Pros and Cons of Microsoft Model-Driven App Components

In a recent blog post, Fredrik Engseth delves into the several components of Microsoft's Model-Driven Apps, highlighting their respective advantages and drawbacks. Engseth uses the knowledge he gained from a presentation in Stockholm at the 2022 Nordic Summit community event to provide us with an in-depth evaluation of these components.

Engseth kicks off with Business Rules, which works without JavaScript code or plug-ins. The pros of Business Rules mainly include the ability to act on a form or table level, show/hide fields, validate data, manage error messages, and make recommendations based on business intelligence. Nevertheless, Business Rules also have its limitations like not being able to use related records' information and lack of control over the order of execution of multiple business rules for one form/table.

The topic then veers towards Classic Workflows. They initiate automation that doesn’t require any user interaction, although the number of available actions is somewhat limited.

Next, Engseth brings up Power Automate Cloud Flows, a tool that helps automate business processes. These can be triggered either automatically, instantly, or via a schedule, featuring the capability to work with all available relational data but they always run in the background and cannot use information from a deleted record.

Engseth then speaks of Canvas Apps, which are beneficial for creating apps without writing code in a traditional language like C#. While they offer pixel-perfect control over UI, these apps are not part of the form definition and may require additional licensing.

Form Scripts, another component of the software, according to Engseth, give you control over the order of operations, interfacing with all elements of a form, but they also require coding and can become very intricate.

We are also introduced to Plug-ins, which can execute pre, during, or post transaction. These are the most effective way to manage business logic if done correctly but can severely affect the performance of your solution if done incorrectly.

Lastly, Engseth discusses PCF Components which aid in enhancing the user experience, however, their packages/libraries are not interchangeable across components on the same form.

For more information on the components of Model-Driven Apps, you can visit here.

Model-Driven Apps - An Overview

Model-Driven Apps are the next revolution in enterprise app development. They bring efficiency and simplicity to the application design process by focusing on the core business logic, not the code. With tools like Business Rules, Classic Workflows, Power Automate Cloud Flows, Canvas Apps, Form Scripts, and other such components, developers can seamlessly implement complex business logic without writing extensive codes. However, one must be cautious since each tool has its disadvantages that can adversely impact the performance of the Model-Driven Apps.

Read the full article Microsoft Model-driven App Components – Pros and Cons

Learn about Microsoft Model-driven App Components – Pros and Cons

The Microsoft Model-Driven App is a robust platform for creating business applications that align with your business logic and user interface needs. Inspired by an insightful talk by Carmen Ysewijn at the Nordic Summit community event in Stockholm in 2022, the platform comes packed with various components, each with its unique advantages and limitations.

Among the initial offerings of the service is the Business Rules feature. This functionality allows users to implement form logic without necessarily having to write JavaScript code or create plug-ins. However, it is essential to keep in mind that using related records' information or interacting with form sections/tabs is not possible. Therefore, consider this aspect when using it for your needs.

• Fit for table definitions
• Can set a lock and default value
• Possible to provide business recommendations based on business intelligence
• No control over the order of execution

A complete guide to Business Rules is available here.

Another component worth noting is the Classic Workflows feature which automates business processes without user interaction. It is limited in available actions and only interact with Dataverse and other services that provide actions.

• On-demand or automated
• Synchronous or asynchronous
• Code steps utilization

You may refer to this link to deepen your understanding of Classic Workflows.

Microsoft also offers Power Automate Cloud Flows for automating business processes yet, it cannot access information from a deleted record. It is asynchronous, acting instantaneously or based on a schedule, and can connect to other data sources or services.

Canvas Apps allows creating apps without traditional programming codes that require additional licensing and are not part of the form definition. They offer pixel-perfect control over UI and improved visualization of information. You can learn more about them here.

Form Scripts provides custom business logic for displaying data on a form in Dynamics 365 but can become complex and not easy for non-developers. JavaScript is mainly used, and coding is necessary in this component.

The .NET assembly that can be uploaded to Microsoft Dataverse is made possible through Plug-Ins. They require coding but provide the most effective way of applying business logic. Then there are PCF components which help to enhance the user experience with data but only when properly used.

With these Microsoft Model-Driven App components, the goal is to create efficient, user-friendly business applications. However, it is essential to constantly explore alternate spellings and understand the functionalities, pros, and cons, and best-case utilization of these tools. Always strive to learn the ropes, hone your skills, and keep updated.

In conclusion, the only mistake you can make in learning Microsoft Model-Driven App components is not starting.

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