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Getting Started with Power Apps Code Apps: Build Your First App with the New Pro‑Code Experience
16:27

Getting Started with Power Apps Code Apps: Build Your First App with the New Pro‑Code Experience

Microsoft Community Learning

5 chapters7 takeaways10 key terms5 questions

Overview

This video introduces Power Apps Code Apps, a new pro-code development experience within the Power Platform. It explains how Code Apps complement existing no-code and low-code options, enabling professional developers to write more code and create sophisticated applications. The presenter demonstrates building a functional 'Event Hub' application in a short time using AI-powered code generation, the Power Apps CLI, and integrating data sources like Dataverse and SharePoint. The session covers the necessary tools, data source configuration, and the auto-generated code structure, highlighting how developers can leverage these tools to accelerate app development.

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Chapters

  • Power Apps Code Apps are a new, generally available feature in the Power Platform, expanding development capabilities beyond no-code and low-code.
  • The core skill in modern development is understanding *what* to build and *why*, rather than just *how* to write code, especially with AI assistance.
  • Code Apps offer greater flexibility for both business users and professional developers to write code and design custom applications.
  • The Power Platform now supports a spectrum of development: no-code, low-code, pro-code, and 'wipe code' (natural language to code).
Understanding the positioning of Code Apps within the Power Platform ecosystem helps learners choose the right development approach for their needs and leverage the full potential of the platform.
The presenter mentions an 'Event Hub' application built in 20-30 minutes using AI prompts, demonstrating the speed of pro-code development with Code Apps.
  • The demo application, 'Event Hub,' is a single-page app displaying upcoming technical sessions and user-registered events.
  • It integrates data from both Dataverse (for event metadata) and SharePoint (for document management).
  • The 'My Events' section shows events a logged-in user has registered for, using a separate Dataverse table for tracking registrations.
  • Documents linked to events are managed in SharePoint and can be downloaded directly within the app without redirecting the user.
This practical example illustrates how Code Apps can be used to build a functional, data-driven application with multiple data sources, showcasing real-world integration capabilities.
The 'Event Hub' application features cards for upcoming events, a 'My Events' section for registered users, and direct document downloads from a SharePoint library.
  • To use Power Apps Code Apps, you need NodeJS (latest version) and an IDE like Visual Studio Code.
  • The Power Apps Command Line Interface (CLI) is essential for authenticating, building, and deploying solutions.
  • The CLI can be installed via extensions, such as the 'Power Platform tools' extension in VS Code.
  • Explicitly enabling the Code Apps feature in Power Apps is required before deployment.
Knowing the required tools and setup steps is crucial for any developer looking to start building with Power Apps Code Apps.
Using Visual Studio Code with the Power Platform tools extension and installing NodeJS are prerequisites for developing with Power Apps Code Apps.
  • The application uses Dataverse with two tables: one for event metadata and another for user registrations.
  • SharePoint is utilized as a document library, linked to events for easy access.
  • Office 365 services are used to validate the logged-in user and retrieve profile information.
  • The 'user registered events' table in Dataverse stores user email IDs and a lookup to the event ID for tracking.
Understanding how to connect and configure different data sources is fundamental to building dynamic and data-rich applications with Power Apps.
A Dataverse table stores event details, while another tracks which users are registered for which events, linked via user email and event ID.
  • The `pac powerApps add data-source` command is used to connect to data sources like Dataverse and Office 365.
  • Executing this command automatically generates 'model' and 'service' folders containing interfaces and functions.
  • These generated files provide access to data source properties and functions, acting like a 'hidden treasure' of available operations.
  • Developers consume these auto-generated functions rather than writing them from scratch, significantly speeding up development.
  • The `npm run dev` command is used to run the local development server and preview the application.
Learning key CLI commands and understanding the auto-generated code structure helps developers efficiently interact with data sources and leverage pre-built functionalities.
Running `pac powerApps add data-source --name 'Office365Users'` generates code that allows easy access to Office 365 user profile functions within the app.

Key takeaways

  1. 1Power Apps Code Apps extend the Power Platform's capabilities, enabling professional developers to build more complex applications with code.
  2. 2AI and tools like Power Apps CLI significantly accelerate the development process by automating boilerplate code generation and data source integration.
  3. 3The core value of modern app development lies in understanding the problem and solution design, not just the act of coding.
  4. 4Effective app development involves integrating multiple data sources, such as Dataverse and SharePoint, to create rich user experiences.
  5. 5The Power Apps CLI simplifies authentication, building, and deployment, making the pro-code experience more accessible.
  6. 6Auto-generated code for data sources (models and services) allows developers to focus on consuming functionalities rather than building them from scratch.
  7. 7The Power Platform now supports a wide range of development approaches, from no-code to pro-code, catering to diverse user needs.

Key terms

Power Apps Code AppsPower PlatformPro-code developmentPower Apps CLIDataverseSharePointNodeJSVisual Studio CodeConnection ReferencesBoilerplate code

Test your understanding

  1. 1How do Power Apps Code Apps differ from traditional canvas or model-driven apps in the Power Platform?
  2. 2What are the essential tools required to start developing with Power Apps Code Apps?
  3. 3Explain the purpose of the auto-generated 'model' and 'service' folders when adding a data source in Power Apps Code Apps.
  4. 4Describe how the 'Event Hub' application demonstrated in the video integrates data from both Dataverse and SharePoint.
  5. 5What is the significance of the Power Apps CLI in the pro-code development workflow?

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