My List –

1. Model-app object does not load instantly when Canvas-app is loaded. It might take anywhere from 1 to 5 seconds for the @ModelDrivenFormIntegration to load with CDS values.

Solution – Add a Timer control to the Canvas-app and load the values from @ModelDrivenFormIntegration object on 3 sec TimerEnd() function. The model app object should load with values from the parent record by the end of the timer. See #4 below on how to load @ModelDrivenFormIntegration object so all lookup values are loaded.

2. When you patch values in Canvas-app for the model-app record, to use the new patched values in Canvas-app, you would require to re-run the timer and re-load ModelDrivenFormIntegration object.

Solution – Stop, Reset and start the timer again if you are displaying values of, for example, Lookup Columns, etc. See #5 below.

3. An Embedded App only runs in Edit Forms and not in New forms.

Solution – Pre-save the form using javascript to load your Embedded Canvas-app.

4. You might see empty values for lookup fields from the @ModelDrivenFormIntegration model-app’s object.

Solution – In order to access Lookup fields or Related items, you need to pre-load the Model-app parent record of the Canvas-app in reference by the unique id of the model-app item before using it in the query. Example below.

UpdateContext(
    {
        _modelappRecord: LookUp(
            'PrimaryEntity',
            'PrimaryEntity UniqueId Colum' = ([@ModelDrivenFormIntegration].Item.'Unique ID')
        )
    }
);

UpdateContext({_lookupEntityRecord: _modelappRecord.'Entity Lookup Column'});

‘Entity Lookup Column’ is the Lookup column in model-app to a different entity. _lookupEntityRecord will contain a record of the lookup item. You can further access properties of the lookup entity by using its properties example : _lookupEntityRecord.ID

Alternatively, it is suggested to add a hidden grid-bind to the primary entity so ModelDrivenFormIntegration keeps in sync. I found the above timer and pre-load of _modelappRecord more convenient as the grid was making the canvas-app slower.

5.  Sometimes the @ModelDrivenFormIntegration does not load and the timer also runs out.

Solution – Recommended adding a reload button\icon and re-trigger the timer on the reload button. Something like below. Set _startTimer to StartTimer function of your Timer. Example below.

UpdateContext({   _startTimer: false });
Reset(Timer);
UpdateContext({_startTimer: true});

6. Canvas-app refreshes if any one required value is set on the Model-app.

7. When patching values from within the Embedded app in your model-app, make sure to refresh the form to reflect the changes. Example below.

Patch(
        'PrimaryEntity',
        _modelappRecord,
        {
           IsComplete: 'IsComplete (PrimaryEntity)'.Yes
        }
    );

    ModelDrivenFormIntegration.RefreshForm(true);

7. The same Canvas-app can be added to different screens\sections of your Model-app by duplicating the app’s Canvas-app Id. Bind the other embedded apps to static value and then add the existing app’s id.

8. There is a limit of three Web Canvas-Apps per form where only one app loads at a time. If you try to add another copy of an embedded canvas-app, you will see the following error.

9. Canvas-app does not inherit Security Roles from Model-app form. You have to explicitly share your Canvas-app with users and provide them with a security role (several exceptions to it, read below).

Sharing an Embedded Canvas-app With Users

• Regardless of permissions, no two people can edit an app at the same time. If one person opens the app for editing, other people can run it but not edit it.
• You can’t share an app with a distribution group in your organization or with a group outside your organization.
• You can share an app with Office 365 groups. However, the group must be security enabled.
• You can assign security roles to individual users and security groups (including mail-enabled security groups) while sharing the Canvas-app with them.
• If your AD security group is mapped with the dynamics’ AAD security group Team and has a security role assigned to it, you do not need to assign the role again to that security group while sharing the Canvas-app. Simply share the Canvas-app with the security group or AAD group with no security roles assigned as they inherit the roles from the mapped group Team.

Also, read Microsoft’s guidelines on using Embedded Canvas-app @ Guidelines on working with embedded canvas apps. Very useful.

Related: Clear Date Field in CDS for a Model-driven Power App using business process

While trying to figure this out, I used various methods (that did not work for me btw but might work in your situation). These are :

1. Assign a new blank date Field to the existing CDS field.
2. Assign Blank() to the CDS Field.
3. Assigning bank text to the Date field.

What actually worked for me at the end was the conventional Dynamics Process that would run to clear the Date Completed field when a certain condition is met.

In my case, the Date Filed was called “Date Completed” and a check to clear it was a two options field called “IsComplete”. Setting IsComplete to yes (through my canvas-app) would trigger the process below and clear the Date Filed in CDS record.

Corn – Because the process works asynchronously, there is a delay in clearing the field value in CDS.

Steps to configure are –

1. Create a new Process workflow in Power Apps from within your solution or from dynamics classic window under your entity.
2. Set the parameters as below for Scope, Record Field Changes, automatically delete completed workflow jobs, and Run this workflow in the background.
3. Add a new Step with Condition on your Indicator field. For example, IsComplete equals to No as in my case.
4. Add Update Item step.

5. Select the Date Field to clear and then set the clear operator.

6. Save and activate the proccess.

In my case, I am patching the IsComplete value from my embedded Canvas-app but you can also update it through flow (manually triggering flow from within the model-driven app) which in turn will trigger the process.

Hope it helps!

I had to assign a Team as a new Owner of a record in a model-driven app after the user has submitted the record for review. The assignment part worked, but the flow would not run further after this new team becomes the Owner.

This new Owners team had appropriate security roles assigned to it and had enough rights on Processes (in the customization tab in security role) to run a flow.

So, the issue definitely lied on Flow’s side. I believe the error I got was below.

Turn’s out, I had used CDS (current environment) connector which lists out scopes the flow should run under.

Scopes determine if your flow runs when you(the user) creates a new record, or when a new record is created by a user within your business unit, or when a new record is created by any user in your organization.

Set your Flow to run at Parent: Child business unit or Organization (depending upon your new Teams’ BU’s location ) if you wish the new assignee BU team to run your flow.

Recommendations and best practices for sharing reports per role are also included.

The document can be tailored as per your companies needs and used for publishing reports to production workspaces. Free to Download.

Download from Slideshare

Related: Download Ms Flow basics, troubleshooting and operational errors

Download the attached script from above and save it as .ps1.

The Script will ask for the following (for your admins to enter) :

"Enter the Admin URL of 0365 (eg. https://<Tenant Name>-admin.sharepoint.com)"

"Enter the username of 0365 (eg. admin@<tenantName>.onmicrosoft.com)"

"Please enter the password for $($userName)" -AsSecureString

"Enter the Site URL"

Change the following in the script :

• Library Name

   Look for "$_list = $_lists.GetByTitle("Documents")"

• Columns to Update

Look for   $listItem["ProjectID"] = $listItem["TempProjectID"] # Update Field Value Here 

Tutorial Video on how to Share and Manage Permissions for files in OneDrive or SharepPoint.

Youtube link.

Download or View my slidedeck on Slideshare.

The idea was to give users a familiar text of who approved the task and when that typically appears on the Workflow history page of an Item. This text can be pulled-in from the hidden workflow history list, and, added to a blank text column WorkflowHistory next to the document. Once the workflow data is added in one of the Columns of the document library, it can be migrated like any other column that depicts document’s properties.

For the example below, I created a multiline WorkflowHistory field in the library and populated it with OOB Approval Workflow’s Outcome & Description data pulled-in from the hidden workflow history list using a PowerShell script. Fields – Outcome and Description are queried based on the item id and list id and data from all tasks of workflow on an item is populated.

A PowerShell script automates the process (except few parameters) is available for download below. See details of modification before running it in your SharePoint 2010 or SharePoint 2013 environment.

Download the attached script from below and make the following Changes :

• Change the value for your SharePoint 2010\2013 site in $siteUrl = “{yoursiteurl}” line.
• Change the value for “Documents” to specify your own documnet library in $_list = $_lists.GetByTitle(“Documents“) line.
• Change the folder path to specify folder 14 or 15 as per your SharePoint version. Example, change path in Add-Type -Path “C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\14\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll”

The script runs per library, and, runs in batches to take care of 5000+ item threshold. Run it on PowerShell version 3 on your SharePoint 2010 or SharePoint 2013 server.

For questions, drop me a note in the comments below or ask on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Set Default Date to Today’s date –

Select the Date & Time Column in your form and then set the value for property Default Date to Now().

Pre-populate Logged in user in Person & Group Field –

Please refer to my article here.

Disable a field when the form is a Newform –

Let’s say if you have an Approval Status field which needs to be disabled in NewForm.aspx. You can achieve the following by setting the Displaymode property in DefaultSelectedItems of your field.

Paste the following in DefaultSelectedItems property of Control’s DataCard (select the actual text control).

If(SharePointForm1.Mode = FormMode.New,DisplayMode.Disabled,Parent.Default)

Other options are Displaymode.Edit or Displaymode.View

If the column is a checkbox, then use below.

If(SharePointForm1.Mode = FormMode.New, false, true)

Resize Custom Form\Data Cards –

Resize Controls and DataCards: The simplest way to resize a data card is to re-size all controls in it. Expand the Datacards from the left and then check the position and height of each control in it. Look specifically at the ErrorMessage Control.

Resize and Position form on the Screen: To Resize the position of SharePointForm (or whatever your form is called), change the value of X corresponding to the position of your screen. Select the form from left and then select “X” from properties. Add the value in Fx field or in Advanced properties on right. You can center your form or align it left or right with this value.

Resize\Change Screen size: Set the Orientation of the screen if you want to decrease the screen size and add custom Width and height. For that, navigate to File -> Settings -> Screen size + orientation.

In the Orientation list, select Portrait or Landscape. Select Custom Width and Height.

Aligning List form labels: Use X and Y properties of each label and control to align and resize list form labels. I created a sample that quite resembles the Infopath form alignment. I tried to keep the control’s height, padding and X & Y values consistent. See the screen below.

The easiest way to achieve that is a simple two-step process.

1. Add the following on OnVisible Property of your form. See the screen below.

Set(myself, User())

2. Add the following in DefaultSelectedItems property of Control’s DataCard (select the actual Person & group control and not the entire field). See the screen below.

If(SharePointForm1.Mode = FormMode.New,
{
DisplayName: myself.FullName,
Claims: “i:0#.f|membership|” & myself.Email
},
Parent.Default)

3. Publish it and test it.