Dynamic Data Source

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by RJOosthuizen

Hi,

We are creating Apps and connecting them to a standardized SQL databases.

We deploy our apps per client to their environment and connect to their own database.

All of our clients have the exact same database with the same schemas, tables, views and stored procedures.

This means we can connect the app manually to another database from another client and the app won't give any errors.

So our idea now is to have the apps sit in one location and then depending on who is using it, it will connect to that client's database.

Is such a thing possible?

Eg. We are Company A and we host our apps. Client A and Client B have access to our apps. When Client A uses the app the app shows his data from his database and when Client B uses the app it will show his data from his database.(Since the databases are standardized there will not be any app errors like binding errors)

Thanks!

Categories:

Building Power Apps

I have the same question (0)

All responses (3)

Answers (0)

Sort by

LRVinNC 2,297 on at

Like
a
(0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

I was just researching this last week as I have a similar but simpler case where I want to dynamically use either a prod or dev list which would reside within the same SP connection. The only way I could accomplish this is with a switch which duplicates the any code which references the specific list since you can't use a variable in place of the list name at this time.

Unfortunately, in your case, where you will need a unique connection for each customer, there is no way to accomplish this in-app at this time even with the switch. The only suggestion I can make, which you have likely already considered, is to clone your production app and change only the connection. Unfortunately, that would required you to either edit multiple copies for each post-production modification or re-clone the changed version each time. Neither is a terrific prospect. Wish there was a better answer for both of us.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
RJOosthuizen 28 on at

Like
a
(0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Thanks for the reply!

Hopefully this can come soon.

For now we dev in our own environment and use DevOps pipelines to deploy to our other clients.(The connections change to the clients environment, although we have 6 apps now that do the same thing just per client)

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
v-xida-msft Microsoft Employee on at

Like
a
(0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Hi @RJOosthuizen ,

Do you want to switch the SQL Table data source within your app based on the user who is running it?

Based on the needs that you mentioned, I afraid that there is no way to achieve your needs in PowerApps currently. If you and your clients have same SQL schemas, tables, views and stored procedures, PowerApps app could not recognize which client the database is from. So there is no way to choose the proper SQL Table based on the current user.

If you would like this feature to be added in PowerApps, please consider submit an idea to PowerApps Ideas Forum:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Apps-Ideas/idb-p/PowerAppsIdeas

Best regards,

Was this reply helpful? Yes No