Extending the Power Apps Timeline: Displaying Attendance Records with a Custom Connector

Introduction: The Problem with the Default Timeline The Timeline control in model-driven apps is one of the most useful UI components for displaying activities, notes, and related records. But until recently, the scope was somewhat rigid you could only surface system-defined entities such as emails, appointments, and custom activities. What if you wanted to bring … Continue reading Extending the Power Apps Timeline: Displaying Attendance Records with a Custom Connector →

Mastering Alternate Keys in Dataverse: The Key to Seamless Integration, Upserts, and Sync

In the world of Dataverse and Power Platform development, GUIDs (record IDs) are often the go-to for identifying records. But in integration-heavy scenarios where external systems don’t (and shouldn’t) know about Dataverse-specific GUIDs there’s a smarter, more maintainable way to reference and sync data: Alternate Keys. In this deep dive, we’ll explore: What are alternate … Continue reading Mastering Alternate Keys in Dataverse: The Key to Seamless Integration, Upserts, and Sync →

Prepopulate Model-Driven Forms Using Custom Query String Parameters in Power Apps

One of the most underused tricks in model-driven app development is the ability to pass data directly into a form via query string parameters and use that data to prepopulate fields when the form loads. Whether you're embedding forms in external portals, triggering them from other apps, or launching forms via buttons or Power Automate … Continue reading Prepopulate Model-Driven Forms Using Custom Query String Parameters in Power Apps →

Scalable Customization Design in Microsoft Dataverse: Understanding Blocking and How to Prevent It

🚧 What is Blocking in Dataverse? Blocking occurs when one transaction holds a database resource lock, preventing other transactions from accessing it until the first transaction is completed. This can lead to delays, performance bottlenecks, and even transaction failures. Imagine a checkout counter at a grocery store where a cashier is scanning a long list … Continue reading Scalable Customization Design in Microsoft Dataverse: Understanding Blocking and How to Prevent It →

Scalable Customization Design in Dataverse : Transaction and Locking Awareness

Understanding How Transactions Work in Dataverse When building custom solutions in Microsoft Dataverse, one of the most overlooked yet critical aspects is how transactions and locking work. Just like a checkout counter at a grocery store, once a transaction starts, the system locks resources (records, tables, indexes) to ensure consistency. If another customer (process) tries … Continue reading Scalable Customization Design in Dataverse : Transaction and Locking Awareness →

Plugin Solution Architecture in Dynamics 365: DLL-Based vs Plugin Package-Based Approaches

As the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform landscape evolves rapidly, so does the way we extend the platform using custom code. One significant shift is the movement from traditional DLL-based plugin deployment to the more modern Plugin Package approach. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the architecture differences, evaluate the pros and cons of … Continue reading Plugin Solution Architecture in Dynamics 365: DLL-Based vs Plugin Package-Based Approaches →

🎨 Modern Theming in Model-Driven Apps: Customize Your App’s Look!

The modern, refreshed look in Power Platform model-driven apps comes with a sleek Fluent 2 design system, bringing a fresh user experience. While classic theming is no longer supported, Microsoft has introduced modern themes, allowing makers to customize the app header with their own branding colors. Although the customization options are limited to the app … Continue reading 🎨 Modern Theming in Model-Driven Apps: Customize Your App’s Look! →

📝 Configuring Row Summaries in Model-Driven Apps

Model-driven apps often contain dozens of columns spread across multiple tabs and sections. Finding key insights quickly can be a challenge. Row Summaries in Copilot-powered model-driven apps provide a collapsible summary bar that surfaces essential information at a glance. 📢 What’s New? Customize the row summary using AI-generated insights. Summarize key details with formatted prompts. … Continue reading 📝 Configuring Row Summaries in Model-Driven Apps →

Handling Null Column Values in Dataverse: Best Practices for Early and Late Bound Classes

When working with Microsoft Dataverse, dealing with null values in table columns is a common challenge. Null values can represent missing or undefined data, and how you handle them can significantly impact the behavior and reliability of your applications. This blog post will guide you through the nuances of working with null column values in … Continue reading Handling Null Column Values in Dataverse: Best Practices for Early and Late Bound Classes →

Querying Data in Dataverse: A Deep Dive into Four Powerful Methods

When working with Microsoft Dataverse, retrieving data efficiently and effectively is crucial for building robust applications and solutions. Dataverse provides several methods for querying data, each with its own strengths and use cases. In this blog post, we'll explore four primary methods to query data in Dataverse using code: FetchExpression, QueryExpression, QueryByAttribute, and LINQ. We'll … Continue reading Querying Data in Dataverse: A Deep Dive into Four Powerful Methods →