Which way to choose in terms of creating my PowerApp for project calculation?

[Macki]

Hi PowerApps experts,

I work with project sales and have some thoughts and ideas to create a power app that our section can use when we calculating projects. As you already understand, I am not a programmer who can easily create an app that I want according to the attached design diagram. (see file)

My question is based on the diagram which path should I choose when creating a power app? Canvas or Model Driven?

My idea from the beginning is to create lists in sharepoint that is the basis for data and from there work with the app? Would it work? or is it too complex for sharepoint or me :)?

Most important to be able to create and save data for each project where you can work several users at the same time in the app to produce a calculation of the project.

Grateful if you can be helpful with ideas and guidance.

// M

[Pstork1]

The key to canvas vs model driven is whether the data is already defined in the common data service (now called Dataverse).  If the data isn't already defined in CDS then it should be a canvas app.  Model driven apps are created based on the data that is modeled for the app in CDS.  If the data isn't already there or there isn't a reason to put it there then a model driven app is much more work.  Canvas apps also provide a lot more control over what the app looks like.  So if your data will be in SharePoint then it will need to be a canvas app.

[Macki]

Thanks for explanation, In my case as you can see in diagram there is several forms. Is it possible use sharepoint with so many list for calculation of one project? If i create many diferent projects it will create lot of lists. Is it another way to solve this?

[Pstork1]

Unless permissions for the data is an issue, you would be better served putting all the projects into a single list of two and have a field that specifies which project the entry is for.  Then you can filter based on that field to access the data for a specific project.  

[Macki]

That will make a lot of columns in my case. I think I have to break down powerapp form in multiple screens with same form/list. I will try. Thanks.

[RandyHayes]

@Macki 

You might be interested in my video on splitting forms across multiple screens.

[Pstork1]

I'm not suggesting a column for each project.  I'm suggesting one column that contains a specific code.  Or are you saying each project has different data that needs to be stored?

[Macki]

Every project is uniq and have uniq data and have to be saved to that specific project. 

The data as you see in the diagram with the diferent forms/tables will build data for each tables and in the

end data should be colected in as summary presentation and even possible to present with Power BI.

So for example the table with internal services there is different columns where user can put own input data. Some of the columns is drop down boxes with predefined data that user have to select and there is calculaded columns that is calculating depending on input data from specific columns.

[Pstork1]

I understand that every project is unique.  The problem is that you need a connector for each list that you will use in a Power App and things like Forms and Galleries can only be easily bound to one connector.  So having different lists for each project isn't going to work very well in Power Apps.  Nor in Power BI for that matter.  YOur original graphic showed several forms with specific columns that I assume could be shared across multiple projects.  If that's not the case then I'm not sure Power Apps is the right tool.  You would probably need to create one app for each project/list.  And that's a lot of Apps and lists

[Macki · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your answer Pstork1.
With the different forms and columns, the idea is to share information, so if I understand correctly, the best way is to create a list to collect data for the projects. I have to think about how I do.
Thank you for your commitment to this issue.