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Microsoft PowerApps makes it easy for businesses to build custom apps and solutions. Organizations may face special requirements that cannot be satisfied by current applications.
Luckily, these gaps can be filled by using platforms such as PowerApps that enable businesses to build apps appropriate for the situation at hand.
The beauty of Microsoft PowerApps lies in its simplicity. For a long time, software development has been a preserve for the scientifically gifted. It required years of learning several computer languages to be able to build even the most basic computer software.
With PowerApps canvas and model-driven platforms, anyone can now create their application. Not only that, this solution holds so much potential if you figure out the right tweaks and tricks.
In this article, we will show you how you can unleash the power of Microsoft PowerApps to benefit your business. If stuck on anything or need help deciphering some of what we share here, we recommend consulting with Valto, a specialist in all matters PowerApps and an official Microsoft partner.
With that aside, let’s dive in!
Cache Lookup Data
You can make your PowerApps-developed applications more responsive and faster by caching lookup data. It takes longer for an application to pull data from the source than from cache memory.
This is ideal when the lookup data you are working with is set to remain unchanged during each session. Practical applications of this technique include data such as contact information.
Limit Data Connections
Keep connections to your application to a maximum of 30. Extra connections not only affect the application’s startup time but also its overall performance.
During startup, applications usually send prompts to new users to sign in to respective connectors. So the more connectors there are, the more time it will take for the application to startup.
In the same way, extra connectors delay the startup process, they also affect the performance of the application. Each additional connector requires more CPU resources, network bandwidth, and memory. Ultimately, the application becomes less efficient at processing requests if it’s laden with more connectors.
To monitor your application’s performance, turn on developer options on your browser while the application is running. You should be able to view how long your application takes to connect with each data source.
An application with more than 30 data connectors will take longer than 15 seconds to return queries.
Optimize the Onstart Property
You can make use of ClearCollect and Concurrent functions to make the Onstart Property more efficient. By doing this you’ll make the application load time even shorter.
The ClearCollect function caches data locally. Cached data improves the performance of the application by reducing query duration.
The Concurrent function halves the time needed to load data by loading data from various sources simultaneously. These functions will improve the performance and startup times of your application.
Restrict Number of Controls
Power Apps generates an HTML document object model to execute each control command. It is advisable to keep the number of controls below 500. Having more than 500 controls means the application will spend more time generating HTML documents resulting in a reduced response.
Another way of getting around the lag created by extra controls is by using a gallery instead of individual controls. Also, you can make an app launch much quicker by reducing the number of control types on the same screen.
For instance, controls such as a PDF viewer and Combo tool use more resources to execute and will take longer to run, as such shouldn’t be placed on the same screen.
Limit Control Dependency between Screens
The performance and efficiency of an application largely depend on memory usage. With this in mind, an application’s performance is improved when screens are pulled into memory only when they are needed.
For example, say app’s screen A is loaded but has a function that requires a property of a control property on screen B. This will force the application to load screen B for it to execute the demand from screen A before displaying screen A.
Now picture a scenario where the dependency runs across several screens, the memory demand will be too much that it will slow down the app’s processes.
In some cases, you can get through this huddle by a global variance to share information between screens. Alternatively, the best way is to completely avoid creating Control dependency between screens.
Republish Apps Regularly
The Microsoft PowerApps platform is regularly improved and new features are added. Most of these improvements are aimed at optimizing the performance of applications.
It is therefore to your benefit to routinely publish your apps to take advantage of these opportunities.
Conclusion
On the surface level, Microsoft PowerApps already delivers more than expectations. As you dig deeper you realize there is more this platform has in store for its users.
In it lies functions that when fully explored can produce tremendous results. The tips we’ve shared will help you create more responsive and efficient applications.
