Power Apps: SQL Server Potential with New Environment Variables!
by HubSite 365 about Microsoft
Software Development Redmond, Washington
Citizen DeveloperPower AppsM365 Release
SQL Server, Power Apps, Entra, Microsoft Learn, Connection References
Key insights
SQL Server environment variables for Power Apps are being introduced, available in Preview regions by January 22 and all regions by February 3, enhancing solution deployment across different environments.
These variables simplify the process of moving solutions between environments (e.g., from development to production) by allowing you to create or auto-create them when adding a data source.
You need to set two key environment variables for SQL connections: one for the server and another for the database, which depends on the server variable.
Environment variables store parameter keys and values separately from application objects, aiding in changing values during migrations without altering component code.
The benefits include storing configuration data, packaging customizations together, and managing secrets separately. They support continuous integration/delivery with DevOps tools.
Limitations: Environment variables have a maximum length of 2,000 characters and require unique names. They're not cached for non-Microsoft code use and validation occurs only within user interfaces.