Lab 2: Power Apps: Creating business applications rapidly

Setup

​​1. Register for the lab and receive your credentials at https://www.power-labs.org/access/. Use the "Event code" provided by the lab facilitator. Make sure you are familiar with the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy of PowerLabs.

2. Log in into https://make.powerapps.com/ using the credentials received in email. These credentials will last 10 days.

3. Make sure that the environment selected is as the login you received (in this example screenshot "Black Tulip"). It should NOT be "PowerLabs (default)"

Create database and app

4. Go to the Solutions section. Create a new solution and name it "Vet CRM" or similar.
      - You will be required to select or create a publisher as well. Create a new publisher and call it like your environment name, e.g. "Black Tulip" and select a prefix, for example "bt" or any other.
      - Set the solution name and select the newly created publisher.

5. Create a new Model driven App. Select "+New -> App -> Model-drive App" and give the app name, e.g. "Vet CRM"

6. Go to the "Data" section and select "+Create table"

7. In the Copilot AI window enter the following text describing the table we want to have:

Create a table to track data about pet animals - cats, dogs, birds and other. The information captured is:
- pet type of dog, cat, bird or fish;
- pet name;
- pet date of birth;
- pet owner name;
- pet owner contact email.

8. Review the results and if happy click "Add Table". Wait a few minutes and explore the newly created app!

Improve the app - add animals photo and tidy up

​9. Go to the "Data" section, expand "In your app" section and select "Edit table" in the ellipsis menu.

10. Add a new column:
   - Name: Photo
   - Type: File->Image
   - Select the "Primary image" button

11. Close the window, return to "Pages" section and select "Pets form" and edit it:
   - Add "Photo" column to the page
   - Hide the "Owner" user field.
   - Save and Publish it and click "Back" when saved.

12. Edit the view "Pets active view"
   - Remove the "Created On" column.
   - Save and Publish it and click "Back" when saved.
   - Add photos to a few records from the provided file: pet-photos.zip

Improve the app - add appointments

​13. Go to the "Data" section and select "+Create table"

14. In the Copilot AI window enter the following text describing the table we want to have:

Create a table to track pet appointments. The information captured is:
- pet from the Pet table;
- date and time of the appointment;
- appointment name;
- doctor name.

NOTE: The table created has Pet field as a plain text, NOT as a lookup to Pet table. Unfortunately, Copilot doesn't understand referential relationships yet and we need to fix it. However this feature will be out for generl public avaliability in June of this year as part of Microsoft's Wave 1 releases for Power Platform. 

15. Change column "Pet" from being a text column to actual reference to Pet table:
   - Go to the Pet Appointments form and delete the "Pet" field from the form. Save and publish the form.
   - Go to the views section of Pet Appointments and delete the "Pet" column on it. Save and publish the view.
   - Go to the "Data" section, "In your app" and edit table "Pet appointments"
   - Delete column Pet
   - Add a new column called Pet:
      * Type: Lookup
      * Table: Pet
   - Go to the Pet Appointments form and ad the new "Pet" field to it. Save and publish the form.

Create a mobile app

​16. Install from AppStore or Google Play a Microsoft Power Apps app on your mobile.

17. Login using your credentials received for the lab.

18. On the home page clock the round avatar placeholder item at the top left and in the section "Setting" check the "Show non-production apps" option.

19. Go to the "All apps" section, find and launch your app!

Improve the app - add appointments to the Pet form

20. Edit the "Pets form"

21. Add a new section (1 column)

22. Add Subgrid component:
   - Select "Show related records"
   - Table: Pet Appointments

23. Save and Publish the form.