Microsoft 365 – Power Platform – Power Apps – Empowering Your Learning Journey: A Comprehensive Guide to Power Apps for Beginners – Power Apps Basics: Moving Your Apps Around – Part 6

“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”

Hello Everyone,  

Hope you all are doing well.  

Today, we’re on a mission to master the art of moving our PowerApps around – think of it as relocating our favourite app from one place to another. Let’s break it down into simple steps:

What’s on Our Agenda:

• Exporting and Importing Packages:
  • Picture our app as a gift. We’ll guide you on how to wrap it up (export) and unwrap it in a new spot (import).
• Included Resources:
  • What’s inside the gift wrap? Everything! We’ll unravel the mysteries of our app’s appearance and the data it uses.
• Permissions Needed:
  • Before the move, we need a special key (permissions). We’ll help you find the right key for a smooth export.
• Moving PowerApps:
  • Ready for the move? Let’s figure out how to pick up our app and seamlessly transport it to a new home.
• Exporting a Canvas App Package:
  • Imagine saving our app like saving a game level. We’ll walk you through it, step by step.
• Importing a Canvas App Package:
  • Time to open our saved game in a new place! Learn how to bring your app into a new home effortlessly.
• Limits to Keep in Mind:
  • Hold on! There are a few rules. We’ll discuss what our app can and can’t do during this relocation process.

Got it? Fantastic! Let’s make moving our Power Apps as breezy as shifting our favourite game to a new device.

Embark on a Journey of Empowerment with Power Apps!

Whether you’re a newcomer eager to explore or a seasoned enthusiast aiming to refine your skills, we invite you to join us on a comprehensive guide that serves as your gateway into the expansive realm of the Power Platform. Together, let’s immerse ourselves in the wonders of Power Apps as we uncover its features, tools, and the art of sculpting business solutions with Canvas Apps. Our collective learning odyssey begins with a delve into our enlightening five-part series:

• Empowering Our Learning Journey: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Power Platform and Getting Started with Power Apps – Together, we lay the foundation for mastering Power Apps.- https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/11/17/microsoft-365-power-platform-power-apps-empowering-your-learning-journey-a-comprehensive-guide-to-power-apps-for-beginners-part-1/
• Exploring the Power Apps Wonderland: Features, Tools, and More – A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners (Part 2) – As a team, we navigate through the enchanting features and tools of Power Apps.- https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/11/20/microsoft-365-power-platform-power-apps-empowering-your-learning-journey-a-comprehensive-guide-to-power-apps-for-beginners-part-2/
• No Code, No Problem: Designing Our Business with Canvas Apps in the Power Apps Wonderland (Part 3) – Let’s unleash our collective creativity in designing business solutions with Canvas Apps.- https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/11/22/microsoft-365-power-platform-power-apps-empowering-your-learning-journey-a-comprehensive-guide-to-power-apps-for-beginners-no-code-no-problem-designing-your/
• Decoding the Business Toolset: SPFx vs Power Apps – A Beginner’s Guide to Making the Right Choice (Part 4) – We understand the dynamics between SPFx and Power Apps for informed decision-making.- https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/11/23/microsoft-365-power-platform-power-apps-empowering-your-learning-journey-a-comprehensive-guide-to-power-apps-for-beginners-decoding-the-business-toolset-spfx/
• Empowering Our Learning Journey: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Canvas Apps (Part 5) – In this hands-on tutorial, we, as a team, guide each other through the creation of Canvas Apps.- https://knowledge-junction.in/2023/11/27/microsoft-365-power-platform-power-apps-empowering-your-learning-journey-a-comprehensive-guide-to-power-apps-for-beginners-a-step-by-step-guide-to-creating-can/

Let’s Dive into PowerApps Moving Adventure!

We’re on a journey to discover the magic of moving our fantastic PowerApps from one spot to another using these cool things called “packages.” Think of it as packing up your favorite game and bringing it to a friend’s house – it’s that easy!

But hey, a few important notes to keep in mind:

Key Points:

• Choosing Where to Save:
  • It’s like choosing where we want to save our game. In PowerApps, when we move our app, we decide where it’s going to be saved.
• Special File Type:
  • The saved file is like a superhero with a special name, such as “appname.msapp.” It holds our entire app neatly packed into one file.
• What’s in the File:
  • Inside that superhero file, we’ve got everything about our app – the look, the feel – but not the extra things we made separately, like special flows. It’s all about the main game.
• Compatibility Check:
  • Heads up! Our app package won’t team up with another special package called Dataverse. They’re like different games that can’t play together.

So, when we’re on this PowerApps moving adventure, be smart about where we save, keep an eye out for that .msapp file, and understand what our app can and can’t do with other special packages. Moving our PowerApps is like moving our favourite game – super exciting and a bit tricky, but we’ve got your back!

What’s Packed Inside Our PowerApps Bag?

When we’re on the move with our PowerApps, guess what? We’re carrying a bag full of different things. Let’s take a look together:

Stuff Inside Our PowerApps Bag:

• Our Main Game – The App:
  • Yes, the star of the show – our actual app! It’s like the main game we’re playing. And get this, we can either create a brand-new app when we unpack it, or we can give an upgrade to one that’s already hanging out in the new place.
• Superpowers – Power Automate (Flows):
  • Our app might have some cool superpowers, like flows created with Power Automate. We can bring those along too! We get to choose whether to create new flows or update the ones already there.
  • Quick tip: If our flows depend on other things, those things hitch a ride too. But we’ll need to set them up again when we get to the new place.
• Special Connectors and Connections:
  • Uh-oh! Those special connectors and connections our app rely on can’t join the adventure. We’ll have to create them again in the new place.
• Dataverse Custom Touches:
  • Unfortunately, the special changes we made to Dataverse as part of our app can’t sneak into the package. No worries, though – we’ve got Dataverse solutions! They’re like blueprints for these changes.
• Magical Gateways:
  • Those magical gateways that connect our app to on-premises stuff? Nope, they can’t hop into the bag either. We’ll need to set them up fresh in the new environment.

So, remember, our app and its awesome features are in the package, but a few things like connectors and gateways need a bit of extra attention when we move. It’s like packing our bags for a trip – we want to make sure we don’t forget anything important!

Getting to Know Permissions for Moving Our PowerApps

Let’s dive into the keys we need to move our PowerApps around. Think of it as having special access cards to make cool things happen!

Our Simple Permission Guide:

• Exporting Our App:
  • Only the main person (Owner or Co-owner) who cooked up the app can pack it up. It’s like saying only the chef who made the special dish can wrap it up for later.
• Importing to a New Spot:
  • If we want to bring our app to a new spot, we need to be the Environment Maker there. It’s like needing the right tools to set up a new play kitchen.

Our PowerApps Adventure: Moving Our Awesome Feedback Form!

Let’s talk about making our PowerApps move around like digital superheroes. Imagine we’ve cooked up something fantastic – a sample app, our very own Feedback Form using PowerApps. Now, we want to take this creation from our current place (let’s call it Home A or Source environment) to another spot (Home B or Destination environment).

Our Simple Adventure Plan:

• Packing Up Our App from Home A:
  • As the main chefs (Owners or Co-owners) of our app, we’ll use the Export button. This is like capturing a snapshot of our Feedback Form from Home A to our computer. It’s like taking a picture of our favourite digital toy!
• Setting Up in Home B:
  • Now, with our digital snapshot in hand, we’ll use the Import button to bring our Feedback Form to Home B. It’s like setting up our digital toy in a new place without having to create it all over again.

So, in our digital journey, we export from where our awesome Feedback Form currently lives, and we import it to where we want it to shine next – a new digital home!

Exporting Our Canvas App Package in PowerApps

Let’s learn how to pack up our awesome Canvas app and send it on a digital adventure from one place to another. Follow these simple steps:

Step 1:

• In our Source environment on PowerApps, head to “Apps.”
• Select the app you want to export (let’s say it’s our cool “Feedback_Form”).
• Click on the context menu (those three dots) and choose “Export package.” It’s like getting our app ready for a trip!

Step 2:

• On the “Export package” page, give our app a Name and Description.
• The Environment name is selected by default, but feel free to change it if needed.
• Finally, hit the “Export” button. It’s like putting our app in a digital suitcase.

Step 3:

• After hitting “Export,” it’ll ask us to save the app on our computer.
• Save it as it is or change the name if needed. Remember, the app is saved in Zip format.
• Boom! Our app is now in our computer, ready for the next part of its journey.

Now, get ready for the next steps on how to bring this exported app into a new environment. Our Canvas app is on an exciting trip!

Importing Our Canvas App Package in PowerApps

Alright, our Canvas app is packed and ready to embark on a new adventure! Let’s learn how to bring it into a different environment. Follow these steps:

Step 1:

• Head over to the destination tenant where you want to import your Date Picker app.
• Open Power Apps in the browser with your destination site credentials.
• Click on “Apps” from the left navigation and select “Import canvas app” from the top. It’s like opening the door to welcome our app.

Step 2:

• On the “Import package” page, click on the “Upload” button.

• Choose the exported Zip app file from your local system. It’s like welcoming our app at the new place.

Step 3:

• On the “Import Package Details” page, click “Update” for the imported app (Feedback Form).
• In the Import setup screen, choose “Create as new,” provide a Resource name if needed, and then click “Save.” It’s like setting up a cozy spot for our app in the new environment.

(Note: If updating an existing resource, remember to publish the app so users can see the changes.)

Quick Confirmation Icons:

• Create as New: Defines that a new resource will be created.
• Import Action Changed: Defines that the import action for the resource has been modified.
• Action Required: Represents that you must select an import action before the app package can be imported.

Step 4:

• Click on the “Import” button under the “Review Package Content” section.
• Our app is officially crossing into the new environment – like opening the door to its new home.

Step 5:

• After importing, you’ll get a success notification – “All package resources were successfully imported.”

• To view the imported app, open it directly using the “Open app” link. Voila! Our app is now officially part of the new environment.

Remember, it might ask for permission using our Microsoft credentials. Just log in and hit “Allow” if prompted.

And there we have it! Our Canvas app has successfully moved into its new digital home.

Our PowerApps Triumph:

In this grand finale, our PowerApps adventure unfolds, showcasing the brilliance of digital relocation. Like any epic journey, we encountered twists and turns, but armed with knowledge, we’ve masterfully navigated the art of moving our PowerApps.

So, here’s to us, the digital explorers! May our PowerApps continue to radiate brilliance in their new homes, spreading digital magic far and wide. This journey isn’t a conclusion; it’s the inception of limitless possibilities within the vast realm of PowerApps.

Together, let’s forge ahead, empowering our digital creations! Until our next digital quest, we stand united in innovation, empowerment, and the ongoing mastery of the enchanting world of PowerApps!

Also get my article updates on my social media handles

Twitter – https://twitter.com/PrajyotYawalkar?t=oovP0r9FnDtz5nNSJGKO0Q&s=09

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/prajyot-yawalkar-093716224/

Have a wonderful day. 

Thanks for reading.