Create and manage components in Microsoft Dataverse solutions

Microsoft Dataverse allows you to create and manage components within your Power Automate solutions. These components include entities, fields, forms, views, and more. In this article, we will explore the process of creating and managing components in Microsoft Dataverse solutions.

Creating Entities

Entities are the building blocks of your Dataverse solution, and they represent a specific type of data within your system. To create a new entity, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Power Apps portal (https://make.powerapps.com/), and select your environment.
2. Click on “Solutions” in the left navigation pane.
3. Select the solution where you want to create the entity or create a new solution.
4. Click on “Entities” and then click on “New” to create a new entity.
5. Provide a unique name and display name for the entity.
6. Choose the primary field type and provide a display name for the primary field.
7. Configure the additional properties as per your requirements.
8. Click on “Create” to create the entity.

Adding Fields to Entities

Fields define the attributes of an entity, such as text, numbers, dates, and more. To add fields to an entity, follow these steps:

1. Open the entity designer by selecting the entity from the “Entities” list.
2. Click on “Fields” and then click on “New” to create a new field.
3. Provide a unique name, display name, and data type for the field.
4. Configure additional properties, such as field requirement level and maximum length.
5. Click on “Save” to add the field to the entity.

Creating Forms

Forms allow users to view and edit the data within an entity. To create a new form, follow these steps:

1. Open the entity designer by selecting the entity from the “Entities” list.
2. Click on “Forms” and then click on “New” to create a new form.
3. Select the form type, such as “Main” or “Mobile”, and provide a unique name for the form.
4. Configure the layout and design of the form using the form designer.
5. Click on “Save” to create the form.

Creating Views

Views define how data should be displayed in lists and searches. To create a new view, follow these steps:

1. Open the entity designer by selecting the entity from the “Entities” list.
2. Click on “Views” and then click on “New” to create a new view.
3. Provide a unique name and display name for the view.
4. Configure the columns and sorting criteria for the view.
5. Optionally, define filters and advanced find criteria.
6. Click on “Save” to create the view.

Managing Components

Once you have created entities, fields, forms, and views, you can manage them within your solution. Follow these steps to manage components:

1. Navigate to the Power Apps portal (https://make.powerapps.com/), and select your environment.
2. Click on “Solutions” in the left navigation pane.
3. Select the solution where your components are located.
4. To edit an existing component, select the component from the respective list (Entities, Fields, Forms, Views, etc.).
5. Make the necessary changes to the component, such as modifying fields or updating form layouts.
6. Click on “Save” to apply the changes.

Conclusion

Creating and managing components in Microsoft Dataverse solutions is a fundamental aspect of building robust and customizable applications. By creating entities, adding fields, and configuring forms and views, you can tailor your solution to meet your specific business needs. With a solid understanding of component management, you will be equipped to design efficient and user-friendly applications using Microsoft Power Automate.