Building Custom Business Applications with Microsoft Power Apps

Introduction

Microsoft Power Apps is a low-code development platform that enables users to build custom business applications without writing code. This article will walk us through the steps to create a simple Power App demo.

Deep Dive

Step 1. Sign in to Power Apps

To get started, you must sign in to Power Apps with your Microsoft account. If you don't have one, you can create one for free.

Step 2. Create a new app

Once you're signed in, click the "Create" button on the left-hand side of the screen, and select "Blank app".

Then open a new popup screen and select "Blank Canvas app".

 

then give your app name and select mobile or tablet mode 

Step 3. Choose a template

Power Apps provides several templates, including templates for mobile and web applications. Select the template that best suits your needs, or choose a blank template to start from scratch.

Click the new screen and select a template on our Power Apps studio.

Step 4. Design your app

Now it's time to start designing your app. Power Apps provides a drag-and-drop interface for designing your app's user interface. You can add buttons, text boxes, and other UI elements to your app by dragging them from the sidebar onto the canvas.

Click on the "Insert" button on the Top side of the screen, and it shows our dragging components. Just drag the button and change your button properties. For example, width, height, padding, color, border-radius, and more are on the right-hand side of the screen. I just changed the name only. Once you drag your button to power app studio, add the button dependencies on the left-hand side of the screen.

Step 5. Add data sources

Your app will need data to function, such as customer information or inventory data. To add data sources, click the " Add data" tab at the top of the screen and select "Add data source." You can add data from various sources, including SQL, Mysql, SharePoint, Excel, and Dynamics 365. Microsoft provides two hundred plus providers. I choose Excel.

Step 6. Create screens

Power Apps allows you to create multiple screens within your app. To create a new screen, click on the "Screens" tab at the top of the screen, and select "New screen." You can choose from several screen types, including blank, form, gallery, and many templates. I picked one new screen and selected the list template. We already added Excel data to edit the fields.

 

Step 7. Add formulas and logic

To add functionality to your app, you can use Power Apps' formula language, similar to Excel formulas. You can use formulas to perform calculations, validate user input, and interact with data sources. To add a formula, select the element you want to apply the formula to and click on the "Fx" button in the formula bar. I added a small navigate function home screen to blogs screen navigation. Power apps Formula Link:-Formulas

Step 8. Preview and test your app

Once you've finished designing and building your app, it's time to test it. Power Apps provides a built-in preview mode that allows you to see your app in action. To preview your app, save your changes and click on the "Preview" button at the top of the screen.

Step 9. Publish your app

Finally, it's time to publish your app. To publish your app, click the "Publish" button at the top of the screen, and select the environment you want to publish to. You can choose to publish to a variety of environments, including a test environment, a production environment, or a specific user or group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Microsoft Power Apps is an easy-to-use platform that allows users to build custom business applications without writing code. You can create your own Power App demo in no time by following these simple steps.