WPC057 - Introduzione a PowerApps e Microsoft Flow Fabio Franzini MVP - Office Servers & Service

About Me Fabio Franzini Office Servers & Services MVP Twitter: @franzinifabio Email: fabio@fabiofranzini.com About Me www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Agenda Business application platform What is PowerApps? What is Flow? References Agenda www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Business application platform www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Business application platform PowerApps and Flow are the tools for business users for building business applications in SharePoint today and tomorrow. www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Business application platform www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

What is PowerApps? www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

What is PowerApps? A fully cloud-based platform for building, sharing and using business apps Get & manipulate external data via Connections Create apps with a Windows 10 App, share securely with Office 365 users Access via mobile devices, tablets, web browser and Windows apps Joonas

What is PowerApps? www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Why PowerApps? Microsoft does not have great solutions at the moment for: Forms tools – unless you count InfoPath and/or Excel Surveys Rapid App Development environment Mobile app story for information workers PowerApps tries to redeem these omissions with a modern approach A tool for power users to quickly design and build apps around data Works in mobile, works in the browser Joonas

What about InfoPath? InfoPath is on it’s way out and has too much technical debt XML-based forms are from the past – no real benefits anymore Very limited connectivity & too ”SharePointy” Not really web/mobile focused and challenging to customize Is PowerApps an InfoPath replacement? PowerApps lacks features that InfoPath has – more on these in a moment PowerApps is not ”forms on web page” with clunky workflows PowerApps is what InfoPath should have been in 2003-2013 Joonas

What can I build with PowerApps? PowerApps is flexible, but it also has specific strengths Generate apps based on data (Excel, SQL etc.) Form-based apps for capturing and updating data Line of Business apps with modern capabilities (microphone, camera, GPS coordinates) Apps for specific needs, signups, events – for power users and role-based needs PowerApps-based apps can contain: Multiple data sources Multiple screens Ink & pen support Custom APIs

Current limitations with PowerApps Supported platforms for using PowerApps You will need custom development, if default connectors are not enough Limited SharePoint support – does not replace forms/list views Joonas

Building PowerApps solutions Design apps based on data, or design apps based on UI Data must be accessible, so sharing can use Dropbox, OneDrive for Business etc. ”Shadow IT” solutions – unexpected usage and growth

PowerApps Demo www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Converting InfoPath forms to PowerApps No tool available for InfoPath to PowerApps conversion No public information if a tool will even be released by Microsoft Challenges in moving to PowerApps-based forms from InfoPath: Repeater control On-Premises support SharePoint support Complexity for workaround Table-based positioning Anonymous use Windows Phone support Form View support Offline support Not needed Nice-to-have Must-have

Best practices PowerApps is flexible, but it also has specific strengths It revolves around data – so best start with a data model & mindset APIs are the key to accessing data and external systems Provide centralized access to API’s via Azure API Management Portal Use other Office 365 workloads to your benefit Planner, Power BI, OneDrive for Business, Groups etc.

What is Flow? www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Microsoft Flow A new workflow & activity engine for power users in the cloud Design workflows with a simple design interface Run workflows continuously or as triggered activities Connect with PowerApps via control activity www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Microsoft Flow Joonas

Building Flows Design flows at https://flow.microsoft.com using the web UI Graphical designer shares the same UX with Azure Logic Apps designer Dozens of triggers and actions, more being added monthly Data does not have to reside in Office 365 at all Data sources include Box, Dropbox, Salesforce, Wunderlist etc. Things to consider before going to production Recurrence of a Flow can be automatic (~30 sec) or sec/min/hour/day interval Can connect with custom APIs that are registered through Office 365 Credentials to external services are stored within the Flow (and shared with PowerApps)

Flow Gallery Reuse pre-defined recipes from Flow Gallery Submit custom flows to Flow Gallery

Flow Demo www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

SP-based workflow vs. Microsoft Flow Feature Windows Azure Workflow Microsoft Flow Supports SharePoint 2013/2016 Built-in Requires integration work (webhooks in the future) Supports SharePoint Online Form technology approach InfoPath PowerApps Supports complex workflows Via Visual Studio Via Custom APIs & Azure Functions Logs & troubleshooting Simple view with errors (if any) Exceptions & graphical view, history view, input/output views Future-proof Supported for 10 more years, default (and only) choice for now Flow support coming to SPO

Converting SP Workflows to Flows No tool available for WAW/SharePoint Designer-based workflow conversion Problem: SharePoint Designer 2013-based workflows are often complex and include multiple steps and path logic Flows only support simple conditions (If/Else, but not Default/Finally) Flows do not support looping (for now, at least) No Visual Studio-support for building Flows Recommendation: Build only simple Flows, with Flow strengths Integrations & external data High volume Always running

Extending PowerApps & Flow Custom APIs extend PowerApps & Flow OOB functionality Azure Functions provide effortless building blocks Logic Apps provide true integration logic Azure API Apps as a platform Swagger-based metadata finding Can do *anything*  Best suited for integrating external datasources API Management Portal Serverless computing Trigger via HTTP call, polling or webhooks Can run C# scripts and .BAT files Ad-hoc modifications, real-time logging Enterprise integration features Full integration capabilities Not dependent on single user Fully Azure-based Hybrid integration solution www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Managing PowerApps & Flows User access to apps is based on Office 365 accounts Forms are in-house and per organization No anonymous use – all apps are for internal use only AAD B2B support is not confirmed Share with individuals, or share with the whole organization

References PowerApps Custom APIs and PowerApps https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/tutorials/formula-reference/ Custom APIs and PowerApps https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/carlosag/2016/05/09/using-azure-functions-in-powerapps/ Using Azure Functions in PowerApps https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/using-azure-functions-in-powerapps/

Questions? www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11

Contatti OverNet Education info@overneteducation.it www.overneteducation.it Tel. 02 365738 @overnete www.facebook.com/OverNetEducation www.linkedin.com/company/overnet-solutions www.wpc2016.it Contatti OverNet Education www.wpc2016.it – info@wpc2016.it - +39 02 365738.11