Select UI elements for canvas apps

Introduction:

A well-designed user interface (UI) is crucial for creating effective canvas apps in Microsoft Power Platform App Maker. By carefully selecting the right UI elements, app makers can enhance user experience, improve usability, and increase productivity. In this article, we will explore various UI elements available in App Maker and discuss their purpose and implementation based on the documentation provided by Microsoft.

1. Buttons:

Buttons are essential UI elements that enable users to trigger actions within the app. In App Maker, designers can use Button controls to create a wide range of clickable elements, such as Save, Edit, or Submit buttons. Through the properties pane, app makers can adjust the button’s appearance, define actions to be performed on click, and customize their behavior using functions and formulas.

2. Forms:

Forms play a critical role in capturing and displaying data in canvas apps. App Maker provides a Form control that allows app makers to create efficient data entry interfaces. With form controls, designers can arrange fields, labels, and other components to create a structured layout. By utilizing the properties pane, app makers can specify data sources, set validation rules, and control the behavior of the form.

3. Galleries:

Galleries provide a versatile way to display sets of data in a visually appealing manner. Using the Gallery control in App Maker, app makers can present multiple records from a data source, often through a list or a grid-like format. Customizable properties allow designers to define the appearance, layout, and interactions within the gallery, making it a powerful tool for data browsing and selection.

4. Controls for Data Input:

App makers can leverage a variety of controls to gather data from users. These controls include TextBox, DropDown, ComboBox, Slider, and Checkbox, among others. Each control has specific properties that can be customized to tailor the input experience. By connecting these controls to data sources, app makers can effectively capture and manipulate user input data within their canvas apps.

5. Labels and Text Elements:

Labels and text elements serve the purpose of providing information, instructions, or context to users. These elements can be added to canvas apps using the Label control. App makers can modify properties like text content, formatting, and alignment to convey messages effectively. Labels can also be connected to data sources to dynamically display information from underlying datasets.

6. Navigation Elements:

Designing an intuitive navigation experience is crucial for better usability. App Maker offers various UI elements to support navigation within apps. Navigation controls like Buttons, Icons, and Menus help app makers create navigation menus, tabs, or custom actions to move between screens or perform specific actions within the app. By assigning actions and properties, designers can define the behavior of these elements to ensure seamless user navigation.

Conclusion:

Selecting the right UI elements is vital in creating effective canvas apps using Microsoft Power Platform App Maker. By utilizing controls like Buttons, Forms, Galleries, Input Controls, Labels, and Navigation Elements, app makers can create intuitive interfaces to enhance user interaction and data input. Understanding the purpose and implementation of these UI elements, as explained in Microsoft’s documentation, empowers app makers to efficiently design canvas apps that meet their users’ needs.