Canvas Power Apps: New Data Grid Guide

Key insights

• Data Grid: A modern, high-performance tabular control built on Fluent UI that shows rows and columns for quick data browsing.
  It is a separate control from the classic Table and is designed for interactive, data-dense views.
• Data binding: Connect the grid to sources like SharePoint, Dataverse, or collections by setting the Items property.
  The control renders records automatically once the data source is bound.
• Core features: Includes built-in virtual scrolling, client search, sortable columns, and multi-select to support fast navigation and bulk actions.
  These features reduce the need for complex formulas and improve user experience.
• Columns as sub-controls: Configure each column with specific types such as text, number, phone, email, URL, or button.
  This lets you show formatted data and add in-grid actions like clickable buttons.
• Integration: Use the grid’s SelectedItems to populate a form control for editing or to apply bulk updates with Patch patterns.
  The grid connects easily to other controls to create smooth view-to-edit workflows.
• Performance and delegation: The control uses virtual scrolling and respects delegation where supported to handle large datasets efficiently.
  Design with delegation in mind and prefer server-side queries when available to keep the app responsive.

Overview of Reza Dorrani's Video

In a recent YouTube deep dive, Reza Dorrani explains the new Data Grid modern control for Canvas Power Apps and demonstrates how it changes the way developers present tabular data. The video walks viewers through the control's interface, common scenarios, and practical examples, making it useful for both makers and app builders. Furthermore, Dorrani timestamps each section so viewers can jump to topics like search, column customization, and large-data handling. Overall, the presentation aims to clarify how the control fits into existing app design patterns.

Importantly, Dorrani stresses that the Data Grid is a new option and not a replacement for the legacy Table control, which preserves backward compatibility for existing apps. He also points out that the control is built on Fluent UI, giving it a modern look and keyboard accessibility. Consequently, makers can expect a polished interface that aligns with Microsoft design principles. At the same time, the video frames practical tradeoffs, which this article summarizes for editorial readers.

Key Features of the New Data Grid

The Data Grid displays records in a column-and-row layout that supports common table interactions such as sorting, searching, and multi-select. In addition, columns act as sub-controls and accept multiple types like text, number, phone, email, URL, and button, so makers can tailor rows to specific data types. The control also offers built-in search filtering through a SearchText property, which provides client-side filtering without extensive custom formulas. As a result, developers can create interactive, data-dense views more quickly than building the same functionality from scratch.

Another notable capability is virtual scrolling, which improves responsiveness when rendering large datasets by loading only visible rows. Moreover, the SelectedItems property supports multi-row selection, simplifying bulk actions such as updates or deletes. The control connects to common sources like SharePoint, Dataverse, or collections, so it fits typical enterprise architectures. Therefore, teams can adopt it without major changes to their existing data models.

How It Works in Practice

To use the Data Grid, makers add it from the insert menu and bind its Items property to a data source, much like other Power Apps controls. Then they configure columns by editing each sub-control, specifying fields and formatting, and enabling sorting where needed. Furthermore, the grid can integrate with a form control: selected rows can populate a form's Item property for seamless editing. This pattern streamlines the flow from browsing to editing without complex wiring.

In practice, the control blends client-side responsiveness with server-side delegation where supported, reducing slowdowns for large lists. However, developers must still understand delegation limits for their specific data source and design queries accordingly. Consequently, testing with representative data volumes is crucial to verify performance. Meanwhile, Dorrani’s demo shows how combining virtual scrolling and careful delegation can yield smooth experiences even with thousands of records.

Tradeoffs and Performance Considerations

Although the Data Grid improves data density and interaction, it carries tradeoffs that teams should weigh before full adoption. For example, because it is not a drop-in replacement for the Table control, migrating complex apps may require adjustments to formulas and event handling. In addition, the control’s rich features can mask delegation boundaries, so developers might inadvertently trigger non-delegable queries and face partial results. Therefore, understanding delegation and testing queries remains essential despite the grid’s client-side optimizations.

On the other hand, the grid’s virtual scrolling minimizes rendering overhead but can complicate scenarios that expect all rows to be loaded at once, such as some bulk-processing scripts. Also, customizing columns with interactive sub-controls introduces more moving parts, which increases maintenance needs compared with simpler lists. Thus, teams must balance feature richness against ongoing upkeep and plan for accessibility and keyboard navigation testing. Ultimately, the right choice depends on app scale, user needs, and maintenance capacity.

Practical Advice and Next Steps for Developers

Developers should start by using the Data Grid for views that demand performance and data density, such as dashboards, inventory screens, or admin panels, and reserve simpler controls for lightweight lists. Next, they should prototype with a copy of their production data to measure delegation behavior and validate search and sort capabilities. In addition, linking selected rows to a form control helps prove end-to-end workflows, as Dorrani demonstrates in his video.

Finally, teams should document column configurations and key properties like SelectedItems and SearchText, and include performance checks in their release process. By doing so, they can leverage the grid’s strengths while managing risks related to delegation and complexity. For readers who want a practical walkthrough, Reza Dorrani’s video provides a clear, example-driven path to adoption and highlights the scenarios where the control offers the most value.

Keywords

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