Copy and paste controls into another app

[audrieg]

I would like to recreate an existing app because the app I made ended up full of junk items from trail and error. Is there an easy way to copy and paste from one app into another? It seems I can't open two instances of the desktop version at the same time.

[AndyPennell · Accepted solution]

I think the best you can do is ctrl-select/copy all of the wanted controls from the original doc, then open the new doc and paste them in all together. Not ideal, but better than one at a time at least.

[power2apps]

Hi @AndyPennell

Could you please explain your suggestion? I also could not open two instances of the desktop version.

Editing on the web as alternative also seams that doesn’t provide copy and paste functionality.

Right now I have two version of similar apps – one is working and another is not. There is not obvious reason or difference so I thought that copying from the working solution can help me to find difference but I can’t find how to easily transfer controls.

Regards!

[power2apps]

I found one workaround that worked for me. I opened one instance as the desktop version and another application in web editing. For simple comparation of controls and maybe limited copying this method can be enough.

[AndyPennell]

You don't need two instances, the clipboard should survive a document open:

1. open doc A, Copy.

2. open doc B, Paste.

[efialtes]

@AndyPennell

Does this trick apply to screens as a whole (i.e. can I copy-paste a whole screen from one app to another), or is it limited to controls inside them?

BR

[AndyPennell]

It should work with screens too.

[StevenT]

It doesn't work at all. No menu option indicating copy and none indicating paste.

[CarlosFigueira]

There's no menu option for copy, but you can use CTRL+C (Copy) and CTRL+V (Paste). Notice that this currently only works on the Windows Studio, copying across apps doesn't work in the Web Studio yet (in the web authoring tool it only works for copying within the same app).

[StevenT]

Thanks for responding, and thanks for the suggestion about the studio. 

When you say windows studio are you referring to Visual Studio?

The current version i can only use is the VS 15 community edition.  Can I use that version for Powerapps work?