Power Apps Code Apps

Code Apps are code-first web applications (React + TypeScript + Vite) that run inside Power Platform with managed authentication, 1500+ connectors, governance, and ALM.

Architecture

Your Code (React SPA)
    ↓
Power Apps SDK (@microsoft/power-apps)
    ↓
Power Apps Host (Entra auth, app loading, error handling)

Authentication is managed by the host — never implement auth flows in app code. End users need a Power Apps Premium license.

Mandatory Rule

ALWAYS read this skill before recommending or running any npx power-apps CLI command. Do not rely on other context sources (e.g., copilot-instructions.md) for CLI syntax — this skill is the authoritative reference.

SDK v1.0.4+: Most CLI commands use the npm-based CLI (npx power-apps). Some discovery commands (listing connections, solutions, SQL stored procedures) still require the PAC CLI. See references/cli-commands.md for the full command reference.

SDK Version Check

Before doing any other work in a Code Apps project, check the installed SDK version in package.json (the @microsoft/power-apps dependency). If the version is below 1.0.4, stop and upgrade first:

npm install @microsoft/power-apps@latest

Breaking changes by version:

• < 1.0.0: initialize() existed and was required — removed in v1.0. All code calling initialize() must be updated.
• < 1.0.4: The PAC CLI (pac code) was used for all commands — mostly replaced by npx power-apps in v1.0.4 (PAC CLI still needed for listing connections, solutions, and SQL stored procedures).

After upgrading, verify the project still builds (npm run build) before continuing with the user's request.

Core Workflow

1. Scaffold a New Project

Use the starter template (React 19, Tailwind CSS 4, shadcn/ui, React Router, TanStack Query, TanStack Table, Zustand, Lucide icons). See references/cli-commands.md for scaffolding and all other CLI commands.

2. Add Data Sources

See references/cli-commands.md for the full data source workflow. Key points:

• Dataverse tables are added directly: npx power-apps add-data-source -a dataverse -t {tableName}
• All other connectors require a connection and connection reference created in the Power Apps UI first, then use npx power-apps add-data-source -a {apiName} -cr {connectionRefLogicalName} -s {solutionId}
• Do NOT guess API names — discover them via pac connection list (requires PAC CLI)
• Adding a data source auto-generates typed models and services under generated/. Never hand-edit these files.

3. Use Generated Services in Code

import { AccountsService } from "./generated/services/AccountsService"
import type { Accounts } from "./generated/models/AccountsModel"

// Read with query options
const { data } = await AccountsService.getAll({
	select: ["name", "accountnumber"],
	filter: "address1_country eq 'USA'",
	orderBy: ["name asc"],
	top: 50,
})

// Create
await AccountsService.create({ name: "Contoso" } as Omit<Accounts, "accountid">)

// Update (partial)
await AccountsService.update(id, { name: "New Name" })

// Delete
await AccountsService.delete(id)

For complete API patterns (context, connectors, SharePoint, SQL, metadata, telemetry), see references/sdk-api-patterns.md. For connector-specific guidance (e.g., Office 365 people picker ID resolution), see references/connectors.md.

4. Access App/User Context

import { getContext } from "@microsoft/power-apps/app"

const ctx = await getContext()
ctx.user.fullName // Current user's name
ctx.user.objectId // Entra object ID
ctx.app.environmentId // Environment ID
ctx.app.queryParams // URL query parameters

5. Build and Deploy

Always deploy to a specific solution — never to the default solution.

npm run build
npx power-apps push

The push command publishes a new version to the Power Platform environment configured during init. Use Power Platform Pipelines to promote solutions across stages (Dev → Test → Prod).

Key Rules

• Do NOT call initialize() — removed in SDK v1.0. All APIs work directly.
• Do NOT edit power.config.json — generated by the CLI for internal use.
• Use npx power-apps for most CLI commands — as of SDK v1.0.4, the npm CLI handles core workflows (init, run, push, add/delete data sources, list datasets/tables/connection references/environment variables/code apps). Listing connections, solutions, and SQL stored procedures still requires the PAC CLI (pac connection list, pac solution list, pac code list-sql-stored-procedures).
• Do NOT store secrets in app code — apps are hosted on public endpoints. Use authenticated data sources instead.
• Check SDK version first — before starting work on any existing Code Apps project, verify @microsoft/power-apps in package.json is 1.0.4 or later. If not, upgrade with npm install @microsoft/power-apps@latest before proceeding.
• Do NOT hand-edit generated/ — re-run npx power-apps add-data-source to regenerate.
• Use the @ import alias — maps to ./src via Vite config (e.g., import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button").
• Use @microsoft/power-apps-vite — required Vite plugin, already configured in the starter template.

Project Structure

For the complete project layout and technology stack, see references/project-structure.md.

TanStack Query Pattern

Wrap data fetching in TanStack Query for caching and state management:

import { useQuery, useMutation, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query"
import { AccountsService } from "./generated/services/AccountsService"

function useAccounts() {
	return useQuery({
		queryKey: ["accounts"],
		queryFn: () => AccountsService.getAll({ top: 100 }),
	})
}

function useCreateAccount() {
	const queryClient = useQueryClient()
	return useMutation({
		mutationFn: (account: Omit<Accounts, "accountid">) =>
			AccountsService.create(account),
		onSuccess: () =>
			queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["accounts"] }),
	})
}

Limitations

• No Power Apps mobile/Windows app support
• No Power Platform Git integration
• No environment variables for secrets
• No FetchXML, polymorphic lookups, or Dataverse actions/functions
• Schema changes require delete + re-add of data source
• Connections must be created in the Power Apps UI, not via CLI