Microsoft Power Platform has emerged as a powerful platform, enabling developers to create business solutions effortlessly. If you’re preparing for the PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker exam, a key part of your preparatory undertaking would be to understand how to publish Canvas Apps.
Let’s delve deep into understanding what Canvas Apps are, how to create them, and then how to publish them to ensure you’re well-prepared for the PL-100 exam.
1. Understanding canvas apps
Canvas applications are user-friendly and relatively easy to create and use. It’s a single-screen application that you can use to create a customizable and interactive experience. With Canvas Apps, you go an extra mile to design the UI in innovative ways as per specific business needs.
2. Creating Canvas Apps
To create a Canvas App, first, Go to make.powerapps.com, then select ‘Create’ and click ‘Canvas app from blank’. Choose a suitable format, name your app, and go, the stage is set for you to bring out your creativity. Choose a data source for your app if you want to. Start arranging, minimizing or maximizing, adding application elements, logos, datasheet views, or any kind of element your business application requires.
3. Publishing Canvas Apps
When you are satisfied with your canvas app, the next step is to publish it. Publishing is a two-step process. First, you save your changes to the cloud and then you publish your app.
Here is how you do it:
- Save your changes: Go to File -> Save, this will save your most recent changes.
- Publish your app: Once saved, click on the Publish tab -> Publish this version.
When you publish a canvas app, you make your app available to others in your organization. The publishing process makes the current version of your app the live version that users will see when they launch your app.
4. Updating a published Canvas App
There might come a time when you’ll need to make changes to your app. You are allowed to update your Canvas App even after publishing it. All you need to do is to open your app in the studio, make the required changes, and then re-publish it. The updates will reflect on the users’ end when they re-open the app.
5. Sharing a published Canvas app
Once you’ve published your app, it is ready to be shared. Microsoft Power Platform provides an intuitive UI to share your apps. Go to the detail page of the app and there you’ll find ‘Share’ in the menu. Click on it, and you can then either type in the email addresses of the individuals or a security group to share your app with.
To conclude, publishing a canvas app is a vital feature embedded in Microsoft Power Platform that you must understand as you prepare for the Exam PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker. It allows developers to minimize the feedback loop and swiftly deploy applications, enabling better service to their end-users. This proficiency in publishing canvas apps will significantly aid in your exam, and better still, in your quest to be an efficient developer.
Remember, practice is key. Create as many sample Canvas Apps as you can and try publishing and sharing them to familiarize yourself with the process. The more you practice, the more confident you will become.
Practice Test
True or False: You can publish your canvas apps to a select group of users.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: You can customize the user group and select specific users or groups to whom you want to grant access to your canvas app.
Which among the following can be used as hosting environments for canvas apps?
- a) Microsoft Dataverse
- b) Microsoft OneDrive
- c) Microsoft Teams
- d) SharePoint Online
Answer: a, c, d
Explanation: Canvas apps can be hosted in Microsoft Dataverse, Teams, and SharePoint Online. OneDrive cannot be used as a hosting environment for canvas apps.
Which among the following can’t be used to distribute or share a Canvas app?
- a) User Groups
- b) Power Apps Studio
- c) Direct Email
- d) Power Apps Mobile
Answer: d, Power Apps Mobile
Explanation: Power Apps Mobile can’t be used to distribute or share the apps. It is used for accessing canvas apps.
True or False: You need a Power Apps license to run canvas apps.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: To play a published canvas app, each user needs to either have a Power Apps license or access through a Power Apps per-app plan.
What do you have to do to enable offline capabilities for a canvas app?
- a) Set the “Offline” property to “True”
- b) Save data to a local collection
- c) Enable the “RememberMe” property
- d) Enable offline mode in the Power Apps settings
Answer: b, Save data to a local collection
Explanation: For using canvas apps offline, you should save your data to a local collection, and then load this data when the app starts or when connection is restored.
True or False: After publishing a canvas app, you cannot edit it again.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: After you publish a canvas app, you can still edit it again using the Power Apps studio.
A canvas app is automatically available to everyone in your organization after publishing. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Only users or groups whom you have specifically shared the app with can access it, it’s not automatically available to everyone.
True or False: Once published, a canvas app can be accessed via a web browser or mobile device.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Yes, once you publish your canvas app, users can access it through a modern web browser or on a mobile device through the Power Apps app.
Which of the following are not necessary steps in publishing a canvas app?
- a) Save the app
- b) Publish the app
- c) Share the app
- d) Take a test run
Answer: d, Take a test run
Explanation: Running a test isn’t a necessary step in publishing a canvas app, but it is recommended as good practice to ensure that everything works as expected.
True or False: The same version of a canvas app can be simultaneously published to both Teams and SharePoint.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The same version can be published simultaneously to both environments without any problem, allowing the app to be accessed from different platforms.
To run a canvas app, optional software must be installed on the user’s system. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Running a canvas app doesn’t require any extra software other than a modern web browser or the Power Apps Mobile for mobile devices.
True or False: You don’t need any permission to publish a canvas app.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Before you can publish, you need permission to create and publish canvas apps in your environment.
Which of the following languages can’t be used to create Canvas apps?
- a) English
- b) Spanish
- c) Italian
- d) Binary
Answer: d, Binary
Explanation: Canvas apps support multiple languages but Binary isn’t one of them.
True or False: Canvas apps can only be created on Windows systems.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Canvas apps can be created on any system that supports Power Apps Studio, not just Windows.
What is the first step to take before publishing a canvas app?
- a) Share the app
- b) Run a test
- c) Save the app
- d) Enable Offline mode
Answer: c, Save the app
Explanation: Before you can publish a canvas app, it is a general practice to ensure that it is saved first.
Interview Questions
What is a canvas app in the Microsoft Power Platform?
A canvas app in the Microsoft Power Platform is a type of app you can create to solve business problems. It allows you to design the app by dragging and dropping elements onto a canvas, just like designing a slide in PowerPoint.
Can you publish a canvas app without saving it first?
No, you can’t publish a canvas app without saving it first. The app must be saved before it can be published.
How do you publish a canvas app in the Microsoft Power Platform?
To publish a canvas app, click on the File menu, select Save and then click on the Publish button. You can either publish to the whole organization or to specific individuals or groups.
What happens when you publish a canvas app?
When a canvas app is published, it is made available to all users who have the necessary permissions to access it.
What’s the difference between saving and publishing a canvas app?
Saving a canvas app saves any changes you have made to the app, but it does not make the app available to users. Publishing the app, on the other hand, makes the app available to all users with access permissions.
Can published canvas apps be accessed on mobile devices?
Yes, published canvas apps can be accessed on mobile devices via the Power Apps mobile app.
Is it possible to unpublish a canvas app if it’s no longer required?
Yes, if a canvas app is no longer required, the original publisher or an admin can remove the published version from Power Apps Studio.
Can you publish a canvas app that uses premium connectors to everyone in the organization?
Yes, but each user who wants to use that app will need the necessary licenses to access any premium connectors that the app uses.
What permissions do you need to publish a Canvas app?
To publish a canvas app you need to have the Co-owner or Owner role permissions for the app.
How can you update a published canvas app?
To update a canvas app, you need to open it in Power Apps Studio, make the necessary changes, save the app, and then publish it again.
Can canvas apps connect to external data sources?
Yes, canvas apps can connect to a range of data sources such as SharePoint, Excel, Common Data Service, and more.
Can you control who has access to a published canvas app?
Yes, you can specify who has access to a published canvas app by sharing it with individuals, security groups, or the entire organization.
What is the versioning feature in canvas apps publishing?
The versioning feature allows you to manage and restore previous versions of your canvas app. Each time you save and publish your app, a new version is created.
Can teams collaborate on creating and publishing a canvas app?
Yes, teams can collaboratively create a canvas app. Once the app is ready, one of the team members with the necessary permissions can publish it.
How do users access a published canvas app?
Users can access a published canvas app through the Power Apps mobile application, or through the Power Apps site on their computer.
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