In December 2022, I started sharing valuable tips and tricks as part of the #PowerPlatformTip series.
My original plan was to post 15 tips in 15 days, but I found so much useful information that I plan to regularly update the list for Power Platform enthusiasts.
#PowerApps = 
#PowerAutomate = 
Topics
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Community’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Set New App Owner’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Filter Array’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘JSON Viewer’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Less Variables’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘formatDateTime in utcNow’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘UNION and FilterArray’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘automate export and import flows/powerapps/solutions’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘PowerAutomate – Preview’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Use all variables in PowerApps’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘trigger condition’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Components for PowerAutomate’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘PowerApps4Teams in make.powerapps.com’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Template Screens’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘try-catch-finally’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘PowerApps – Collections Cookbook’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Format data by example’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Download & Save Files’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Resize files’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Change Flow-Owner’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Use Triggeroutput’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Change Fill & Color’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Filter Blank’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Merge arrays or tables’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Weekly tips, insights and updates’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Microsoft Cloud Skills Challenge’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Overwrite existing files’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Fast tips’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘‘ParseJSON Description’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Powerapps Code Review’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Learning Resources’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘GroupBy’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Coalesce’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘PowerApps V2’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Concurrent Control’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Static Result’
- PowerPlatformTip – ‘Table to JSON’
PowerPlatformTip 1
Let’s start right away with the great community. Here you will not only get help for your problems, but also #TemplateApps from other #PowerAddicts.
https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-App-Samples/bd-p/AppFeedbackGallery
PowerPlatformTip 2
Often it happens that e.g. the employee who created various #PowerApps quits the job.
To change the app owner easily or to share the apps with others, I recommend you this great #TemplateApp ‘Admin – Set New App Owner’
https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-App-Samples/Admin-Set-New-App-Owner/td-p/328887
PowerPlatformTip 3
The ‘Filter Array’ can not only use filtering as it looks at first sight, but in ‘Advanced Mode’ you can add expression as you like. And it does the complete filtering as desired.
PowerPlatformTip 4
When we work with data in #PowerAutomate it may happen that it cannot be displayed correctly. Especially when we use ‘List Rows’ or ‘Get Items’.
However, we can display the data in a new tab. Unfortunately, it comes as simple #JSON.
My recommendation: Just install a ‘JSON Viewer’ for the Chromium based browser and let it display the JSON nicely formatted.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/json-viewer/gbmdgpbipfallnflgajpaliibnhdgobh
PowerPlatformTip 5
Often we use ‘Initial Variable’ only for the one-time storage of a parameter. i.e. we set the value at the beginning of the flow and do not change it later.
The idea of a variable is that it changes during the flow. If you really want to set only one parameter, just use ‘Parse JSON’. This not only makes it clearer, but also saves API calls.
PowerPlatformTip 6
‘Format data by examples’ has been available in #PowerAutomate for some time and is intended to help format dates.
Often formatDateTime is also used in conjunction with uctNow. What is not directly obvious is that in utcNow the date can be formatted directly.
PowerPlatformTip 7
Manipulating data is one of the most frequently used functions of #PowerAutomate.
UNION and FilterArray are particularly powerful. Union merges everything once and filter array searches for the things we want. If you take 2x the same table at UNION, it behaves like a distinct.
PowerPlatformTip 8
Currently, there is no standard way to restore a flow. So my recommendation is to export (and import if needed) flows/#powerapps/solutions using a simple flow.
How it works: Safeguarding Your Workflow with Power Automate: How to Create and Restore Backups for Your Flows
PowerPlatformTip 9
As soon as you use ‘Expressions’ in #PowerAutomate you get annoyed by the single-line editor.
Just use the experimental feature. This has no effect on the flow edit – but can sometimes be buggy there.
PowerPlatformTip 10
Often only variables with ‘SET’ and ‘UPDATECONTEXT’ are used in #PowerApps, but there are other possibilities you can use.
e.g.:
– with
– param
Here you can find an overview of the 5 variables:
The Big 5 (Variables / Parameters) in PowerApps
PowerPlatformTip 11
Often the flow should start only with certain inputs. For this, you can store a trigger condition.
So that this is also written correct, I use the trick with ‘Filter array’ ⇾ it’s also possible to connect different conditions
PowerPlatformTip 12
Everyone talks about Code Components – here’s my tip for #PowerAutomate. Use a scope, put all the things in it and ‘Copy to my clipboard’. Save it where you want and when you need it just ‘CTRL+C’ & ‘CTRL+V’ (in ‘My Clipboard’)
PowerPlatformTip 13
If you use #PowerApps4Teams you know how annoying the creation can be.
Just copy the environment ID and the app ID. Then from an app URL in edit mode just replace the environment ID and the app ID and now you can edit the app there too.
PowerPlatformTip 14
Often I get the request to create an app that can either “send mail”, “make appointments” or “show calendar” among other things.
You have created this in a few seconds: USE THE TEMPLATES, which you can then customize as needed.
PowerPlatformTip 15
Use ‘try-catch-finally’ in #PowerAutomate to handle failures.
Here’s an official template to use for every flow: https://buff.ly/3hM27cA
Marcel Lehmann 
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