What’s new in Power Apps: October 2024 Feature Update
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AI-powered Development
See highlights of what’s new this month on Power Apps Pulse!
We’ve got some great enhancements to share this month! It’s never been easier to share your canvas apps, check out new ways to work with JSON-based data with updates to how you can use ParseJSON(), and build UI faster with improvements to the Copilot button inline action. Get in the know with this month’s Power Apps Pulse!
Copilot Field Suggestions for Model Driven Apps Forms and Views is available in GA
We are excited to announce that makers can leverage Copilot for column suggestions when creating new Forms and Views. You don’t have to start from blank any longer. When creating a new View, for example, makers can select Get AI generated column suggestions, which will enable Copilot to generate suggested columns for the View based on the Table columns, and View name or descriptions if they are available. This option is also available for new Quick view and Quick create forms.
The feature is available worldwide for English language users.
Data workspace is now generally available in 9 languages worldwide
Craft your data model from natural language input, Excel file, or SharePoint list with Copilot assistance. Build deployment-ready business solutions involving multiple tables at a time in ERD view. Create not just canvas apps, but also model-driven apps on top of your business data — all available through Data Workspace in 9 languages now!
Comment Generated Formulas is now GA and available in multiple languages!
We are excited to announce that our Comment Generated Formulas feature is now generally available (GA)! This innovative tool allows you to create Power Fx formulas directly from code comments by typing // followed by your natural language request, making it easier than ever to create Power Fx formulas. Simply direct the Copilot on what you want to do in plain language, and our AI will generate the corresponding formula for you by leveraging the context of the application.
In addition to its general availability, the Comment Generated Formulas feature now supports multiple languages beyond English. This enhancement ensures that users around the globe can take full advantage of this powerful tool in their native language, whether it’s French, Spanish, German, or any other supported language. For all new apps, this feature is enabled automatically. For existing apps, you can easily turn it on from the New Settings. So make sure you have enabled the feature, and start transforming your comments into functional formulas today!
Enterprise-Grade Governance
New Rule for Generative AI features
Since some Copilots and generative AI features are not available in all geos or languages, we previously introduced two settings that enable Copilot features by allowing processing of data outside of region. This month, we are announcing a way to manage these settings at scale by using a new rule for environment groups.
Tenant admins can configure environment groups and publish the “Generative AI settings” rule to enable/disable cross-geo data movement and/or Bing search. For more information on these settings, see Turn on copilots and generative AI features – Power Platform | Microsoft Learn.
Application Lifecycle Management for Virtual Tables
We’re thrilled to announce an enhancement for virtual tables—Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) capability! This new functionality enables developers to streamline the transition of virtual tables in Solutions across Power Platform environments using environment variables.
Environment variables are essential to effective ALM, allowing developers to adjust connection references as virtual tables move from one environment to another. For example, when integrating with SharePoint, developers can update the connection reference to reflect a test or production URL. Similarly, for SQL integrations, switching between test and production servers is now straightforward.
With this new feature you can add virtual tables to a solution, export the solution, and import it into other environments, complete with all virtual table settings. This enhancement simplifies deployment and management, empowering developers to build with even greater efficiency and flexibility.
Healthy ALM in Microsoft Copilot Studio: Solution Explorer in Microsoft Copilot Studio (MCS) is in Public Preview
Solution explorer in Copilot studio is now available in public preview, and the team is thrilled to announce the launch of the latest features designed to manage copilots and their components like knowledge, topics, actions and more! Whether you’re Maker or ISV or End customer, Solution explorer offers capabilities to transport & deploy copilots and components between environments, to customize and extend existing copilot with proper controls. ALM in Copilot Studio is our desire to democratize conversational AI as a part of that mission to empower. We’ve listened to our customers’ needs and worked tirelessly to bring an ALM that truly stands out.
Feature #1 Access solutions in MCS: In addition to accessing Solutions in MCS, customers can now create a new solution, add existing copilot to the solution and view all the objects related to the copilots, all within MCS without navigating out of the current platform.
Feature #2: Create Copilot using solution: Customers can now create copilot using a solution which is their preferred solution within MCS. This prevents us from having any orphaned customizations
Feature #3 Edit and Extend copilot and components using solutions: Customers can now edit and extend copilot and its components using a solution which is their preferred solution within MCS. This helps to seamlessly upgrade and deploy copilots.
Feature #4 Deploy copilot and components using Pipelines with a single click: Customers can now use pipelines as a single click process to deploy Copilots to Prod environment and is a very secure way to accomplish this migration.
Create and manage custom solutions – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
Export and import copilots using solutions – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
Export and import copilot components using solutions – Microsoft Copilot Studio | Microsoft Learn
Learning and Documentation Updates
Training Paths and Labs
Updated Training
- Build your first app with Power Apps and Dataverse for Teams
- Build a mobile-optimized app from Power Apps
- Work with canvas app source code
- Configure forms, charts, and dashboards in model-driven apps
- Customize a canvas app in Power Apps
- Design a Power Apps canvas app by using Figma
- Get started with Power Apps and SharePoint
- Use specialized components in a model-driven form
