How to use SharePoint Lists in Model-Driven Power Apps with Dataverse Virtual Tables 

You bet!

Thank you for watching all the way to the end!

thanks so much, I do plan to do a video on dataverse search actually, I'll bump it up the list.

I have the same question--thanks for asking, Henry.

Encountering the same problem. Please help.

Not using this method but you might be able to do it using code with virtual tables if you have an APi

That was a Person type column in SharePoint, and you're right, it didn't come across - based on the current known limitations in preview at the time of writing this, that column type isn't supported. learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/data-platform/limits-tshoot-virtual-tables?tabs=sql

I have the same question!

As far as I know it doesn't actually change any of the capability or capacity of SharePoint. It allows Dataverse to connect to what's already there. If you want that huge data capacity you'd need to work with an actual Dataverse table.

You can't bring Dataverse into SharePoint as far as I know, interesting idea though.

I think it can be done but it isn’t a drag and drop low code thing. This option I show here is only currently available for SQL and SharePoint.

@@LisaCrosbie I'm not sure if it can connect to one's workbook directly but I do know if one creates a Dataflow then it is possible because I have done it recently. I am a basic M-D App developer but use Power Query daily to develop solutions for my customers. The App I'm learning to develop (with help from your videos 😉) requires data from multiple Excel workbooks and text files. Using the Dataflow option in your Solution I'm able to use the built in Power Query editor to get & transform the data from my files. Once that data is inside the PQ Editor I can then combine / merge the data to how I want my final Table to look like. Once you create your Dataflow it will automatically add the Table which you can select in your Solution to create Forms/Views etc The huge benefit of this process is one can schedule the Dataflow "refresh", so if one's Excel docs are updated then the App will update with that information. This is incredible because Power Query in desktop Excel does not have a scheduled refresh option (one has to physically open the document and press refresh by hand) but with Dataverse it is possible..it's a gamechanger for me 😇

Virtual tables don’t actually house the data in Dataverse but dynamically point to the data source. Which means there should be no capacity consumed!

Not that I've seen at this stage.

It’s a virtual table in Dataverse, it is only actually stored in SharePoint

Yes, if you watch the part towards the end of this video I show the model driven app form which can be used to edit existing rows in the connected SharePoint list or create new ones.

It doesn’t actually need to synch, because it’s a virtual table it’s just like another way to view and interact with the original list. What I show in this video with the data updating both ways is the behaviour, I didn’t do anything to set that up other than what I showed

@@LisaCrosbie Amazing, thank you for your knowledge and insight!

you cannot create chart based on the virtual table

Yes, at the time of creating this video and writing this comment, it's still in preview and there are some limitations - you'll find them documented here learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/data-platform/limits-tshoot-virtual-tables?tabs=sql

Not sure what you're trying to do here, Dynamics is already on Dataverse, not SQL?

@@LisaCrosbie Sorry, I meant I wanted to load a Navision table (on premise sql server)

No, you still need a full Power Apps license to do this.

Follow up unlicensed scenario question: I can make non Dataverse licensed Power App and connect it so that it has crud functionality with a SharePoint list. The changes users of that app make in the SharePoint list will be seen by me (a licensed Dataverse user) as soon as I use your method to connect my model driven and canvas apps to that same SharePoint list. And finally, even after a Dataverse licensed user such as myself connects to that SharePoint list, the original non Dataverse licensed users can still contribute to that SharePoint list without being required to update their license to include Dataverse? Are my statements above correct? Thank you.

No, what I'm showing here is just for SharePoint lists or SQL tables at this stage.

I created it as a custom table. You'll find a full tutorial here if you want to learn how to create custom tables in Dataverse ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LIC8DFW8fOE.html

Document library is a different approach, SharePoint documents are natively integrated with records in a model-driven app - e.g. you view an account and see all related documents (stored in SharePoint)

@@LisaCrosbie thanks, my case is having an action form (pdf file) and should be signed by multiple users, I will use canvas as I have show/hide many controls according to current user as well as filtering records. The action form is stored in SPO. and I have a dataverse table as file reference such as assigned to, status, reference number, and I need to make a relationships between this table and document library ( many to one). Is that possible!

You will need a premium license to be able to do this, yes.