Power Platform Code Apps - Skill Guide

A comprehensive skill guide for professional developers building enterprise web applications using Microsoft Power Apps Code Apps.

📖 What's Inside

This repository contains a detailed skill guide (skill.md) that covers everything you need to know about developing Code Apps on the Power Platform. Code Apps enable professional developers to build modern web applications using standard front-end frameworks (React, Angular, Vue) while leveraging enterprise capabilities built into the Power Platform.

🎯 Who Is This For?

• Professional developers who want to build enterprise web apps with React/Angular/Vue
• Teams needing to integrate with Microsoft 365, Dataverse, and 1,400+ Power Platform connectors
• Organizations seeking governed, secure app development with automatic Entra ID authentication
• Development teams already invested in Power Platform wanting to extend with custom code

📚 What You'll Learn

The skill guide covers:

Core Concepts

• The Managed Host: Understanding how Code Apps run inside the Power Apps environment
• Power Apps SDK: Working with @microsoft/power-apps for context and connector access
• Vite Plugin: Setting up @microsoft/power-apps-vite for local development
• Configuration: Managing power.config.json and app registration

Developer Workflow

• Prerequisites and setup
• Local development modes (standalone vs. Local Play)
• Authentication with Power Platform CLI
• Building and deploying apps

Connecting to Data

• Adding Dataverse tables with typed services
• Integrating other connectors (Office 365, SharePoint, SQL, etc.)
• Mock-first development patterns

Architecture & Best Practices

• Recommended project structure
• Tech stack recommendations (Vite, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS)
• PowerProvider pattern for SDK initialization
• State management and data fetching strategies

Key CLI Commands

• Complete reference for pac code commands
• Environment and connection management
• Solution-aware ALM workflows

🚀 Quick Start

To get started with Power Platform Code Apps:

1. Read the Skill Guide: Open skill.md for the complete reference
2. Install Prerequisites:
   • Node.js LTS (v18+)
   • Power Platform CLI: winget install Microsoft.PowerPlatformCLI
3. Authenticate: pac auth create
4. Create Your First App: pac code init --displayname "My App"

🔗 Additional Resources

• Official Power Apps Code Apps Documentation
• Power Platform CLI Reference
• Connect to Data Guide
• Connect to Dataverse Guide
• PowerAppsCodeApps GitHub

📄 License

This skill guide is provided as a learning resource for Power Platform Code Apps development.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions to improve this skill guide are welcome! Feel free to submit issues or pull requests with:

• Corrections or clarifications
• Additional examples or use cases
• Updated information about new features
• Improved documentation

💡 Key Benefits

Building with Code Apps gives you:

✅ Automatic Entra ID SSO - No auth code needed
✅ 1,400+ Connectors - Access to enterprise data without managing secrets
✅ Governance & DLP - Tenant-level security and data policies
✅ Solution-Aware ALM - Export/import across environments
✅ Professional Tools - Use React, TypeScript, Vite, and modern frameworks

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Start exploring: Open skill.md to dive deep into Power Platform Code Apps development!