Learn With The Nerds - Model-Driven Apps in Dataverse

    In this session, Matt Peterson, an experienced trainer at Pragmatic Works, dives into the creation of model-driven apps using Dataverse in Microsoft Power Apps. He provides an in-depth tutorial on how to set up the necessary environment, build applications, and modify their components without the need for complex formulas.

Setting Up Your Environment

To begin building your model-driven app, it’s crucial to have the right environment set up in Power Apps. Matt recommends using Microsoft’s free developer plan to get started. Here's how you can set up your environment:

• Navigate to make.powerapps.com.
• Ensure that the environment is compatible with Dataverse, as this will allow you to create model-driven apps.
• If you do not have the necessary environment, you can try signing up for a free developer environment or set up a trial environment.

Building the App

Matt demonstrates how to build a model-driven app using a real-world scenario of an album production company. The goal is to track artists, albums, producers, and their respective proposals using Dataverse tables.

• In Power Apps, select the environment that supports Dataverse.
• Import the pre-built solution provided by Pragmatic Works to get started with the necessary tables and sample data.
• Once the solution is imported, you can begin modifying tables such as "Album," "Album Proposals," and "Producers" by adding and editing columns and fields.

Key Features of Model-Driven Apps

Model-driven apps offer a structured user interface, with key components such as tables, views, and forms already built in. These apps are powered by Dataverse, meaning no complex formulas are required. Here’s an overview of what you can modify:

• Views: Customize the views to display important data like album names, producers, and their details.
• Forms: Modify forms to include additional data, such as album genre and release date.
• Relationships: Use lookup columns to link tables together, such as linking an album proposal to a specific album.

Modifying the App

Once the basic structure of the app is set up, Matt demonstrates how to modify the form views. This includes adding new fields, adjusting the layout, and incorporating additional features like subgrids and quick views.

• Quick View: Display related records within the same form, such as showing information about a producer when selecting them.
• Subgrid: Display all related records for a specific album, such as proposals associated with that album.
• Business Rules: Apply logic to show or hide fields based on certain conditions (e.g., make the hourly fee field required only if a producer is selected).

Sharing the App

Once your model-driven app is ready, it can be shared with others. Matt walks through the process of assigning security roles and sharing the app within your organization:

• Assign the appropriate security role to users, such as "Basic User" or custom roles for specific tasks.
• Share the app with users who have the necessary Power Apps licenses.
• Use security roles to control what users can access, including creating, editing, and deleting records.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can create and modify model-driven apps in Microsoft Power Apps with ease. Model-driven apps are a great way to organize and display data in a user-friendly interface without needing complex coding knowledge. For more advanced training on Dataverse and Power Apps, Pragmatic Works offers on-demand courses and live boot camps to help you master these tools.

Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Power Apps and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.