The {low-code} journey in the Microsoft 365 landscape can take us on as many roads and pathways as you would like, with as many stops to explore a plethora of side-road attractions.
Listen to a recording of this post:
The bus I am on started the road-trip with creating fully baked apps from templates, which is what we did in the last episode. Now we will move forward to creating an app with a wizard, and then on to dissecting the app to understand how different actions are performed in {low-code}. The next stop on our {low-code} road-trip will take us to creating enhancements to the app. Then we will end our road-trip and build the app from the ground up.
There are two things I would like to bring to your attention before we begin to build an app with the wizard:
- Hop on the bus and join us on the {low-code} journey with an open mind. I know that the examples I use here are not going to be applicable to everyone. But the tools I use here could inspire you to solve other concerns applicable to you and your team.
- Data is the DNA that makes these apps useful and powerful. Every Power App has a data component behind it, even though sometimes it is not obvious. For example, in the Out of Office app we created and enhanced in the last two episodes, we used calendar and people information data to block our schedule, create responses, and to invite people. The Power App was connected to those data sources, through secure authentication mechanisms, to pull information in and to write back to calendars.
Bottom line, when you think about creating an app in Power Apps, and elsewhere, think about the data you need and the data you will create.
So let’s get down to business, hop on the {low-code} bus 😊, and ride to our next stop. We’ll build an app to enter items into an inventory list. I’m sure you can think of a different purpose, but stick with me, because on one of our next episodes we will see why I am concentrating on the inventory example. Keep in mind, the superpowers you acquire while on our {low-code} bus trip can make you a Microsoft 365 Champion and a hero 🦸♂️🦸♀️ in your department if you don’t keep this knowledge to yourself 😊.
Why would anyone build an inventory or asset tracking app? Well, we all know it is important to track items to keep a system of accountability. This often involves creating records of who has what and where items are located. This is a good example of what a database can do. With Power Apps we do not need to buy expensive equipment to carry out this task.
I envision an inventory app I can use on my cell phone, for two reasons. On one hand, from an organizational perspective, I do not need to buy expensive equipment to carry out this task. I can leverage a device everyone carries in their pocket. Additionally, I can create my own software, configure it, and update it just the way I want. Now, if I can build one without having to write a line of code, that is better. On the other hand, as an individual who is entrusted with equipment such as computers, printers, and more, I can keep a personal record of what has been assigned to me and what has left my office because I have returned it. You may also want an asset tracking or inventory app to catalog your collection of action figures, or your valuable DVD collection 📀.
As I explained above, we need a database to build this app. Fortunately, we do not need something like Microsoft Access, or an Microsoft-SQL database. This project can easily be done with Excel 365 and OneDrive for Business. The video below will guide you through the set-up process. You will not get an example file this time around, because part of the lesson involves “how to build a table in Excel.”
🦸♀️ Hero Note #1: Power Apps use data from Excel ONLY when the data are in a Table Format. Your Excel workbook may contain many sheets, but they will remain invisible to Power Apps if they are not formatted as tables.
🦸♂️ Hero Note #2: You can store more than one table in an Excel workbook. We will use this in later episodes. 😊
Once you have completed the setup of your Excel table, you will be ready to build your app using a wizard. The wizard will look at your table and automatically create your app using the fields, and data if it is present, to structure the app. The app will contain different text based on the content of the Excel table. All apps created as described here will have this in common.
To engage the wizard, you will go to https://make.powerapps.com and find the section that lets you build an app from an Excel file. Once you launch the wizard, you will be asked to connect to OneDrive and to point out the Excel file containing the table with the data.
After a brief moment, where things are being put together in the background, you will see the Power Apps Studio with these three screens:
- Browse screen contains a Browse Gallery. The Browse Gallery is where you will see a collection of data cards. Each of the cards will represent one of your records with up to three fields from your database. You will see a header section with icons to refresh your data, sort data, and add new records. It will also have a search box to help you find specific records or entries. Each entry will also have an icon shaped like an arrowhead (>) that can be used to call and display all the content on a record or entry. For example, the Browse Screen shows fields such as: Item Name, Item Brand and Item Location, but not the rest of the fields. You modify which one you want to see at this level, and in what order.
- Detail screen shows all the data associated with a given entry or record. It is brought forth by clicking or tapping on the > icon described above. Again, the order and position of the different fields can be configured. This screen also has a header section with icons. The < icon will take you back to the browse screen. There are also icons to delete the current record, and to edit the current record.
- Edit screen is used to enter new records, or to edit existing records. To enter a new record, you start at the browse screen and press the + icon. To modify an existing record, press the pencil icon on the “Details” screen. This screen has a header. To save your new record or edits you’ve made to an existing record, click the ✔ icon. If you change your mind and decide not to save your entry you click on the ✖ icon.
The video below will show you how easy it is to build an app from an Excel table and will highlight some minor changes to it.
In the next episode you will learn the functions associated with some of the icons, which in turn will help you to learn how to enhance this app to make it more user friendly.
Dr. Carlos Solís is Associate Vice President of the Technology Innovation Office.
