1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,460 A formula in Excel can total economy in seconds, and now imagine that same kind of formula 2 00:00:04,460 --> 00:00:09,180 deciding whether an approval button appears in an app, calculating an expense claim, or 3 00:00:09,180 --> 00:00:12,740 changing what a user sees after they fill in a form. 4 00:00:12,740 --> 00:00:13,740 That is PowerFX. 5 00:00:13,740 --> 00:00:18,580 Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Microsoft Knowledge Nuggets here on M365. 6 00:00:18,580 --> 00:00:23,120 FM, I'm Mercopeterz, and today we're talking about Microsoft PowerFX in plain English. 7 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,620 You may have heard the name while looking at Power Apps in thought, "Is this coding? 8 00:00:26,620 --> 00:00:30,600 Do I need to learn a whole programming language before I can build anything useful?" 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:31,600 Not really. 10 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,620 PowerFX is Microsoft's formula language for the Power Platform. 11 00:00:34,620 --> 00:00:38,240 It brings a familiar spreadsheet way of thinking into app building, so you can create rules 12 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:43,440 for screens, forms, lists, buttons, and business data without starting from the world of traditional 13 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:45,140 code. 14 00:00:45,140 --> 00:00:47,240 Think of Power Apps like a modern office building. 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,360 The screens are the rooms, a form is a room where someone enters a request, a list is a 16 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,080 room where a manager reviews those requests. 17 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,800 A button is a door someone can press to move forward. 18 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,560 PowerFX is the set of small rules behind the scenes. 19 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,900 It controls what a light switch does, when a door should stay locked, and which sign appears 20 00:01:03,900 --> 00:01:06,120 when a request needs more information. 21 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:07,560 Most users never notice those rules. 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,880 They just see an app that responds to them, and that matters because business apps are 23 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:11,880 full of rules. 24 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:15,320 A person enters hours and a rate, then the app needs to show a total. 25 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:18,680 Someone chooses a request type, then the app may need to show more fields. 26 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:22,760 A manager opens a list and needs to see only the requests waiting for approval. 27 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,760 Not logic, those are just boxes, labels, and buttons sitting on a screen. 28 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:28,640 PowerFX gives those parts a job. 29 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,720 Over the next few minutes we'll start with the Excel mindset you already know and then 30 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,760 move from spreadsheet cells to app properties, so you can see why a formula can control text, 31 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:38,840 color, visibility, and more. 32 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,960 After that we'll look at how formulas help apps respond to people and work with business 33 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:43,960 information. 34 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:47,680 But first, let's begin with the familiar part, because if you understand how a spreadsheet 35 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,960 formula thinks, you already have a strong starting point for PowerFX. 36 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:56,400 And block one, from spreadsheet cells to app properties, 550 words. 37 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,880 Most people feel nervous when they hear the word code. 38 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,400 But if you've ever typed a formula into Excel, you've already worked with a simple form 39 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:03,400 of logic. 40 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,560 You entered value somewhere, wrote a formula that used those values, and Excel returned 41 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:08,560 an answer. 42 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,400 Maybe it was a total, a date, or a message such as, over budget. 43 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,280 PowerFX uses that same basic pattern. 44 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:15,880 Here's the simplest definition. 45 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,200 It's Microsoft's Excel-like formula language for Power Platform tools, especially Power Apps. 46 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,920 It lets you tell an app what something should show when something should appear, or how 47 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:26,800 a value should change based on the information around it. 48 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,520 In Excel, a formula lives in a cell. 49 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,800 You might type something like x, b2, c2. 50 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,960 If b2 contains the number of hours, and c2 contains an hourly rate, the cell with the 51 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:36,960 formula shows the total pay. 52 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:39,160 Change either number, and Excel updates the answer. 53 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:40,480 That's the mental model to keep. 54 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,120 A Power Apps screen doesn't have a grid full of cells. 55 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:44,120 It has controls. 56 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,360 A control is simply something on the screen. 57 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:51,080 A text box where a person types, a label that displays information, a button, a drop-down 58 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:54,280 list, an image, or a gallery that shows a list of records. 59 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:55,600 Each control has properties. 60 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,200 A property is a setting that describes how that control looks or behaves. 61 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:00,640 A label has a text property. 62 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:04,280 A button has a text property, too, along with properties like visible and color. 63 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,400 The property is where PowerFX comes in. 64 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,200 Instead of putting a formula in cell d2, you put a formula into the text property of 65 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:11,200 a label. 66 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:12,840 Imagine you're building a simple time sheet app. 67 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,880 You add one input box for hours and another for the hourly rate. 68 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,320 When you add a label called total pay. 69 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,280 Rather than typing a fixed number into that label, you give its text property a formula 70 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,320 that uses the value from the hours input and the value from the rate input. 71 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,200 The label becomes your calculated cell. 72 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,400 A person changes the hours from 5 to 8 and the total changes. 73 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,480 They change the rate and the total changes again. 74 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,120 Nobody needs to press a calculate button just to refresh the label. 75 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,000 The formula keeps the label tied to the values it depends on. 76 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,240 Much like Excel keeps one cell tied to another. 77 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,320 That automatic response is a big part of how PowerFX feels. 78 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,080 You describe the result you want and Power Apps keeps the result up to date while the person 79 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:49,080 uses the app. 80 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,840 There's one change that catches many Excel users at first. 81 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,200 In a spreadsheet, you often point to a cell address like b2 or c2. 82 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:57,680 In PowerFX, you usually point to things by name. 83 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,720 An input control in one of its properties? 84 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,120 A record from a list or a column in a table. 85 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,920 So the question shifts from which cell holds this number? 86 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,320 To which control record or column holds this information? 87 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,800 That sounds small, but it changes how you look at the screen. 88 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,120 You stop seeing a screen as a picture made from separate pieces and start seeing it as 89 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:15,560 a set of connected values. 90 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,240 The hours input provides one value. 91 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:18,720 The rate input provides another. 92 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,880 The total pay label reads both values and displays the result. 93 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:26,160 Later, the same idea can control whether a warning appears, what color an amount uses, 94 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:27,800 or what text a person sees. 95 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,280 For now, keep it simple. 96 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:32,000 Start with formulas that describe what a screen should show. 97 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,800 Choose one label, pick one value a person can enter, and then make the label respond to 98 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:36,800 it. 99 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,840 That first small connection is where PowerFX starts to feel less like coding and more 100 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:43,560 like building with formulas you already know. 101 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:48,160 Applications are useful, but an app also needs to respond when someone clicks something. 102 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,880 Building block two, properties turn formulas into app behavior. 103 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:52,880 Here's the thing. 104 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,040 A calculation tells you what a value should be, but an app also has to react when a person 105 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:58,040 does something. 106 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,040 A button without logic is just a shape with a label. 107 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:05,120 It might say submit request, but until you give it a rule, pressing it does nothing. 108 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,360 That's where app properties become more interesting. 109 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,120 Every control in Power Apps has settings that PowerFX can work with. 110 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,740 Some describe what the control looks like right now, while others run an action after something 111 00:05:13,740 --> 00:05:15,640 happens, two different jobs. 112 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,000 The first job is ongoing. 113 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,600 A formula keeps describing the current state of a control. 114 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,240 Take a label that shows a total. 115 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:27,000 Its text property keeps calculating as a user changes numbers, or take an approval button. 116 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,560 Its visible property checks the request status. 117 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,320 If it's ready, the button appears, if not, it stays hidden. 118 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,600 You aren't telling the app to check once and forget it, you're telling it what the button's 119 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,320 visibility should be whenever the screen updates. 120 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,760 For example, a simple rule might look like this. 121 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,520 If requests status are ready for approval, true, false. 122 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:48,880 In plain English, that means if the status says ready for approval, show the button. 123 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:50,440 Otherwise, hide it. 124 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,760 PowerFX can also change what the button says. 125 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,940 Maybe the text property reads send for approval, while a request is being prepared, but once 126 00:05:56,940 --> 00:06:01,120 it's sent, the same button could display requests submitted or disappear entirely. 127 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:02,120 Color works the same way. 128 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:06,520 An amount turns red when it exceeds a budget, or a status label changes color when a request 129 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:07,600 needs attention. 130 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:11,800 The screen responds to the information instead of showing the same fixed design to everyone. 131 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,080 That's one side of PowerFX, formulas that keep a control up to date. 132 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,160 The other side starts when a person acts. 133 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,280 In Power Apps, a button has a property called on select. 134 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:24,200 Sounds technical, but it simply means what should happen when someone selects this button? 135 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:25,880 Suppose you have a simple request form. 136 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,240 A user fills in the details and presses a button called send request. 137 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,360 You might set that button on select property to notify request send. 138 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:37,940 In pressed, Power Apps shows a message on screen, giving the user immediate feedback, no 139 00:06:37,940 --> 00:06:39,340 guessing whether it worked. 140 00:06:39,340 --> 00:06:42,340 You can also use on select to move someone to another screen. 141 00:06:42,340 --> 00:06:45,480 Imagine an expense app with a list of existing expenses. 142 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,080 At the top, a new expense button uses navigate new expense screen. 143 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,000 Press it, and Power Apps opens the screen for entering a new expense. 144 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,200 That's app behavior in a very direct form. 145 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,800 A user chooses an action and PowerFX response. 146 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,200 The difference is worth remembering. 147 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,280 A text, visible, or color formula describes what something should be, while an on select 148 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:05,640 formula runs because a person clicked or tapped. 149 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,240 Both sit in properties, but they solve different problems. 150 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:09,560 This is where beginners get stuck. 151 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,640 They learn a function like if or notify, then wonder where to put it. 152 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,640 Start from the outcome, not the function name. 153 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,240 Do you want a label to change? 154 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:17,720 Select the label and work with text. 155 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,320 Do you want a button to appear only in one situation? 156 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,360 Select the button and work with visible. 157 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,280 Do you want something to happen after a click? 158 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:25,760 Select the button and work with on select. 159 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,000 One control, one property, one clear outcome. 160 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:29,640 That's a much easier way to build. 161 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,240 Once an app starts reacting to a person's choices, the next question is obvious. 162 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,600 Where does all that information live? 163 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:36,880 Building block three. 164 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:38,960 PowerFX works with business data. 165 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:43,720 A screen can calculate a total, show a message, and move someone to another page. 166 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,120 But most business apps need to work with information that exists beyond that one screen. 167 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:49,360 Think about an expense app. 168 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,640 The expenses need to live somewhere after submission. 169 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:55,000 A manager opens the app tomorrow and sees the same requests. 170 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,800 Finance reviews the amount category, date, and employee name. 171 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:58,800 That's where data comes in. 172 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:00,960 Think of your data source as a filing cabinet. 173 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:02,880 Inside, tables are the drawers. 174 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,600 When an expense table is one drawer, an employee's table another. 175 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:11,120 Each record is a folder inside a drawer and each column is a label on that folder. 176 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,960 One expense record might include the employee name, date, category, amount, and approval status. 177 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,640 PowerFX helps your app read from that filing cabinet, find the folders it needs, and sometimes 178 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,640 add or update information. 179 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,240 Before we look at formulas, keep three words straight. 180 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,480 A table is a group of related records. 181 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,560 A record is one item in that table. 182 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,680 And a column is one type of information stored for every record. 183 00:08:33,680 --> 00:08:37,840 So in an expenses table, one record could be a train ticket with amount 42.50, category, 184 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:39,320 travel, and status submitted. 185 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,040 An app doesn't always need to show every folder in the drawer. 186 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:46,040 Imagine an employee opens the expense app and wants to see only their own claims, while 187 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:50,920 a manager wants only claims waiting for approval and finance wants only travel expenses. 188 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:51,920 That's the job of filter. 189 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,760 A filter formula asks for a smaller set of records that match a rule. 190 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,040 In plain English, you might tell the app. 191 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:02,760 Show expenses where the employee name matches the current user or show only records where 192 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,120 category equals travel. 193 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:06,640 The result appears in a gallery. 194 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,440 The power apps control the display is a repeating list. 195 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,960 Instead of building separate screens for every category, you give one gallery a formula 196 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:14,760 that responds to the user's choice. 197 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,120 Choose travel and the gallery shows travel. 198 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:19,200 Choose equipment and the list changes. 199 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,520 The records in the filing cabinet haven't disappeared. 200 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,720 The app simply selected the folders the person needs right now. 201 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,600 What if the list is correct but in the wrong order? 202 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:27,960 That's where sort comes in. 203 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:32,140 A busy manager wants the newest requests at the top, while finance needs the highest amounts 204 00:09:32,140 --> 00:09:33,140 first. 205 00:09:33,140 --> 00:09:35,640 Sort lets you arrange records before displaying them. 206 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:38,040 Filter answers which records should I see? 207 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:39,640 Sort answers in what order? 208 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,920 Often you use both together, for example filter for pending approval requests, then sort 209 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:45,680 by date so the newest appear first. 210 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:46,960 There's another common need. 211 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,320 Sometimes you don't need a whole list. 212 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:49,920 You need one matching record. 213 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,680 Maybe an expense claim needs to check an employee's approval limit. 214 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:56,480 The app looks in an employee's table, finds that person's record and reads the limit. 215 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:57,760 That's the pattern behind lookup. 216 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,400 Lookup finds one record that matches the rule you give it. 217 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,640 You can think of it as asking someone at the filing cabinet, please find the folder for 218 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:04,640 this employee. 219 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,720 Once you have that folder, you can read the information inside it. 220 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,520 Reading data is only half the job. 221 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:10,800 Apps also collect information. 222 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,600 A person enters a new expense, a manager changes the status to approve, someone corrects 223 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,720 the category, power effects can add or update those records. 224 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,520 Still, this is where you need to slow down. 225 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:24,360 The app may show a button, but the data source controls who can read, add or change information. 226 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:28,240 An expense app shouldn't give every user the same access just because they can open a screen. 227 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:29,480 Your data permissions matter. 228 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,600 Power apps can connect to places where many companies already keep information, SharePoint, 229 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,600 Excel, SQL, Dataverse. 230 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,120 Those sources don't all work the same way, and the right choice depends on your app's 231 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:40,120 needs. 232 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:41,640 But for a beginner, the point is simpler. 233 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,000 Your formulas and your data structure belong in the same conversation. 234 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,920 If the table has unclear columns, the formula becomes harder to write. 235 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,720 If the formula asks unclear questions, the app returns confusing results. 236 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:57,440 Name your columns clearly, know which record you need, then write the formula that finds, 237 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,400 filters, sorts, or updates that information. 238 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:04,360 Reading and changing records handles a lot of app work, but rules can become difficult 239 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:08,800 to manage when the same answer needs to appear in more than one place. 240 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:10,400 Building block 4. 241 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,760 Variables, collections, and reusable rules. 242 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,160 So once your app has more than one screen, it needs a way to remember small things while 243 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:17,680 someone moves around. 244 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:19,880 Imagine someone selects an expense from a list. 245 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:24,000 They open a detail screen, but that second screen needs to know which expense they selected, 246 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:25,880 even though the list sits on a different screen. 247 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:27,320 That's where a variable comes in. 248 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:29,480 Think of a variable as a labeled box inside the app. 249 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,440 You put a value in, give it a clear name, and then use that value somewhere else while 250 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:34,520 the app runs. 251 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:38,560 The value could be a selected expense of persons chosen category, or a running total for items 252 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:39,840 they've added to a request. 253 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,480 For instance, a user selects an expense in a gallery. 254 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:46,040 The app saves that record in a variable and moves to a detail screen. 255 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,400 On that next screen, the labels read the selected expense from the variable and show the 256 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,520 amount, date, category, and status. 257 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,280 The user sees one smooth journey, but behind the scenes the app remembered their choice. 258 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,200 Now variables are helpful, but they aren't permanent storage. 259 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,880 If you need an expense record to be available tomorrow for finance or a manager, it belongs 260 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:03,600 in your connected data source. 261 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:07,600 A variable only helps the app keep track of something while the session is running. 262 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,760 Knowing the difference saves a lot of confusion. 263 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:14,440 One box holds one value, but sometimes your app needs to remember a small list of values. 264 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:15,600 That's where collections come in. 265 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,200 A collection is like a temporary table inside the app. 266 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,760 It can hold several records while the user works through a task. 267 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,240 A simple shopping cart is an easy example. 268 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,600 A person selects three items from a product list. 269 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:30,040 The app adds them to a collection and the cart screen shows the selected items, calculates 270 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:34,360 the total, and lets the user remove one before submitting the order. 271 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,280 You could use the same idea for a safety checklist. 272 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:40,440 A field worker marks several checks as complete and the app keeps those choices in a collection 273 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,120 while they work through the form. 274 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:46,320 When they finish, the app saves the completed result to the proper data source. 275 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,280 Customs are useful for short term work, but they aren't a replacement for the source where 276 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:50,840 your business records belong. 277 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,800 That matters when you're building something people will rely on. 278 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:57,560 If a collection holds the only copy of an important request, you've created a problem, 279 00:12:57,560 --> 00:13:01,320 the user might close the app, lose their connection, or start again later, and that temporary 280 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:02,560 list might be gone. 281 00:13:02,560 --> 00:13:06,960 So, use collections when the app needs a working list and use your data source when the business 282 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:08,480 needs a lasting record. 283 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,920 As your app grows another challenge appears, the same business rule starts showing up in 284 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:13,480 more than one place. 285 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,920 Maybe an order receives free delivery only when the total reaches a certain amount and 286 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:18,640 a discount code is still valid. 287 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:22,560 You might need that answer on the checkout screen, the order review screen, and later in an 288 00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:24,120 automated process. 289 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,640 Copying the same long formula into each place feels quick at first, but then the delivery 290 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:28,640 rule changes. 291 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,400 Someone updates one copy and misses the other two, and now different parts of the same 292 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:34,440 solution give different answers. 293 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,040 Reusable PowerFX functions help you avoid that mess. 294 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,960 You define a function once, give it the inputs it needs, and it returns an answer. 295 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,440 For the delivery example, the function receives an order subtotal and checks whether the 296 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,600 discount code meets the date rule. 297 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:48,520 Its result is either true or false. 298 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,680 True means free delivery applies, false means it doesn't. 299 00:13:51,680 --> 00:13:54,280 The app doesn't need to carry the entire rule everywhere. 300 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,960 It can ask the shared function for the answer. 301 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,600 That makes the rule easier to check, easier to change, and easier to keep consistent. 302 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,960 PowerFX appears most clearly in canvas apps where you work directly with controls in the 303 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:08,280 formula bar, but the same formula language also appears in data versus other power platform 304 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:09,280 experiences. 305 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,080 You don't need to master every place it appears before you start. 306 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,800 Just understand the direction Microsoft is taking because the same way of writing business 307 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,200 rules can travel beyond one screen in one app. 308 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,520 For you, the practical lesson is simple. 309 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,360 When a value only matters during a person's journey through the app, use a variable or a 310 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,160 collection with a clear purpose. 311 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,840 When the same business rule needs to return the same answer in more than one place, keep 312 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,760 that rule together instead of copying it. 313 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,080 All of these pieces can sound separate when you first meet them, but they make more 314 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,240 sense when you watch them work together in one small app. 315 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:40,720 While the parts connect, one formula system. 316 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,920 Let's walk through a simple expense approval app from start to finish. 317 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,680 An employee opens the app and starts a new expense claim. 318 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,680 They enter an amount, choose a category, add a date, and write a short description. 319 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:53,000 Each input control now contains a value. 320 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,280 PowerFX can use those values straight away. 321 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:59,280 A label can calculate a total, a formula can check whether the amount is above the employee's 322 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,360 normal limit, and another formula can show a message if the description is blank. 323 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,480 The screen changes as the employee fills in the form, then they press submit. 324 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,640 That button's action formula saves the request and moves the person to a confirmation screen. 325 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,880 The app stores the newly selected record in a variable so the confirmation screen knows 326 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:16,520 exactly which claim to display. 327 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:20,840 At the same time, the app writes the lasting information to the connected data source. 328 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,320 Later, a manager opens their approval screen. 329 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:25,840 The gallery doesn't need to show every expense in the company. 330 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,520 The formula can return only the records waiting for that manager, and another formula can 331 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:32,880 arrange those records by date or amount depending on what the team needs. 332 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:34,360 The manager selects one record. 333 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:37,920 The detail screen reads that choice shows the full request and checks the relevant approval 334 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:38,920 rule. 335 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,720 If the amount sits within the limit, the approval action appears. 336 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,640 If the request needs more detail, the app shows a different message or sends the manager 337 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,040 back to the employee for more information. 338 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:49,600 One business rule may also be shared. 339 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,280 A delivery rule, spending rule, or discount rule can live in a reusable function so the app 340 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:55,920 doesn't create a new version of the answer on every screen. 341 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:57,440 This is the part that usually clicks. 342 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,920 PowerFX doesn't sit next to your app like a separate pile of code. 343 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:03,240 It supplies the rules inside the app itself. 344 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:07,240 The controls use formulas to display the right information, buttons use formulas to respond 345 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,760 to people, and data formulas select and update the records the app needs. 346 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:15,700 Variables and collections hold short term context, while shared functions keep repeated 347 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:16,700 rules consistent. 348 00:16:16,700 --> 00:16:20,640 Older app projects often split these jobs across separate scripts, hand-built pages, and 349 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,480 custom logic written far away from the screen where people use it. 350 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:29,240 PowerFX keeps much of the logic close to the control, screen, or data, step-it-effects. 351 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:33,680 It can make a small business app easier to read, especially when you name things clearly. 352 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:38,880 Still, PowerFX isn't a promise that every app problems days simple, large data needs, 353 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:43,240 strict security rules, complex database changes, and work that connects many systems may 354 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:47,600 need help from experienced developers, data teams, or other power platform tools. 355 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,720 That's not a failure of low-code, it's simply choosing the right tool for the job. 356 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:55,560 For your first practice session, don't try to build the entire expense system. 357 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,400 Build one small screen, then give it one useful rule. 358 00:16:58,400 --> 00:16:59,960 Here's a simple approach. 359 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:04,280 Grab one blank canvas app and one safe idea, like a simple request form. 360 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:08,440 First, make one label respond to an input, then add an if rule that changes what the user 361 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,120 sees, and finally give a button in action with notify or navigate. 362 00:17:12,120 --> 00:17:14,120 Don't try to memorize every function. 363 00:17:14,120 --> 00:17:18,680 Instead, use the formula bar suggestions and read the hints for each input the function 364 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:19,680 needs. 365 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,320 Clear names also help, so name controls, screens, variables, and data columns, so you can 366 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:24,720 tell what they do later. 367 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,320 Build one small screen and test it after every change. 368 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:31,400 And remember, you don't need to build everything at once, just take it one step at a time. 369 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,000 PowerFex brings that spreadsheet mindset into app building. 370 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:38,280 It covers everything from what users see to what buttons do and how records move. 371 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:39,560 So here's the key. 372 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,920 Start with one property and one formula, and that's where AppLogic stops feeling mysterious. 373 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:49,400 If you want more Microsoft, knowledge nuggets in plain English, subscribe to M365FM. 374 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,840 And share this episode with someone moving from Excel into PowerApps.