Business Central Canvas Apps

Neil Haddley • August 14, 2023

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft DynamicsBusiness CentralPower Platformcanvas-appspower-appsbusiness-centralintegration
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Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a product line of more than a dozen enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) business applications.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly Microsoft Dynamics NAV) is an ERP and CRM product meant for small and mid-sized businesses (Integrating both Dynamics NAV and Dynamics CRM features).

Power Platform Environments

Power Platform environments refer to isolated spaces within the Microsoft Power Platform ecosystem where I can develop, test, and deploy apps, flows, and other solutions.

I added a Develop environment.

I added a Develop environment.

I navigated to the Power Apps home page and selected the Develop environment

I navigated to the Power Apps home page and selected the Develop environment

Currencies

I created a Canvas app to display the available currencies.

I clicked the "+ Create" link

I clicked the "+ Create" link

I clicked the "Create" button on the "Blank canvas app" card

I clicked the "Create" button on the "Blank canvas app" card

I named the app "Currencies"

I named the app "Currencies"

I clicked the "Create a gallery" link

I clicked the "Create a gallery" link

I selected the "Dynamics 365 Business Central" connector

I selected the "Dynamics 365 Business Central" connector

I selected the "CRONUS USA, Inc." company in the "MYSANDBOX" environment.

I selected the "CRONUS USA, Inc." company in the "MYSANDBOX" environment.

I selected the "currencies (v2.0)" table

I selected the "currencies (v2.0)" table

Under the hood: The shape of the Currencies app

The pattern is the same in all three apps: a connector gives access to a Business Central table, and a gallery shows its rows. Here the table is currencies (v2.0), and the gallery uses the Title and subtitle layout. I later added a currency in Business Central, and the app showed it when I ran it again.

I selected the "Title and subtitle" (vertical gallery) layout.

I selected the "Title and subtitle" (vertical gallery) layout.

I clicked the "Preview the app" link

I clicked the "Preview the app" link

I reviewed the preview.

I reviewed the preview.

I navigated to CRONUS USA, Inc company accounts in my MySandbox environment - Dynamics 365 Business Central

I navigated to CRONUS USA, Inc company accounts in my MySandbox environment - Dynamics 365 Business Central

I used a "Tell Me" search to find a link to the Currencies Administration page.

I used a "Tell Me" search to find a link to the Currencies Administration page.

The Currencies Administration page

The Currencies Administration page

I added an extra currency

I added an extra currency

I ran the Canvas app

I ran the Canvas app

Sales Orders

I developed a Canvas app to display Sales Orders, filtered by Salesperson

I chose the Blank app

I chose the Blank app

I clicked the Blank canvas app "Create app" link

I clicked the Blank canvas app "Create app" link

I entered "Sales Orders" and clicked the Table radio button

I entered "Sales Orders" and clicked the Table radio button

I clicked the "Create a gallery" link

I clicked the "Create a gallery" link

I selected the "Dynamics 365 Business Central" connector

I selected the "Dynamics 365 Business Central" connector

I selected the "CRONUS USA, Inc." company accounts in the "MYSANDBOX" environment

I selected the "CRONUS USA, Inc." company accounts in the "MYSANDBOX" environment

I selected the Sales Orders (salesOrders) table

I selected the Sales Orders (salesOrders) table

I updated the Gallery (Gallery1) to display a title, subtitle and body.

I updated the Gallery (Gallery1) to display a title, subtitle and body.

I "bound" table columns to the Title, Subtitle and Body fields.

I "bound" table columns to the Title, Subtitle and Body fields.

All Sales Orders are displayed in a vertical list

All Sales Orders are displayed in a vertical list

I added an Edit Form

I added an Edit Form

I set the Data source of the Form to the (same) Sales Orders table

I set the Data source of the Form to the (same) Sales Orders table

I updated the Edit Form Item to bind to the item selected in the Gallery (Gallery1)

I updated the Edit Form Item to bind to the item selected in the Gallery (Gallery1)

At this point I could select a Sales Order on the left and see the Sales Order (Item) detail on the right

At this point I could select a Sales Order on the left and see the Sales Order (Item) detail on the right

I added a Drop down list (control)

I added a Drop down list (control)

I set the Data source of the Drop down list to the (same) Sales Orders table

I set the Data source of the Drop down list to the (same) Sales Orders table

I updated the Drop down list to display only Distinct values (the two salespeople values)

I updated the Drop down list to display only Distinct values (the two salespeople values)

I updated Gallery1 to display only items sold by the salesperson selected in the Drop down list

I updated Gallery1 to display only items sold by the salesperson selected in the Drop down list

I published the Canvas app

I published the Canvas app

I reviewed the Canvas app

I reviewed the Canvas app

Items App

I developed a Canvas app to edit Items maintained in Business Central

I selected Dataverse

I selected Dataverse

I selected the Dynamics 365 Business Central connection

I selected the Dynamics 365 Business Central connection

I selected the CRONUS USA company in the MYSANDBOX environment

I selected the CRONUS USA company in the MYSANDBOX environment

I selected the "items" table

I selected the "items" table

A number of screens were automagically generated

A number of screens were automagically generated

I saved the generated app

I saved the generated app

I published the app

I published the app

I published the latest version of the app

I published the latest version of the app

I "played" the app on my laptop

I "played" the app on my laptop

I selected the > link to view details of the "ATHENS Mobile Pedestal" item

I selected the > link to view details of the "ATHENS Mobile Pedestal" item

I clicked the pencil icon to switch to the edit screen

I clicked the pencil icon to switch to the edit screen

I updated the item Display Name

I updated the item Display Name

I switched back to Microsoft 365 Business Central to check that the update had been saved.

I switched back to Microsoft 365 Business Central to check that the update had been saved.

I "played" the app on my mobile phone

I "played" the app on my mobile phone

I updated the Display Name again

I updated the Display Name again

I saved the update

I saved the update

I switched back to Microsoft 365 Business Central to check that the mobile update had been saved.

I switched back to Microsoft 365 Business Central to check that the mobile update had been saved.