Power Apps: 7 Easy Ways to Display Data

Key insights

• Power Apps & start with data: Power Apps is a low-code platform for building business apps; begin by connecting to your data source and then pick the right visual control.
  Starting with data (Dataverse, SharePoint, Excel, or SQL) speeds development and reduces rework.
• Galleries and ThisItem: Galleries are the most flexible way to show lists and work well for full customization.
  Use ThisItem inside gallery templates to reference each record and add labels, images, icons, containers, and action buttons.
• Filters and search & conditional logic: Add dynamic filters, search boxes, and conditional visibility to let users find and act on records quickly.
  Implement selected-state formatting and icons to improve clarity and guide user actions.
• Table control vs Data Grid: The Table control sets up quickly for simple column layouts but offers limited customization.
  The Data Grid adds built-in features like adjustable column widths, search, sorting, multi-select, and text wrapping for richer user interaction.
• Display forms, Edit forms and Dataverse views: Use Display forms to show a single read-only record and Edit forms to modify and submit changes back to the source.
  Dataverse views let you predefine columns, filters, and sorting to improve performance and user focus when building Dataverse-based apps.
• Practical tradeoffs and beginner guidance: Choose based on customization versus speed versus built-in features—galleries for full control, tables for quick column views, and data grids for advanced built-in behavior.
  Typical beginner flow: connect a data source, add a gallery or table, set Items/DataSource/Item, then bind fields with ThisItem.ColumnName.

The YouTube walkthrough by Pragmatic Works offers a clear, beginner-friendly guide to the main ways of displaying data in Microsoft Power Apps Canvas apps. In the video, Helen Devlin explains practical choices and tradeoffs so that new builders can decide whether to use galleries, a Table control, a Data Grid, or forms for reading and editing records. Consequently, the presentation helps viewers weigh customization, setup speed, and built-in functionality in realistic app scenarios. As a result, readers can quickly understand which control fits common tasks like browsing lists, showing details, or enabling edits.

Galleries: Flexibility and Customization

The video emphasizes that galleries remain the most popular option for displaying lists because they let you fully control layout and appearance. Helen demonstrates both vertical and horizontal galleries, and she shows how each record becomes a gallery cell that can contain labels, images, icons, and buttons. Moreover, she walks through using ThisItem to reference record fields and applying conditional visibility and selected-state formatting to improve clarity. Therefore, galleries excel when you need a bespoke user experience, but they can demand more design work and careful formula management.

Table Control: Fast Setup with Limits

Next, the walkthrough compares galleries with the modern Table control, which Helen presents as a faster way to present columns of data with less initial effort. She points out that tables reduce setup time by automatically laying out fields and providing a clean, tabular appearance ideal for quick scans. However, the video also notes that tables trade off much of the granular customization available in galleries, so they may feel restrictive when you need custom visuals or complex interactions. Thus, the Table control fits scenarios where speed and simplicity matter more than bespoke formatting.

Data Grid: Built-in Features for Interaction

Helen then introduces the Data Grid control and highlights its strengths, including adjustable column widths, built-in search, sorting, multi-select, and better text wrapping. She demonstrates how grids provide a modern, spreadsheet-like interaction that can reduce the need for custom formulas and controls. At the same time, the video explains that grids can still require column-level configuration and that they may not support every niche visual pattern a gallery can express. Consequently, Data Grids offer robust, ready-made behaviors, but developers should weigh those benefits against any need for custom UI details.

Forms, Dataverse Views, and Display Patterns

Beyond lists, the video clarifies the roles of display and edit forms for showing a single record or enabling updates, while also calling out Dataverse views as a way to manage which columns, filters, and sorting appear by default. Helen recommends pairing a gallery or table with a display form to let users browse and then drill into record details, and she shows how edit forms let users submit changes back to the data source. She also explains that starting with the data—connecting to Dataverse, SharePoint, Excel, or SQL—helps you choose the right control faster. Accordingly, adopting clear patterns for browsing and detail views reduces user friction and simplifies maintenance.

Tradeoffs, Challenges, and Practical Tips

The video carefully outlines tradeoffs between customization, speed, and built-in functionality so beginners know what to expect when choosing a control. For example, galleries offer highest flexibility but increased formula complexity and design time, while tables and grids speed deployment but limit layout choices and sometimes require column-specific tweaks. Helen also discusses practical challenges such as delegation limits with large data sets, responsive layout considerations for different device sizes, and the extra testing needed when combining selection, filtering, and forms. Therefore, a pragmatic approach is to start with the simplest control that meets user needs and then layer in customization only when necessary.

In short, Pragmatic Works’ video provides an accessible, decision-focused guide for anyone starting with Canvas apps. By comparing galleries, tables, data grids, and forms, Helen Devlin gives viewers clear criteria for choosing the best display method based on goals like customization, speed, or interaction. Consequently, beginners can follow a straightforward process: connect to data, choose the control that fits the task, and then refine filters, search, and formatting to match user expectations. Overall, the walkthrough balances practical tips with realistic warnings about tradeoffs, helping new builders make informed choices quickly.

Keywords

Power Apps display data, Power Apps data visualization, Power Apps gallery tutorial, Power Apps data table control, Power Apps show SharePoint data, Power Apps collections guide, Power Apps filter and sort data, Power Apps beginner tips