Interpreting App checker results is a fundamental skill for any user preparing for the PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker exam.
As part of the broader Power Apps capability, App checker is an analytical tool used to assess apps for potential problems, such as performance issues, poor user experience, or non-compliance with certain regulations. As an App maker, understanding how to interpret and act on these results can help improve the quality and longevity of your work.
Understanding App checker and its Role in Power Apps
App checker is nestled within the Power Apps studio and is leveraged to validate both canvas and model-driven apps. It is designed to scan apps and identify common errors, potential problems, and areas where improvements can be made. It provides detailed reports by checking your app against a nucleus of rules.
The tool provides analysis with three levels of severity:
- Errors: These are significant issues that could cause the app to break or malfunctions to occur. Immediate rectification of these is generally required.
- Warnings: These imply there might be a better method to accomplish a task. The app will still run, but certain aspects might not perform optimally.
- Information: These are simply friendly tips and best practices from Power Apps.
These levels are represented with a red, yellow, and blue icon respectively in the app checker results.
Post-Analysis Actions
Once you run the App checker, it provides a list of issues found in the app considering the rules it checks against. Let’s look at the possible results:
- Issue: This field describes the issue discovered by the app checker.
- Location: Highlights where the issue resides within your app.
- More Info: A link to documentation wherein you can find more information and recommended solutions for the issue.
Examining these sections allows you to understand what you need to do to fix the problem or make improvements to the code.
Interpreting Sample Results
Let’s consider the example of a canvas app with a gallery that uses filter functions. App checker flags this as an issue, indicating slow performance.
The Issue could be described like this: “Delegation warning: The `Filter` part of this formula might not work correctly on large data sources.”
In the Location, the problematic control ‘Gallery1’ is indicated and the checker also highlights the part of the formula causing the warning.
In the More Information section, Power Apps advises you that `Filter` and other functions like `Lookup`, `Search`, etc., are not delegated and can hence lead to performance bugs on larger data sets. A solution is suggested to use delegable predicates, or to limit data source size.
App checker is therefore an essential tool in enhancing your Power Apps building skills, and being able to interpret and apply its results can greatly benefit those seeking to excel in the Microsoft Power Platform App Maker exam.
Practice Test
True or False: The App checker in Power Platform provides guidance about potential issues with your application including performance, accessibility, and reliability.
Answer: True
Explanation: The App checker is a feature in Power Platform that developers can use to identify possible problems with the app design which includes its performance, accessibility, and reliability.
Which of the following information is NOT provided by the Power Platform’s App checker?
- a) Accessibility issues
- b) App performance
- c) Number of users
- d) App errors
Answer: c) Number of users
Explanation: Power Platform’s App checker provides details about the app design, such as performance, accessibility issues, and errors. It doesn’t provide the number of users for an app.
True or False: App check results can only be viewed within the Power Apps portal.
Answer: False
Explanation: App check results can be viewed both within the Power Apps portal and exported as a file for use outside the platform.
When should you run the App checker?
- a) Before sharing your app with other users.
- b) After the app development is complete.
- c) When testing your app.
- d) All of the above.
Answer: d) All of the above.
Explanation: Running App checker should be a regular practice to ensure your app meets the expected quality and performance. It should be used throughout the app development process for effective troubleshooting.
True or False: The App checker does not check for formula errors in your app.
Answer: False
Explanation: The App checker does help you locate and resolve formula errors in your app, alongside other potential issues like performance and accessibility.
What color signifies a high impact error in the App checker results?
- a) Red
- b) Green
- c) Yellow
- d) Blue
Answer: a) Red
Explanation: In the App checker results, red is used to signify high impact issues that can have a significant effect on the app’s performance or user experience.
True or False: The App checker can identify deprecated elements used in your app.
Answer: True
Explanation: The App checker helps to identify deprecated elements used in your app so you can update or replace them accordingly.
Which type of issues are marked with a blue color in the App checker results?
- a) Information
- b) Warning
- c) Error
- d) Performance
Answer: a) Information
Explanation: In App checker results, Information issues are marked with a blue color. These issues do not directly impact the performance or reliability but are things you might want to know.
The App checker provides information about __________.
- a) Formulas errors only
- b) App performance only
- c) App performance and formula errors only
- d) Performance, reliability and accessibility of the app
Answer: d) Performance, reliability and accessibility of the app
Explanation: App checker analyzes your app for issues related to performance, reliability, and accessibility. It also provides guidance on how to fix them.
True or False: The App checker provides remediation steps to fix the issues it finds.
Answer: True
Explanation: The App checker provides guidance and remediation steps to help developers solve the problems it identifies. This helps to improve the overall quality of the app.
Interview Questions
What is the main purpose of the App checker in Microsoft Power Platform?
The App checker in Microsoft Power Platform is utilized to identify issues and errors in apps before publishing them. It scrutinizes apps for potential problems related to performance, accessibility, and formula usage.
Does Microsoft Power Platform’s App checker identify only existing errors in the app, or does it also suggest optimization options?
The App checker in Microsoft Power Platform does more than identify existing errors. It also offers suggestions for optimizing your app’s performance to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible.
Where can you locate the App checker in Power Apps?
You can find the App checker in Power Apps on the top right corner of the screen in the app editing window.
What types of issues does Microsoft Power Apps App checker identify?
App checker identifies a variety of issues, including errors, warnings, and information messages. Errors could halt the app, warnings indicate potential problems, and information messages provide suggestions for optimization.
Are App checker results uniform across different devices and platforms?
No, App checker results may vary based on the device and platform the app is being tested on. This helps to ensure optimized performance in different environments.
How does App checker in the Power Apps improve the accessibility of apps?
App checker shows warnings and suggestions to improve the accessibility of apps. This includes issues related to color contrast, the need for alt text on images, and ensuring controls are properly labeled for screen readers.
What is the severity level that App checker uses to report issues related to the usage of deprecated features?
The usage of deprecated features is usually reported with a severity level of “Information” in App Checker result.
What happens if an app has many errors and warnings in the App checker?
If an app has many errors and warnings, it could indicate severe functional or performance-related problems. Resolution of these issues is crucial before the app gets published to ensure a smooth user experience.
How can you resolve the issues highlighted by the App checker in Power Apps?
Each error or warning highlighted by the App checker contains a description, explanation of potential impact, and the suggested action. By following these suggestions, you can resolve the issues.
Are all the issues reported by the App checker in Power Apps mandatory to fix?
No, not all reported issues are mandatory to fix. While errors typically need fixing immediately, warnings and information messages often serve as recommendations to optimize the app’s performance or accessibility. However, addressing these can improve the overall quality of the app.