Since its inception PowerApps has been a hot career option for Dynamics 365 consultants as well for anyone who likes to create business applications.
PowerApps possesses a rich front end which enables you to build user-friendly apps within a short span of time without writing a single line of code.
Become a Microsoft PowerApps Developer
In this blog article we will explain about Microsoft PowerApps, the various career opportunities in Power Platform domain, and how to become a Microsoft PowerApps developer.
PowerApps is an Azure hosted cloud-based service introduced by Microsoft to design and develop data applications for web and mobile devices.
What is PowerApps?
PowerApps provides a front-end user interface to create custom applications. The “front end” means the part of your application that users see and use, while the back end contains the business data and logic that drives it.
A cloud-based platform that makes app development easy by providing ready-to-use templates, PowerApps can be used by a non-technical user to create an app from scratch.
PowerApps comes with a large collection of built-in features that lets you build applications without writing any line of code. It helps users get started quickly and build rich business apps that connect to their existing data sources, custom APIs or other services.
Also read: Exam PL-900: Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals Certification Syllabus
Understanding Microsoft Power Platform
Microsoft Power Platform is the no-code application development and integration platform from Microsoft corporation where PowerApps is the application development ‘app’ along with the other apps such as:
Power Automate( previoulsy Microsoft Flow)
Power BI
Power Virtual agents
Power platform helps citizen develops to business applications with ease and using no programning lanaguages. Power platfrom opens up a lot new job opportunities in the market and extends application development jobs to non-technical people
How PowerApps helps in application development?
Being a Microsoft Azure cloud-based service, PowerApps is a rapid application development platform that lets you create native mobile and web apps.
This easy to use tool enables non-technical users ( we call them ‘citizen developers’) to build an app from scratch without writing any code by using a visual interface.
It comes with a large set of built in features which allows anyone to build business apps that are rich in features and connect to their existing data sources.
It makes it easier for users to get started with building apps quickly, but it also gives them the flexibility of connecting to any custom APIs or services.
What are the main uses for Microsoft PowerApps?
PowerApps is used to build custom apps for mobile devices without writing any code. With the help of the front end interface, non-technical users can use PowerApps to create an app from scratch. There are large number of built in features within PowerApps which lets users quickly build business apps that can connect to their existing data sources.
What are the advantages of using PowerApps and how does it help developers?
PowerApps is a cloud-based service that enables anyone to build an app without writing any code. It helps users quickly build business apps by connecting to data sources, custom APIs or services.
PowerApps comes with many built in features that let users modify their app layout easily and preview it within minutes.
Should I learn Microsoft Power Platform because my employer is about to adopt it?
According to the current market trends and future scope, learning .NET platform can be a great career decision. Microsoft has already declared that they would be replacing their existing tools with Power Platform which is definitely an added advantage for anyone looking forward to enhancing their skills.
Though there is very little training material available in this regard, it will become popular among IT professionals in a very short time.
Do I have to learn Microsoft PowerApps programming language?
No, you don’t have to learn any coding languages or development tools for using PowerApps. You can build business apps by just dragging and dropping the components into the Visual Designer screen, without writing any code to modify the layout or behavior of the app.
If you want to modify or customize your app, then you can use XAML markup window for that purpose.
Also Read: Understanding Microsoft DataVerse | Common Data Services (CDS)
In what ways can Microsoft PowerApps be helpful for the organization?
Business organizations will benefit a lot from using this platform as it can help them build custom apps without writing any code. The tool helps in quickly building business related apps which can connect to data sources or cloud data services. It can be used for improving business intelligence, productivity and collaboration among teams working on the same project.
Can I write code to develop Microsoft PowerApps?
No, users can’t write any custom code using PowerApps as it is a visual platform which uses graphical user interface (GUI) for designing apps.
You can use XAML markup language to customize the design of your app by adding various kinds of controls, objects and charts according to your needs.
Can I develop custom Microsoft PowerApps?
Yes, if you are an experienced developer who has good knowledge about C# or Visual Basic then you can create a custom business app using this platform.
What programming languages does PowerApps use?
You just need to have the Enterprise plan that will allow you to build an unlimited number of apps on unlimited devices, data sources and custom logic.
Currently this platform doesn’t allow users to add custom code (program logic) into their app using Visual C#, in VB.Net, JavaScript and others, but Microsoft Flow uses JavaScript for adding custom code. Users can also download and deploy apps created on this platform into Windows Store if they want to integrate visual elements into these apps.
Skills required for PowerApps developers
PowerApps developers are required to have good understanding of business processes and wriring formula. If you are coming from a Dynamics 365 background then you may have excellent C# or Visual Basic programming skills, this will be an added advantage but not necessary.
They should also be good in working with cloud-based services and have experience in developing custom apps. Also should have a fair knowledge of Microsoft Power Automate and Power Virtual agents is required.
Job Opportunities for PowerApps consultants
There is a magnitute of companies aquring PowerApps and hence the new job role has been rolled out – Microsoft PowerApps consualtant/developer. This is one of the hottest job roles in the market now, and anyone with a passion to become an application developer can get into this domain.
A good graps of business processes and a mind to learn new technologies like Power Automate, Power BI and Power Virtual agents can try for jobs in the powerApps domain.
Having said, PowerApps domain is also gettig a bit tougher as Microsoft rolling new featuers every other month. So in future you can find this domain will be a comprehensive one but there will be lot of new opportunities for sure.
What programming languages does PowerApps use?
Currently this platform doesn’t allow users to add custom code (program logic) into their app using Visual C#, in VB.Net, JavaScript and others, but Microsoft Flow uses JavaScript for adding custom code. Users can also download and deploy apps created on this platform into Windows Store if they want to integrate visual elements into these apps.
How do I learn the Microsoft PowerApps portal?
You can start learning Microsoft PowerApps portals using the materials avaialbe in Microsoft Learn ( here) and by practising. A 30 days free trail of PowerApps portals is avaialbe using which you can setup PowerApps portals, and customizing it.
This is a good practical way of learning PowerApps portals using the templates available and also by creating new apps.
You can learn how to create, share and manage apps on this portal by following these simple steps:
1) Create Microsoft PowerApps account – All you need to do is sign in using your existing Office 365 account (which includes services such as Skype, Word, Excel and Outlook etc.) or create a new ID on official website.
Here we cannot use our existing ID with Gmail, Yahoo or other email addresses since this platform uses an Enterprise-level directory based on Azure Active Directory.
2) Start Building Apps – Once you’re done creating the account, you can start building apps by clicking the New button located at the top left corner of the screen. After that simply choose your desired app type from Basic Package to design forms and views without writing a single line of code.
3) Configure Microsoft Flow – In order to automate business processes using this platform, you need to integrate Microsoft’s PowerApps with your existing Microsoft Flow account. To do that simply open the Account section from the side menu and then click Connect buttons from both services. After that follow simple on-screen instructions to complete the process.
4) Use Visual Studio for editing apps – If you’re a .Net developer, you can also use Visual Studio for creating apps by following these steps: Note: Make sure to create an app first before going through this page since it doesn’t allow new users to sign in directly into it. 1) Open https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/