How to Create Custom HTML / CSS Elements in Power Apps

Introduction

Power Apps offers a diverse range of controls to enhance app development capabilities, and one such powerful tool is the HTML text control. Unlike traditional text controls, the HTML text control allows for rich text formatting and customization, offering developers and users alike a more dynamic and interactive experience. In this article, we'll delve into the features, benefits, limitations, and step-by-step guide to using the HTML text control in Power Apps.

Benefits

1. Rich Text Formatting: HTML text control allows for the incorporation of rich text formatting, including bold, italic, underline, color, font size, and more, enhancing the visual appeal of the app using inline css.
2. Customization: Developers have the flexibility to customize the appearance of text content using HTML and CSS, enabling unique styling and design choices.
3. Cross-Platform Compatibility: HTML text control ensures consistent rendering across different platforms and devices, providing a seamless user experience.

Features

1. Text formatting: Apply various text formatting options such as bold, italic, underline, font size, color, alignment, etc.
2. Inline styling: Utilize inline CSS styling to customize the appearance of text elements.
3. Hyperlinks: Insert clickable hyperlinks to redirect users to external URLs or specific pages within the app.

Limitations

1. Complexity: Working with HTML text control may require familiarity with HTML and CSS, posing a learning curve for users with limited coding experience.
2. Performance: Extensive use of HTML text control with complex formatting and dynamic content may impact app performance, especially on lower-end devices.
3. Accessibility: Accessibility features such as screen reader support may be limited compared to standard text controls, potentially affecting usability for users with disabilities.
4. Security: Embedding external content such as scripts or iframes within the HTML text control may pose security risks if not handled properly.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Power Apps.
   
2. Click on the "Create" button.
   
3. Select "Blank app".
   
4. Choose "Blank tablet app" as the app type.
   
5. Provide a name for your app.
6. Select "Create" to proceed.
   
7. Insert HTML Text control .
   
8. Define your HTML content
9. Power Sample HTML for the table.

   <table style='border: 1px solid black;'>
       <tr>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Pro Number</th>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Terms</th>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Total A/R</th>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Responsible Account</th>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Responsible Customer</th>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Responsible Name</th>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Responsible Risk Code</th>
           <th style='background-color:grey'>Responsible Analyst</th>
       </tr>
       <tr>
           <td style='background-color: yellow;'>Cell 1</td>
           <td style='background-color: green; color: white;'>Cell 2</td>
           <td style='background-color: blue; color: white;'>Cell 3</td>
           <td style='background-color: red; color: white;'>Cell 4</td>
           <td style='background-color: blue; color: white;'>Cell 5</td>
           <td style='background-color: red; color: white;'>Cell 6</td>
           <td style='background-color: blue; color: white;'>Cell 7</td>
           <td style='background-color: red; color: white;'>Cell 8</td>
       </tr>
       <tr>
       </tr>
   </table>
   

10. Beautify your app: This can be achieved by inserting a rectangle element with a background color, along with the specified text, as illustrated in the preceding snapshot.
    
    
    
    

Now that you have created your Power App, you can proceed with adding and configuring the HTML text control as needed. Follow the on-screen instructions to insert the control onto your app canvas, customize its appearance, and incorporate dynamic content using formulas and data bindings.

Conclusion

The HTML text control in Power Apps empowers developers to create visually stunning and interactive app experiences with rich text formatting, customization options, and dynamic content capabilities. While it offers numerous benefits for enhancing app design and functionality, developers should be mindful of its limitations and potential complexities to ensure optimal performance and usability. With the step-by-step guide provided, you can confidently leverage the HTML text control to elevate your Power Apps development projects to new heights of creativity and functionality.