Generate an app (SharePoint list)


Explore the generated app (SharePoint list)



In this section of the course, we'll create an app from a "Flooring Estimates" SharePoint list. The app could be used by someone, such as an estimator out at customer sites, to refer to the list and keep it up-to-date. In the Getting Started section, we showed you how to generate an app from the same list - so why look at it again? First, instead of starting in PowerApps Studio, we now show you how PowerApps is integrated into SharePoint Online. Second, we dig deeper into how the app is put together, and show you how to customize it. You'll definitely get some new information going through this section, so let's jump in!

Generate the app

The following image shows the "Flooring Estimates" SharePoint list, which contains basic information like name and price, and an image for each flooring type. You can see how PowerApps and Microsoft Flow are now integrated into SharePoint Online, so you can easily build apps and flows from your lists.

Flooring Estimates list

To build an app, click PowerApps, then Create an app. In the right hand pane, enter a name for the app, then click Create. After you click Create, PowerApps starts to generate the app. PowerApps makes all sorts of inferences about your data so that it generates a useful app as a starting point.

Generate app from list

View the app in PowerApps Studio

Your new three screen app opens in PowerApps Studio. All apps generated from data have the same set of screens:

  • The browse screen: where you browse, sort, filter, and refresh the data pulled in from the list, as well as add items by clicking the (+) icon.
  • The details screen: where you view more detail about an item, and can choose to delete or edit the item.
  • The edit/create screen: where you edit an existing item or create a new one.

Click or tap on each screen in the left navigation bar.

The generated app

Run the app in preview mode

Click or tap Start app preview arrow in the top right to run the app. If you navigate through the app, you see that it includes all the data from the list and provides a good default experience.

Run the app in preview mode

Next we'll explore the app in more detail and later customize the app so it better suits our needs.