Model Driven Apps & Solutions - Power Apps

 







Model Driven Apps



In this Blog:

I'm going to explain Model Driven Apps and how to make your first Model Driven Apps along with a slight introduction to Solutions and how to use them.


What is Model Driven App?

Model Driven Apps are basically data driven apps. They function on data only. They use Microsoft Dataverse as a Database. Model Driven App design is an approach that focuses on adding components such as forms, views, dashboards, charts or tables using the app designer tool. 

See the example Below:




What is Dataverse?

Dataverse is Microsoft's Database. Click the link below to learn more.

Blog: Microsoft Dataverse - CDS


Benefits of Model Driven Apps:

1: The apps are Accessible and Responsive.

2: Migrating them using Solutions to other environments is relatively straight forward.

3: Apps have similar interface across different devices such as Tablet or Desktop or Mobile.


Point to Note:

When you create a model driven app, you should create it in a Solution.


What is a Solution?

A Solution is used to integrate Application Life Cycle. A solution is a package used to migrate or export an app and its required components to another environment. A solution is a Group of related Apps, Tables, Flows, Bots and much more.

I'll be sure to upload a blog latter on Solutions.


Create a Solution

1: You can create a Solution by going to make.powerapps.com

2: Select Solutions on the left menu

3: Click on Create a Solution.






Have a look at the following example of a Solution:





Point to Note:

When creating a solution, you should create a Publisher instead of using CDS as a publisher.

You can create a publisher when you are creating a Solution.

Have a look at the following image:




After creating a solution you should create all the tables and apps inside of the solution. If you create a component, app or table outside of a solution and plan to import it in the solution later then its publisher wont be same as the solution's publisher. 


Create your model-driven app

We recommend creating your model-driven app from a solution. A solution is a package that can contain Dataverse tables, forms, views, apps, flows, and other components. By building your model driven-app in a solution, you can easily move it to other environments or preserve a copy in your source control repository.

1.    Select Solutions on the left navigation pane, and then select New solution. More information: Create a solution.

2.    Enter a Display name for your solution, such as Power Apps Training. Next, you add the account table that will be included in your model-driven app.

3.    In your solution, select Add existing, and then select Table.

4.    Under Add existing tables screen, select the Account table, and then select Next.

5.    Select Include all components, and then select Add.

Now that you have a solution and have added the account table to it, you're ready to create a model-driven app.

6.    In your solution, select New, select App, and then select Model-driven app.

7.    Enter a name for the app, such as My new custom app2, and then select Create.

Add pages to your app

Next, you add a new page to the model-driven app.

1.    Select New page from the Pages menu.




2.    Select Table based view and form, and then select Next.





3.    Select a table, such as Contact.





The contact form and view appear in the pages menu.



4.    Select Contact view, and then select Add view.




5.    Select the views that you want to add to the app. Save and publish to see selected views in preview.



6.    On the app designer command bar, select Save.







I hope this blog was useful for you. Give it a thumbs up and Subscribe to the blog to get updated on new posts. 

Feel free to ask any questions or drop some suggestions in the comment box down below:


Comments