Add a scrolling screen
Build a global app
And there you have it! For more information on PowerApps, check out the Microsoft resources below.
Introduction to Microsoft PowerApps
PowerApps Download
Getting Started with PowerApps Tutorial
Guided Learning
Happy CRM’ing!