IW Mentor

Are you a SharePoint Power User or form and workflow creator?  Maybe you are looking to upgrade your skill level to the newest Microsoft technologies?  Microsoft's Power Apps provides the latest cutting edge method for creating solutions ranging from simple custom forms to full applications.  In this advanced class, you will obtain the skills necessary for implementing Power Apps canvas apps, to increase your organization's productivity.  

In this introductory module, the Power Apps design interface will be demonstrated and explained. This will familiarize you with the basics of navigating the interface and aid in finding the tools necessary to create successful Power Apps. You will learn the differences between canvas apps and model-driven apps, and standalone versus customized list forms.  Concepts and terminology will also be discussed to lay the foundation for advanced topics.
Topics: Examples, Possibilities, End user experience, types of Power Apps, app creation

The next step for developing Power Apps is the fundamental understanding of the various concepts in the canvas itself. Screens, controls, galleries and associated properties with each, will be taught. The knowledge from this module will allow us to begin shaping the user interface of the PowerApp.  You will also learn about error checking and testing methods.
Topics: Tabs, property panel, data panel, rules panel, screen panel, screen layouts, naming conventions for controls, app checker, monitor.

Creating controls such as labels, input boxes, or buttons is necessary for user interaction, however, the functions behind these controls is where we are able to add productivity to our business. Functions are the pivotal tool that allows your PowerApps to be brought to life. This module will introduce the fundamental principles of functions and their syntax.
Topics: Formulas, enumerations, functions, logic, signals and named operators, syntax tips.

In this module, we will begin by discussing the fundamentals of data connections and the avenues available in PowerApps. The foundational concepts of data structure and viewing the data within PowerApps will also be discussed, as well as several common types of data connections in Office 365. Specifically, SharePoint, Excel, OneDrive, and Planner. User data and email connections are covered in detail and demonstrated. You will learn how to obtain data about the logged in user, such as their email address and Department, and how to send email directly from Power Apps without the need for flow.
Topics: data sources, data connections, and the difference between the two; connecting to data; intro to the Common Data Service, email, user data

Delve into the topics of viewing, filtering, creating, and editing data using galleries, tables, and forms. This module then advances into methods of passing values (aka: parameters) across controls such as cards, buttons, for advanced form logic upon submission.  You will learn about form properties and modes, how to submit forms, how to edit or view existing data, and set up form validation. Then, form logic is covered in detail, with examples of showing and hiding fields per conditions, and even changing the mode or validation of controls per conditions.
Topics: Gallery properties, filtering/searching/sorting galleries, gallery templates, tables versus galleries, form properties, advanced functionality of cards, connecting galleries to forms, and form functions, form logic.

For an application to deliver increased efficiency to a user, it must possess the ability to dynamically change based on the user's input. This module will discuss the advanced use of variables, collections and logic based functions that allows the creation of an efficient and user friendly application.  You will also learn in detail, how to pass a query string parameter to Power Apps.  In this module, we also go into detail about the properties and functionalities of various types of controls, such as text boxes, combo boxes, sliders, and more.
Topics: collections, global variables, context variables, deep dive into controls, advanced functions, and using query string URLs for passing parameters, components

Business requirements for solutions often become fairly complex, and form logic/rules becomes a necessity. This module starts with how to customize SharePoint list forms with PowerApps, then will dive into the depths of understanding SharePoint data as it pertains to Power Apps. This includes lookups, choice fields, people fields, and their advanced usage when implementing automation. Advanced data submission, outside of forms (patching), will be covered in detail.  You will learn about repeating tables (parent/child lists) and how to set this up in Power Apps.
Topics: customizing list forms, SharePoint data structure, complex fields, parent-child relationships in forms, delegation, and collecting / patching data.

Once we have created the innerworkings of a PowerApp, we are faced with daunting task of visual appeal. This module will present concepts, tips, and tricks around branding your PowerApp. Apps that are professional looking and polished will help to increase user adoption.  Learn about color options, menus and navigation inside the app, how to create responsive apps, and even build animations.  Media controls, the camera control, and working with photo attachments will also be covered.
Topics: visual properties, color selecting, creating a standard menu across screens, animations, charts, and media controls.

Now that it's ready to go live, how do you deliver it to the intended audience? In this module, you will learn how to share and present Power Apps to end users in your organization. We will discuss publishing options, settings, versioning, and restrictions. Then, we will cover the central administration of Power Apps, such as managing the owner and user roles. The topics of analytics and environments will also be discussed.  You will also learn how to publish Power Apps directly to Microsoft Teams, and how to set up print capabilities, so that end users can print from the app. The concept of Power Apps reusable Components will also be taught and demonstrated, as well as how to test and monitor app performance.
Topics: App collaboration, sharing with end-users, app settings, versioning, analytics, PowerApps admin, components, testing, printing, and packaging & deploying.

This last module exists in both the Power Apps and Power Automate advanced courses.  Since it covers the integration of the two, it is duplicated across them.  In this module, learn how to create a button in a Power App to trigger a flow, and how to create parameters in the flow that retrieve data from the Power App.  We also cover how to set the flow up to send data back to the Power App after the button is pushed.