Minimum Path to Awesomeness

Power Platform CLI is a simple, one-stop developer command-line interface that empowers developers and ISVs to perform various operations in Microsoft Power Platform related to environment lifecycle, authentication, dataverse environments, solution packages, portals, code components and more 1 . In this blog, I will show you how to install, update and use Power Platform CLI with different methods and commands. Installation You can install Power Platform CLI on Windows, MacOS and Linux devices. The easiest way to install Power Platform CLI, is to install the Power Platform Tools extension for VS Code. This will automatically install the CLI and make it available in the integrated terminal 2 . For Windows, it’s also possible to install the CLI via a MSI Installer 1 . Although Power Platform CLI is a cross-platform CLI, some commands only work on Windows. That’s simply because those commands work with tools that haven’t been available cross platform. In the docs on Microsoft Learn, you wi

Power Platform is a low-code platform that enables you to create solutions that automate workflows, build apps, analyze data, and create bots. Power Platform consists of four main tools: Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Power Virtual Agents. Power Platform can help you improve your productivity, efficiency, and innovation by enabling you to build solutions that suit your specific needs and scenarios. However, to get the most out of Power Platform, you need to have a strategy for adopting and supporting it in your organization. This is where Power Platform COE comes in. Power Platform COE, or Center of Excellence, is a collection of tools and templates that are designed to help you develop a strategy for adopting and supporting Power Platform in your organization. Power Platform COE helps you plan, govern, and nurture Power Platform adoption and innovation, while maintaining standards, consistency, and governance. Power Platform COE can help you achieve the following benefits:

But did you know that there are two types of apps you can create with Power Apps? They are called canvas apps and model-driven apps, and they have different strengths and limitations. In this blog, we will compare and contrast these two types of apps and help you decide which one is best for your scenario. What are canvas apps? Canvas apps are apps that start with a blank canvas, like an artist’s canvas, and you can design the user interface by dragging and dropping controls, such as buttons, labels, galleries, forms, and charts. You can connect to various data sources, such as SharePoint, Excel, SQL Server, or Microsoft Dataverse, using connectors. You can also add logic and expressions to make your app interactive and dynamic. Canvas apps are good for creating pixel-perfect, customized user experiences that work across different devices, such as phones, tablets, and PCs. What are model-driven apps? Model-driven apps are apps that are based on the data model and business logic defined

Power Apps, with its ability to seamlessly create custom business solutions, has revolutionized the way businesses operate. However, like all tools, there might be instances where an app doesn't function as expected. Enter Power Apps Monitor—a tool to save the day! Coupled with the Trace function, it becomes a formidable duo in troubleshooting issues in Power Apps. Here's how to wield this combination effectively. Power Apps Monitor: A Quick Overview Power Apps Monitor is your go-to tool for real-time insights into the workings of your app. It displays events such as network calls, variable tweaks, and control interactions, making it simpler to pinpoint where things might be going awry. Introducing Trace: Your Custom Logger The Trace function is essentially a custom messaging system that feeds into the Power Apps Monitor. By strategically placing this function in your app, you can monitor the app's flow and easily spot problematic areas. Step-by-Step Troubleshooting with Po

 The advent of chatbots has revolutionized customer service, automating responses to frequently asked questions and assisting in troubleshooting. Power Virtual Agents, Microsoft's tool for creating chatbots, has played a key role in this revolution. However, keeping track of your bot's performance is essential for continuous improvement and maintenance. That's where Microsoft's Application Insights comes into play. In this article, we explore how to use Application Insights for monitoring your Power Virtual Agents' performance. What is Application Insights? Application Insights is a telemetry service that collects data about your applications and provides detailed analytics, enabling you to understand your applications' performance, uncover potential issues, and track usage. Data points gathered by Application Insights include: The frequency of requests your application processes The response time to requests Errors occurring within your application The usage me

Welcome back, fellow Power Apps enthusiasts and developers! Today we're diving deep into the fascinating world of Power Apps and exploring some of its key components: variables, named formulas, and collections. Each of these tools plays a crucial role in creating dynamic, intuitive apps - but the key to unlocking their potential lies in understanding when and how to use them.  A Crash Course on Variables, Named Formulas, and Collections Before we discuss when to use these tools, let's briefly define what each of them does. Variables are the simplest of the three. They're essentially containers that store a single value. These values could be anything - a number, a string of text, or a Boolean value (true/false). Variables are extremely useful for storing temporary data, like the number of times a user has interacted with a button or the result of a specific calculation.  Named formula s are the next level up. They're an advanced form of variables, with the capability

We live in an era where digital platforms and tools continue to evolve, constantly changing the way we communicate and interact in the workplace. That's why today, we're exploring the exceptional benefits of using the "Send a Message in Teams" feature via Power Automate, instead of traditional email notifications.  Collaboration is King  Microsoft Teams isn't just a tool; it's a communal platform. Sending a message through Teams means it's visible to all members involved in a particular channel or chat. This universal visibility ensures everyone is well-informed and on the same page, making communication more efficient and collaborative. Imagine managing a team project through Teams. You can share updates, files, and even co-work on documents, ensuring everyone's looped into the project's progress and helping it move forward smoothly. Such transparent communication is difficult to maintain through email notifications. Engaging, Not Just Informing 

In the Power Platform universe, both SharePoint and Dataverse are significant players when it comes to data storage and management. But when should you use each of these as your data source? Let's delve into their pros and cons to get a clear picture. SharePoint Pros SharePoint is an excellent choice for document management and collaboration. It is already integrated with other Office 365 services, providing seamless interoperability. It's easier to set up and manage compared to Dataverse. It offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface for non-technical users. Cons SharePoint isn't designed for large-scale relational data storage. It may not provide the best performance for complex or large data scenarios. Its querying capabilities are limited compared to Dataverse.

Introduction Throttling is a common issue that users encounter when working with Power Automate. But fret not, this blog post is designed to walk you through how to effectively manage this challenge. Understanding Throttling While I will not be delving into what Power Automate is, it's important to understand the concept of throttling in this context. Essentially, throttling happens when your flows are making requests at a rate that exceeds the limits set by the service you are interacting with. This results in the service slowing down or even stopping the flow of data, which is what we refer to as 'throttling'. You can learn more about the specific limitations that Microsoft puts in place for Power Automate here . How to Handle Throttling Now, let's delve into how you can handle throttling in Power Automate. Here are a few strategies: Use Delays: Adding delay actions between your requests can he

Since I blog about this, I need to tell you how to do this right; otherwise, you might end up facing the same hiccups that I initially did. Today, I will guide you on how to set up Azure Application Insights with Power Apps, Microsoft's fantastic low-code platform for building business applications.  Step 1: Create Your Azure Application Insights Resource  Before we can integrate Power Apps with Azure Application Insights, we first need an Application Insights resource to connect to. 1. Sign in to the Azure portal : Navigate to  https://portal.azure.com/ and sign in with your Microsoft account. 2. Create a new Application Insights resource : In the Azure portal, select "Create a resource" from the left-hand navigation. In the "New" window, search for "Application Insights". Click on it and then select "Create". 3. Configure your Application Insights resource : In the "Create Application Insights" window, enter the details for your

Power Apps have become a ubiquitous tool in the world of app development, empowering anyone to build user-friendly applications with little to no coding experience. But as the adage goes, with great power comes great responsibility, and that responsibility is ensuring your Power Apps perform optimally for all users. This is where Azure Application Insights comes in. Azure Application Insights, part of the Azure Monitor suite, is an extensible application performance management (APM) service for developers and DevOps professionals. It offers real-time, actionable insights into how your Power App is performing and where it can be optimized for a better user experience.  Pinpoint and Diagnose Issues Quickly Having issues with your Power App but not sure where they're coming from? Azure Application Insights has you covered. The platform provides automatic collection and detailed analysis of application telemetry data. In plain English, it monitors your app around the clock, instantly a