Create Dataverse Expense Details Table And Build Simple PowerApp Using That Table

This article is divided into 2 sections

1. Creating Dataverse Table with Choice, Date, Lookup type columns and
2. Creating a simple PowerApp using that Dataverse table

Let’s jump into creating a simple use-case where we will create Expense Table & Expense Category Tables with the following Data types of Columns,

For Expense Table, we will create below mentioned columns,

• Expense Amount: Currency,
• Expense Description: Text,
• Expense Category: Lookup from Expense Category Table,
• Date of Expense: Date Only type,

For Expense Category, we will create the below mentioned column,

• Expense Categories: Choice

Above mentioned is the quick summary of Dataverse Tables. Let’s look into this step by step in detail,

Step 1

Navigate to https://make.powerapps.com

Step 2

From the left navigation click on Dataverse > Tables > Click on New Table as shown in Fig 1.1

Fig 1.1 - Dataverse New Table

Step 3

A panel will open when you click on New Table. Fill in the details like Table Name, also give a primary column name, this will be basically creating a primary column with the given name when this table will be created, give some description and select the Standard type of Table as shown in below Fig 1.2. Then click on Create table button

Fig 1.2 - New Dataverse Table “Demo_ExpenseTable” with Primary Column as ExpenseId

Step 3

Newly created Dataverse Table once created will look something like shown in the below Fig 1.3,

Also notice that the primary column “ExpenseId” is created for the new table

Fig 1.3 - Dataverse Table created with primary column

Step 4

Let’s modify the created Primary column, click on the Primary column and edit the details like changing the data type to Autonumber with minimum number of digits as 1, seed value as 1, as shown in Fig 1.4. Don’t forget to click on Done and Save table at the end

Fig 1.4 - Edit the Primary Columne “ExpenseId” > Click on Done > Save Table

Step 5

Let’s quickly create another Dataverse “Demo_ExpenseCategory” with CategoryId as the primary column, Once the table is created, edit the Primary column as shown in Step 4, refer below shown Fig 1.5 & Fig 1.6

Fig 1.5 - Demo_ExpenseCategory Table created with CategoryId as primary column

Fig 1.6 - Edit the CategoryId primary column > Done > Save table

Step 6

Let's create a Choice Type Column in Demo_ExpenseCategory Table, for this, Navigate to the mentioned table, Click on Add Column, Choose Choice as datatype and then add new choices in the Items as shown in fig 1.7. Click on save, it will redirect you to details panel as shown in Fig 1.8, click on Done to create new column then Save the table to reflect these changes in the table.

Fig 1.7 - Choice type column Demo_CategoryType

Fig 1.8 - Demo_CategoryType Choice column details

Woohoo, now your Demo_ExpenseCategory Table with Choice column Demo_CategoryType is ready as shown in below Fig 1.9

Fig 1.9 - Dataverse table with choice column created

Step 7

Now, go to Demo_ExpenseTable and create the columns as discussed at the start of the article and create Expense Amount, Date of Expense, Expense Description, and Expense Category columns

Step 8

Create Optional Demo_ExpenseAmount named Currency type Column as shown in Fig 1.10, Click on Done and Save Table

Fig 1.10 - Demo_ExpenseAmount currency type column

Step 9

Create Optional Demo_ExpenseDescription named Text type Column as shown in Fig 1.11, Click on Done and Save Table

Fig 1.11 - Demo_ExpenseDescription Text type column

Step 10

Create Optional Demo_DateOfExpense named Date Only type Column as shown in Fig 1.12, Click on Done and Save Table

Fig 1.12 - Demo_DateOfExpense Date Only type of Column created

Step 11

Create Optional Demo_ExpenseCategory named Lookup type Column wherein add the Demo_ExpenseCategory in Related table as shown in Fig 1.13, Click on Done and Save Table

Fig 1.13 - Demo_ExpenseCategory lookup type column created

Woohoo, Demo_ExpenseTable is now created with all 4 columns.

Now, it’s time to create a PowerApp using this Demo_ExpenseTable,

Step 12

Navigate to Home Page of PowerApps, Click on Create an app using Dataverse as shown in below Fig 1.14

Fig 1.14 - Create PowerApp canvas app using Dataverse

Step 13

Once you click on Dataverse option, select the connection and choose the Demo_ExpenseTable and click on Connect as shown in Fig 1.15

Fig 1.15 - Adding connections and Table to create a PowerApp

Fig 1.16 - PowerApps Browse Screen

Fig 1.17 - PowerApps Edit Screen

Fig 1.18 - PowerApps Details Screen

Voila, the Dataverse Table and PowerApp is ready and now you can use and modify.

I hope you enjoyed learning about how you can create Dataverse Table and PowerApp using the same.

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