In order to follow all the subsequent chapters in this book, you will need to have access to Microsoft Power Apps. If you currently do not have access to Power Apps, such as access through your employer, you are still able to sign up for a Power Apps Developer plan. This will give you full access to the Power Platform, with some limited exceptions, without having to pay for your own tenancy. You can sign up for your free Developer Plan. In addition, please note that some areas covered in upcoming chapters may be a “premium” feature. We will identify them as they arise.

If you currently do not have access to Power Apps, Microsoft offers a free Developer Plan that can be used for development and testing purposes. This also includes access to other applications, such as Power Automate, which we will use later in the book.

To obtain a free plan, simply go to https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/developerplan/ to sign up, as shown in Figure 1.1. Please be aware that personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) are not allowed. A valid work or school email address is required.

Figure 1.1 – Obtaining a Power Apps Developer Plan

As we explore the process of acquiring the Power Apps Developer Plan, it’s essential to understand the capabilities of Microsoft Power Apps with respect to business application development. To begin with, let’s first get a broad overview of Power Apps.

Microsoft Power Apps is a leading solution in the world of business application development, offering unparalleled flexibility and efficiency. This innovative platform empowers users, regardless of their technical expertise, to create custom applications tailored to their specific business needs. By using its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, its low code/no code concept, and robust pre-built templates, Power Apps simplifies the app development process, enabling rapid deployment and significant cost savings. Its seamless integration with other Microsoft services and a wide range of external data sources further enhances its functionality, ensuring a cohesive and interconnected business environment. The platform’s emphasis on democratizing app development aligns with the growing need for agile, responsive, and customizable solutions in the dynamic business landscape. Power Apps thus emerges as an invaluable tool for businesses seeking to innovate, optimize...

In most cases, the underlying motivation to build a Power App is to satisfy some sort of need. Whether this is developing an app for a small team to update a simple list of data to an enterprise-wide application, every project is going to have one or more end users. As a result, clearly understanding the intended purpose, the audience, available data sources, and other factors will contribute to either a successful project or one that ends up sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

Building Power Apps can be a fun and exciting endeavor. It is not uncommon for anxious developers to jump in and begin building out the application prior to fully understanding client needs. It may also be that the developer just presumes they know what the client wants. Another situation may be that work begins on development, yet the developer does not fully understand the overall processes, requirements, or data. This section will cover all those key elements for understanding...

As the old saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Proper planning is critical to overall success as it helps define the overall project. This includes areas such as the overall scope with clearly defined requirements, identifying the necessary resources and defining roles and responsibilities, determining a timeline, as well as identifying any potential risks or challenges.

This book is not intended to cover in-depth aspects of project management. However, there are several common areas of project management that we believe are important for developers to be aware of. With many projects, there are different roles, project management methodologies, and tools. We will touch on different aspects of each of these.

Project management roles

In a project management process, there are many different roles that might be called upon. Depending on the size and scope of your effort, it is important to consider which of these...

The importance of this concept is probably best described by the fable, “The Three Little Pigs.” This story features three pigs that each build a house to protect themselves from the big bad wolf. The first pig uses straw, the second uses wood, and the final pig builds the house out of bricks. Although the wolf can blow down the first two houses, it is unable to destroy the brick house. The moral of the story is that proper planning prevents catastrophe.

This also applies when developing your Power App. As noted previously, it can be very tempting to immediately jump in and start building out screens, galleries, and forms. Doing so, however, can greatly increase the risk of significant rework down the road.

We use the concept of building a foundation as a way to think about the importance of planning ahead. When developing a Power App, there are areas to consider during the process beyond just adding screens, galleries, and forms...

In this chapter, we covered several critical steps that should be considered when developing your Power App. First, we described the importance of understanding client requirements. This included engaging with the client to discuss the overall objective, key requirements, and other areas to consider. In addition, we provided a number of areas to consider when developing the overall project scope.

Next, we explored key steps in developing a project plan. We provided various roles that can be useful through the project lifecycle, such as project manager, team members, and end users, as well as other useful roles. We looked at different project management methodologies to be considered, as well as applications that can help support the process.

Finally, we covered important foundational topics that should be considered for the development process. Areas such as understanding the data sources, the overall layout, any security requirements, integrating with other applications...