The Library · Insights
Deep dives across data, automation & AI
108 in-depth articles — from Excel foundations to production machine learning. Filter by topic or difficulty to find exactly what you need.
Power AppsPractitioner
Configuring Dataverse Polymorphic Lookups and Customer Columns: Modeling Multi-Table Relationships in Model-Driven Apps
Standard lookups point to one table. But real business data is messier than that — a customer might be an Account or a Contact, an expense might belong to a Project or a Department. Learn how Dataverse polymorphic lookups, Customer columns, and Regarding columns solve this cleanly, and how to configure them end-to-end in model-driven apps.
24 min read
Power AppsPractitioner
Configuring Dataverse Virtual Tables: Connecting External Data Sources to Model-Driven Apps Without Migration
Virtual tables let you surface live data from SQL Server, REST APIs, and OData services directly inside your model-driven app — no ETL, no data copy, no sync. This lesson teaches you to configure OData data sources, map columns, build cross-system relationships, and handle the security and performance challenges that come with production virtual table deployments.
26 min read
Power AppsFoundation
Configuring Model-Driven App Column Properties: Data Types, Required Fields, and Display Settings for Dataverse Tables
Column properties are the difference between a model-driven app that produces clean, consistent data and one that's constantly fighting user errors and dirty records. This lesson teaches you how to choose the right data type, configure required fields at the right layer, and set up display settings that guide users toward correct data entry — without writing code.
21 min read
Power AppsExpert
Extending Model-Driven Apps with PCF Controls: Building and Deploying Custom Field and Dataset Components for Dataverse Forms and Views
Standard model-driven form controls hit a wall when you need genuinely custom UX — star ratings, card layouts, traffic lights, and more. This expert lesson walks you through building, testing, and deploying real PCF field and dataset controls from scratch, with full TypeScript implementations and production deployment patterns.
27 min read
Power AppsFoundation
Configuring Dataverse Table Relationships in Model-Driven Apps: One-to-Many, Many-to-Many, and Cascade Behaviors Explained
Learn how to configure one-to-many and many-to-many relationships in Dataverse, understand cascade behaviors that protect your data integrity, and see exactly how relationships surface inside model-driven app forms. This is the structural knowledge every Power Apps maker needs.
18 min read
Power AppsFoundation
Configuring Model-Driven App Views as Default Views, Quick Find Views, and Lookup Views: Controlling How Records Are Surfaced Across the App
Most model-driven app problems aren't about missing features — they're about misconfigured views. Learn how to set Default Views, Quick Find Views, and Lookup Views so records are always findable, searchable, and presented with the right context wherever they appear in your app.
18 min read
Power AppsFoundation
Configuring Model-Driven App Site Maps: Navigation Areas, Groups, and Subareas for Role-Based Menu Structures
A poorly structured site map makes even great apps unusable. Learn how to design navigation Areas, Groups, and Subareas from scratch — and wire them to security roles so each user sees exactly the menu they need, nothing more.
18 min read
Power AppsFoundation
Model-Driven App Security: Configuring Security Roles, Field Permissions, and Team-Based Access for Table Data
Learn how to secure your model-driven app from the ground up. This lesson walks through creating security roles, applying column-level security profiles, and using team-based access — so the right people see exactly the right data.
20 min read
Power AppsExpert
Solutions for Model-Driven Apps: Publishers, Managed vs Unmanaged, and Solution Layering
Master the Dataverse solution framework from the ground up — publishers, prefixes, managed vs unmanaged deployment, and the layering algorithm that explains almost every mysterious behavior in multi-environment Power Platform projects. This is the architectural knowledge that separates professional delivery from accidental success.
31 min read
Power AppsExpert
Auditing and Change Tracking in Dataverse for Compliance
Learn how to design and implement a complete Dataverse audit strategy that satisfies GDPR, SOX, and HIPAA requirements. This expert lesson covers the three-layer audit architecture, Web API queries, real-time alerting, storage management, and the common gaps that leave organizations exposed during audits.
31 min read
Power AppsExpert
Importing and Migrating Data into Dataverse: Excel Import, Dataflows, and Upserts
Learn how to load data into Dataverse using Excel import, Power Query dataflows, and upsert logic with alternate keys. This deep-dive lesson covers realistic transformation scenarios, lookup resolution, sequencing for relational data, and troubleshooting the failures that actually happen in production.
31 min read
Power AppsExpert
Dataverse Alternate Keys, Duplicate Detection, and Data Quality
Duplicate records don't happen by accident — they happen when your data model doesn't have structural guardrails. Learn how to use Dataverse alternate keys and duplicate detection rules to enforce data quality at the database level, not just the UI layer.
30 min read