Microsoft has released the capability to create Custom Connectors within Visual Studio 2022, allowing developers to build front-end interfaces for their APIs using Microsoft Power Apps.
During Microsoft Build 2023, Microsoft revealed Power Platform as a Connected Service for Visual Studio and its ongoing development. This Power Platform permits developers to efficiently create Custom Connectors from within Visual Studio, aiding the rapid construction of a front-end for your API. Power Apps under Microsoft's umbrella is central to this functionality. As of now, the capability is completely available in Visual Studio 2022 17.7.
Combining Visual Studio and Power Platform CLI empowers developers to create a sample Power App from an API. The necessary first step in the procedure includes creating or using an existing ASP.NET CORE WEB API PROJECT in Visual Studio 2022 17.7. A minimal API is recommended for keeping it simple and manageable.
Visual Studio will then initialize the Custom Connector in your preferred environment and Solution. While working in the inner loop, your API will run in your local environment.
With the integration of Power Platform and Visual Studio, Microsoft establishes a potent development environment for building robust and highly customizable APIs. As evidently seen, the toolkits and features offered are seamless, guiding you through step-by-step processes for setup and operation.
Microsoft Power Platform, renowned for its capable API manipulation and transformation capabilities, provides a substantial upgrade to Visual Studio. It ensures the efficient creation of a front-end for your API and allows for the deployment of tasks in local environments. The fact that this feature is now generally available indicates Microsoft's dedication towards creating cutting-edge, developer-friendly products.
Power Platform as Connected Service for Visual Studio is Generally Available and provides developers with the capability to create Custom Connectors from within Visual Studio to quickly build a front-end for their API using Microsoft Power Apps. This feature is now available in Visual Studio 2022 17.7. Combining Visual Studio and Power Platform CLI can be used to build a sample Power App from an API. To start, developers can use an ASP.NET Core Web API project type and uncheck the option “use controller” for a minimal API. Additionally, developers can add an operation to their program.cs file to return a list of countries. The next step is to add the Power Platform as a Connected Service. This can be done by right clicking the connected services node and selecting the Microsoft Power Platform option. After filling out the relevant fields, Visual Studio will create the Custom Connector in the selected environment and Solution. Finally, developers can run their API in their local environment. This feature will let developers quickly try out the API and make sure it is working correctly.
Power Platform, Custom Connectors, Visual Studio, Power Apps, ASP.NET Core Web API, Power Platform CLI