It’s important to develop a firm understanding of how to configure UI (User Interface) elements. The ability to configure UI elements allows you to create apps that intuitively guide users through their workflows and provide a satisfying experience.
Understanding UI Elements in Power Platform
Power Platform’s canvas app provides an intuitive visual interface to add and configure a range of UI elements, from simple buttons to forms, galleries, and screens. These UI elements, or controls, are essential for building interactive applications.
Configuring Basic Controls
Begin with basic controls such as labels, buttons, and text inputs. You can find these by navigating to the Insert tab in Power Apps Studio and selecting the desired control.
Labels
A label control might be used to display static text or show dynamic data from a data source. After inserting a label, you can edit text in the Properties panel or use the formula bar to bind it to data.
For example, to display the amount of records in a data source named ‘MyData’:
Label1.Text = “Record count: ” & CountRows(MyData)
Buttons
Buttons are fundamental for user interaction. You can use the OnSelect property to define what happens when a button is clicked.
For instance, to navigate to a screen named ‘Screen2’ after a button click:
Button1.OnSelect = Navigate(Screen2, None)
Text input
A Text input control allows the user to input text. You may select the ‘Default’ property to display some pre-input text or ‘Text’ property to collect user’s input.
TextInput1.Default = “Enter text here”
Configuring Complex Controls
Complex controls like galleries and forms can display and handle large data sources.
Galleries
A Gallery control allows you to generate a list of items from a data source. In the Items property, you can specify the data source.
Gallery1.Items = MyData
To display a specific field from the data source, use the ThisItem property with the desired field name.
Gallery1.Template.Fill = ThisItem.FieldName
Forms
Forms are great for viewing, creating, and editing records from a data source. After inserting a form, you can select its data source (Item property for Edit forms, DataSource for New forms).
For example, to bind a form to a specific record:
Form1.Item = First(Find(‘MyData’, ID = “1”))
To submit the form:
Form1.OnSelect = SubmitForm(Form1)
Customizing UI Elements
You can further improve your UI by customizing the color, size, border, position, and other properties of your controls. This can be done in the Properties panel or by using the formula bar for dynamic customization based on data or other conditions.
Conclusion
In the PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker exam, understanding how to configure UI elements is critical. By mastering the use of labels, buttons, text inputs, galleries and forms, along with customization, you can create intuitive, interactive, and user-friendly Power Platform apps. Make sure to practice configuring different UI controls and applying various properties to enhance your application skills.
Practice Test
True or False: You can create a form by selecting the Common Data Service entity the form is based on.
- True
Answer: True.
Explanation: You can easily create a new form in Microsoft PowerApps by selecting the Common Data Service entity the form is based on.
To create a gallery control in PowerApps, which data source do you need?
- a) SQL Server
- b) SharePoint
- c) Excel
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Microsoft PowerApps can connect with various data sources, like SQL Server, SharePoint, Excel, etc. From these sources, you can create the gallery controls using the data provided.
The dropdown control in PowerApps cannot be filtered. True or False?
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Dropdown controls in PowerApps can be filtered, sorted and searched. This can be accomplished with the use of functions like Filter(), Sort() and Search().
In PowerApps, a Canvas app begins with a blank canvas. True or False?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: Canvas apps in PowerApps allow you to create an app by dragging and dropping UI elements onto a blank canvas.
The “OnSelect” property of a button in a PowerApps Canvas app is used to specify the action to perform when the button is selected. True or False?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: The OnSelect property is used to create or modify an event which occurs when a control is selected.
In PowerApps, the Navigate function can be used to navigate to a different screen. True or False?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: The Navigate function changes the current screen of the app to a different one.
PowerApps allows to create a tile layout in list screen. True or False?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: In PowerApps, you can choose a layout for your list screen, and the tile layout is one of the available options.
In PowerApps, which of the following is not a UI element?
- a) Button
- b) Text input
- c) Timer
- d) None of the above
Answer: d) None of the above
Explanation: In PowerApps, all of the listed elements (Button, Text input, Timer) can be used as a UI element.
In PowerApps, is it possible to change the color of a button based on a condition?
- a) Yes
- b) No
Answer: a) Yes
Explanation: In PowerApps, the color property of a UI control can be set with a condition.
The LookUp function in PowerApps is used to find the first record in a table that satisfies a formula. True or False?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: The LookUp function finds the first record in a table that satisfies a given formula and returns that record as a single-row table.
You can create data-driven apps in PowerApps without writing any code. True or False?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: PowerApps provides a drag-and-drop interface for creating data-driven apps without needing to write any code.
You can’t use your own logo in a PowerApps app. True or False?
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can use your own logo in a PowerApps app. You just need to upload it in the Media panel, and then you can drag and drop it onto canvas.
It is possible to use GPS data from the user’s device in a PowerApps app. True or False?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: PowerApps offers a Location function which retrieves the GPS location of the user’s device.
PowerApps doesn’t allow to change the language of the app. True or False?
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can easily change the language of your app in the PowerApps settings.
Custom APIs can’t be used in PowerApps. True or False?
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: PowerApps does provide the functionality to use custom APIs by registering them in the PowerApps portal.
Interview Questions
What does UI stand for in the context of Power Platform App Maker?
UI stands for User Interface.
What is the first step in configuring UI elements in the Power Platform App Maker?
The first step is to add a Screen in which you want to configure the UI elements.
What is the purpose of forms in Power Platform App Maker’s UI?
Forms in Power Platform App Maker are used to display, create, and update the data stored in the underlying data source.
What is the function of the Button control in Power Platform App Maker’s UI?
A Button control is used to perform an action when the user clicks or taps on it.
What is the purpose of the Screen control in Power Platform App Maker’s UI?
The Screen control is used to host and arrange other controls such as text boxes, buttons, and data tables.
How can you enable navigation between screens in Power Platform App Maker?
You can enable navigation between screens by using the Navigate function or by configuring the OnSelect property of a control.
What is Power Apps?
Power Apps is a tool in the Microsoft Power Platform that enables users to build custom apps, including designing the UI, without having to write code.
What is the purpose of a label in Power Platform App Maker?
The purpose of a label is to display static or dynamic text on the app’s UI.
How can you change the color of a button in Power Platform App Maker?
You can change the color of a button by changing its Fill property in the right-hand pane’s properties tab.
How can you connect a form to a data source in Power Platform App Maker?
You can connect a form to a data source by choosing the form, and then on the right-hand pane, under DATA SOURCE, clicking “Add data source”.
What do you need to do to make a form editable in the Power Platform App Maker?
To make a form editable, change the form’s Default Mode property to Edit.
What is the purpose of the Visible property in Power Platform App Maker’s UI?
The Visible property is used to control the visibility of a UI element. If this property is set to false, the UI element will not be displayed.
How can you align UI elements in the Power Platform App Maker?
You can align UI elements using the Align button in the Home tab of the Power Platform App Maker.
What would you use a Data Table control for in Power Platform App Maker?
A Data Table control in Power Platform App Maker is used to display data in a tabular format from a data source allowing users to read and edit multiple records at once.
What would you use a Gallery control for in Power Platform App Maker?
A Gallery control allows you to display and interact with data from a data source. Each row in a gallery represents a record.
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