book

Building Solutions with the Microsoft Power Platform

by Jason Rivera

January 2023

Intermediate to advanced

350 pages

7h 51m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Why I Wrote This BookHow the Book Is OrganizedConventions Used in This BookO’Reilly Online LearningHow to Contact UsAcknowledgments
The Rise of Low-Code/No-Code SolutionsThe Major Tools in the Power PlatformSetup Before We Get Started
Power AppsPower AutomatePower BIPower Virtual AgentsPower PagesAdditional Services, Features, and More on AIConnectorsMicrosoft DataverseThe AI-Based ServicesConclusion
Getting Familiar with Power AppsWhat Types of Apps Can I Build?Learning and Getting Inspired with TemplatesTaking a Tour Around a Canvas AppPower Apps Fundamentals: Screens, Controls, and FunctionsConnectorsMicrosoft Power FxLet’s Get Building!Creating a Data Source from ExcelBuilding an App from DataA Closer Look at How It WorksMaking Changes to the AppLet’s See the App in ActionConclusion
Creating an EnvironmentCreating TablesAdding Columns and Creating RelationshipsAdding Data to the TablesEditing Forms for TablesDataverse and Model-Driven AppsLet’s Build a Model-Driven App!Conclusion
Types of FlowCloud FlowsDesktop FlowBusiness Process FlowTriggers, Connectors, and ActionsTriggersConnectorsActionsTemplatesLet’s Build a Flow!Conclusion
Understanding the BasicsWorkspacesDatasetsDashboards and ReportsWorkbooksAppsPower BI DesktopInstall Power BI DesktopLet’s Get Building!Importing and Managing DatasetsAdding and Configuring VisualizationsSlicing the DataPublishing from Power BI DesktopConclusion
Understanding Key ConceptsTopicsEntitiesCanvasTest BotChannelsLet’s Build a Bot!Conclusion
Getting StartedA Brief AI Builder TourUnderstanding ModelsLet’s Get Building!Conclusion
Power Automate for Desktop and Desktop FlowsSetup Before We Get StartedActions and ControlsVariables, UI Elements, and ImagesLet’s Build a Web Scraper!Conclusion

Using Prebuilt and Custom EntitiesProactive Conversations with Power Automate and Power Virtual AgentsConclusion
Integrating AI Builder and Power AppsIntegrating AI Builder and Power AutomateConclusion
General Cognitive Services SetupIntegrating Sentiment AnalysisIntegrating the Computer Vision APIConclusion
Getting StartedA Tour of the Design StudioPages and NavigationSections, Content, and ComponentsStylingData WorkspaceConclusion

Overview

With the accelerating speed of business and the increasing dependence on technology, companies today are significantly changing the way they build in-house business solutions. Many now use low-code and no code technologies to help them deal with specific issues, but that's just the beginning. With this practical guide, power users and developers will discover ways to resolve everyday challenges by building end-to-end solutions with the Microsoft Power Platform.

Author Jason Rivera, who specializes in SharePoint and the Microsoft 365 solution architecture, provides a comprehensive overview of how to use the Power Platform to build end-to-end solutions that address tactical business needs. By learning key components of the platform, including Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI, you'll be able to build low-code and no code applications, automate repeatable business processes, and create interactive reports from available data.

Learn how the Power Platform apps work together
Incorporate AI into the Power Platform without extensive ML or AI knowledge
Create end-to-end solutions to solve tactical business needs, including data collection, process automation, and reporting
Build AI-based solutions using Power Virtual Agents and AI Builder