What Is Power Apps?
Last Updated on April 25, 2024
Microsoft Power Apps is a suite of apps, connectors, and services that provides a development environment you can use to build custom apps for your business. It’s one of the most popular tools in the Microsoft 365 Suite–organizations can use Microsoft Power Apps to simplify tasks such as service requests, employee onboarding, inspections, and more.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through Microsoft Power Apps, how it works, its advantages, Power Apps training, and the type of applications you can create.
Microsoft Power Apps Explained
Microsoft Power Apps is an application creator that allows users to create custom mobile and web-based apps with low or no coding skills. The resulting app can interact with data services and sources within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Once app creators understand what Power Apps is used for, they can infuse the apps with automation and business intelligence dashboards, which explains why Power Apps is so attractive to businesses. Power Apps was initially viewed as a basic tool focusing on enabling the creation of interactive apps for businesses or personal uses. However, since its first release, the platform has taken off. Part of its success is due to its ease of use and ability to address common challenges that businesses face today.
Power Apps is also compatible with various third-party applications, including OneDrive, Oracle, SharePoint, SQL Server, Dynamics CRM, Google Docs, Dropbox, and Oracle. If you are working (or would like to start working) in application development, or want to simply try your hand at creating an app for your business, training with ONLC will allow you to master the fundamentals of the platform!
Types of Power Apps
Power Apps is used primarily to create three main types of apps:
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Model-Driven Apps
In model-driven apps, a large part of the layout is determined by the information submitted and data linked to the app, with your feed determining this result. This method is more frequently used if the app being created uses complex business logic.
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Canvas Apps
Building canvas apps is like starting from a blank canvas. Users begin with the data source, add workflows, and then construct the design. This strategy offers more flexibility compared to model-driven apps and is generally used for more straightforward applications.
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Portals
Power Apps can also be used to create web portals. These can be shared internally or externally, allowing users to safely engage with data stores in Microsoft Dataverse.
Advantages of Power Apps
Power Apps performs exceptionally well in the low-code app development space. Here are some of the top advantages of Power Apps:
Easy Integration
Power Apps can easily interact with other Microsoft tools. Due to various connectors, app developers can integrate with other platforms and use information from Microsoft programs such as Excel, SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and other external services.
No Coding Requirement
The low-code approach to app creation is one of the key advantages of Power Apps that also sets it apart from other products. It appeals to a broader user base because even those without technical knowledge can be empowered to create their applications. While there is a learning curve, most users find Power Apps easy to work with after a bit of training.
Heightened Security
Power Apps contain the role-based security mechanism of Microsoft Dataverse. This means that security roles can be created using a set of access rights, ensuring that staff members only have access to information vital to their job functions. Microsoft also includes other features to guarantee that apps are secure and permissions can be duly controlled and issued.
Low Cost of Development
Because there is no need for no code maintenance, professional services, or application management, the average cost of app development with Power Apps is generally 70% less than other app creation tools.
Limitations of Power Apps
While it has a host of advantages, Power Apps also has certain limitations. These include:
- Only one developer can work on it at a time when operating on the Canvas application.
- Power Apps cannot be shared with users external to your organization–it can only be used internally for business purposes.
- Power Apps forms do not allow JavaScript integration.
- By default, you can retrieve a maximum of 500 items. This can be expanded to 2,000 items, but doing this can result in reduced performance.
In Conclusion
Developers of all skill levels can use Power Apps to build professional-grade apps that quickly solve complex business problems. It is one of the best low-code application builders on the market and can be an excellent platform to try your hand at application creation!
