0

Here’s the scoop: Power Platform, Power Apps, and Dataverse are revolutionizing the world of app development and data integration. These platforms provide a fast, user-friendly interface for businesses and developers to build custom applications and manage data seamlessly. They’re not just shaping the future – they’re defining it, one application and data table at a time.

Power Apps Model Driven App Developer Training Dynamics Edge
Power Apps Model Driven App Developer Training Dynamics Edge

Power Platform, as the name suggests, is a robust platform that houses various tools to assist businesses and developers in building solutions and applications. With Power Platform, you’re getting access to Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents – each dedicated to a specific aspect of digital innovation.

Now, Power Apps, one of the main components of Power Platform, is a suite of apps, services, connectors, and data platforms to build custom applications. It’s like having an all-in-one toolbox that you can use to create business apps without extensive coding. These apps can range from simple task-oriented applications to complex enterprise-wide solutions.

Within Power Apps, there are two primary types of applications you can create: Canvas Apps and Model Driven Apps. Canvas Apps provide a blank canvas allowing you to build an app from scratch with a highly customizable user interface. Model Driven Apps, on the other hand, offer a structured, data-driven approach to app creation. You design the app based on your data model and business processes, which are usually stored and managed in Dataverse.

Exploring Model Driven Apps further, these are tailored to deal with complex scenarios involving large sets of data, such as managing a sales pipeline or tracking a project’s progress. For example, a US federal government agency can utilize a Model Driven App to manage grant applications, tracking them from submission through review and award. A real estate developer could use it to oversee property acquisitions and development progress. An electronics manufacturer might track inventory and production cycles. A supply chain warehouse could manage shipments and inventory levels, and a national retail chain might handle store performance data, including sales, staffing, and inventory.

But these apps don’t function in a vacuum. Enter Dataverse. Dataverse is an intelligent cloud-based storage system that helps businesses securely store and manage data used by business applications. It enables data to be centralized, eliminating data silos, and providing a unified view. Using Dataverse with Model Driven Apps can help organizations streamline their operations. For instance, a supply chain warehouse can use Dataverse to break down silos between procurement, warehousing, and distribution data. This centralization enables a holistic view of the entire operation, leading to more informed decision-making.

Within Dataverse, Tables are the fundamental blocks that hold data. Formerly known as Entities, these Tables contain data rows, or Records, and metadata. They define what kind of data is stored and how that data is stored. Columns, formerly known as Fields, hold the actual data in a Table.

In the world of Dataverse, a “solution” refers to a container that groups together related components, such as Tables, Forms, and Views. Unmanaged solutions are still in development phase and allow for editing and customization. Once finalized, they can be exported as Managed solutions, which are read-only and suitable for distribution.

In Power Platform, an “environment” is a space to store, manage, and share your organization’s business data, apps, and flows. It’s directly linked to a Microsoft 365 tenant, which represents an organization. Power Platform environments on a tenant are containers for the applications, flows, and data created within Power Platform, with each environment potentially connected to a different Dataverse database.

Forms in Model Driven Apps are data-entry interfaces used to insert, update, and view the records in Dataverse. On these forms, Lookup Column Controls and Subgrids allow users to associate data from different tables. A Lookup Column allows you to create a relationship between two tables, enabling users to access related data from another table.

The concept of a “view” in a Model Driven App allows users to see data from a table in a specific format, depending on their needs. Relationships in Dataverse and Model Driven Apps are crucial for creating connections between tables. They are usually in 1:N (one-to-many) or N:1 (many-to-one) form. These relationships allow for sophisticated data modeling and provide a comprehensive picture of your business operations.

When thinking about Lookup Columns, visualize a situation where a US federal government agency has a form with a Subgrid for “Grant Applications”, and another form has a Lookup Column to the “Agencies” table.

We have two tables in this example here: ‘Grant Applications’ and ‘Agencies’. The ‘Grant Applications’ table would likely include details about each application, such as the application ID, the agency it was submitted to, the status of the application, and other relevant details. The ‘Agencies’ table, on the other hand, might contain information about each agency, such as the agency ID, name, address, contact information, and so on.

A Lookup Column is created on the ‘Grant Applications’ table to establish a link to the ‘Agencies’ table. This Lookup Column could be something like “SubmittedToAgency”. This column in each record of ‘Grant Applications’ holds a reference to a record in the ‘Agencies’ table, indicating which agency the grant application was submitted to.

Given this structure, it’s clear to see that one agency can have many grant applications associated with it. So, in terms of the relationship, we say that the ‘Agencies’ table is on the ‘1’ side, and the ‘Grant Applications’ table is on the ‘N’ side.

Let’s create a visual scenario. Picture an agency named “Environmental Protection Agency”. In the ‘Agencies’ table, there is one record representing this agency. But over in the ‘Grant Applications’ table, there might be hundreds, even thousands of records, each representing an application submitted to this one agency. Each of these grant application records would have “Environmental Protection Agency” selected in their “SubmittedToAgency” Lookup Column.

This is the concept of a 1:N relationship. The ‘1’ side, the ‘Agencies’ table, can be associated with multiple records, ‘N’, from the ‘Grant Applications’ table. That’s the magic of the Lookup Column. It establishes this connection, enabling you to bring together data from different tables, and thus offering more context to each piece of data.

Now let’s say we have a form for entering grant application data. On this form, the “SubmittedToAgency” Lookup Column would allow the person entering the data to select the agency the grant application is being submitted to. This form is essentially an interface for creating a new record in the ‘Grant Applications’ table, with each field on the form corresponding to a column in the table.

Additionally, a form associated with the ‘Agencies’ table may include a Subgrid. This Subgrid would display all the grant applications linked to the agency. For instance, when viewing the record for the “Environmental Protection Agency”, the Subgrid would show all grant applications that have “Environmental Protection Agency” in their “SubmittedToAgency” Lookup Column.

This is an example of how Lookup Columns and Subgrids work hand-in-hand to bring related data from different tables together in meaningful ways. It makes data interaction more efficient and intuitive, saving time, and reducing errors, as users don’t have to switch between tables to view related data.

Understanding the concept of Lookup Columns and 1:N relationships is key when dealing with model driven apps. They are powerful tools for building sophisticated data models, allowing for extensive data interrelation and opening the door for more complex and informative app design.

Remember the end game here: Dataverse, with its tables, forms, columns, views, and relationships, all work together to facilitate the creation of powerful apps for a diverse range of businesses. Each piece fits into the larger puzzle of making information accessible, usable, and beneficial.

Another vital piece of this puzzle is a Sitemap, which defines the navigation for your Model Driven App. It contains Areas, Groups, and SubAreas that organize and display the components of your app in a user-friendly way.

There’s a nifty feature of embedding Power BI Dashboards into a Model Driven App. This integration allows advanced data visualization and provides insights powered by artificial intelligence. It’s like having a crystal ball that uses data to predict and advise on the future.

Whether you’re a Power Apps Model Driven App Developer or just exploring the realm of app development, understanding these concepts is crucial. It’s a brave new world of business technology, and these tools are the building blocks for creating solutions that fit the needs of businesses ranging from the local to the global level.

After all, in the hands of innovative thinkers, these tools can drive success, break down silos, and foster a culture of digital transformation.

Have a Question ?

Fill out this short form, one of our Experts will contact you soon.

Call Us Today For Your Free Consultation