Change datasource to reuse app (export/import)

[Rfla]

Export/import and change data source as long as the source has the same setup.
 
Edit the data source and keep the app as it is. Reuse the app in a sense. As an example you have a SP product. It is installed on a customer online tenant.
Then you create an PowerApp for the SharePoint "list/setup/product".
New customer, same SP product installed. Then export/import the app. Change data source and publish to the new customer’s employees.

[gmcanally]

This is exactly what I need. Building a generalized app for a range of identically structured datasets is only useful if the app can be reused. It wold be even better if the user could point do the different dataset from within the app so you didn't have to create a separate app for each instance.

[Rfla]

Thanks for the comment @gmcanally and status change @jo. I also have this idea:

Update similar app on multiple tenants. Publishing changes across users/tenants

To simplify the update/maintenance flow when you have multiple customers using the "same" app.

[Anonymous]

Just to add to this idea, having the ability to nickname your datasources could address this.

When adding a data source to a control, refer to the datasource nickname; when it comes time to copy the app, simply nickname the new datasource to the existing nickname used through the template.

[fbxiii]

I am looking to do similar.  I have used the Start from Data template and connected to a Sharepoint List.  To make the app reusable as a simple List manager, I want to be able to change the Sharepoint List the App is looking at by way of Entering the Site and List Names in either Text boxes or from Drop downs.  

Is it possible to dynamically change the Apps datasource like this?

[RussellGove]

+1 for gmcanally's idea. i have a  standard site template that i use to create a sitecollection for each geographical location for my company.  i want to reuse my powerapp on each of those site collections. would be nice if the opening page of the powerapp let the use pick from the sites he had access to.

[skylitedave]

Should be able to add a parameter to specify a portion of the url used by the connector so we can reuse the connectors...  This is what PowerBI does and Powerapps should do the same

Example..  you have a SharePoint hosted app with a url like this

https://skylite-e89937d1539c2b.sharepoint.com/sites/xrm34/SideKick365XRMUlt/Accounts

Now you install a new instance of the app in another tenant.. 

New new instance of the app url is this

https://skylite-a624c0051741d9.sharepoint.com/sites/xrm34/SideKick365XRMUlt/Accounts

You should able to supply a parameter so the connector can be reused if the solution is the same

So connector url would look like for the Accounts Connector

{parameter}/SideKick365XRMUlt/Accounts

{parameter} = https://skylite-a624c0051741d9.sharepoint.com/sites/xrm34

Parameter can be set when the user installs the PowerApp from AppSource since the developer of the PowerApp will never know where the app will be installed or what appweb ID will be generated when the user install the SP-hosted app...

You should be able to specify what is in the parameter at each install so the connectors can be reused......

Easy Peasy!

[zeus]

Hi! There's seems to be a confusion on the request. The request, as I understand it, is to have a feature that allows transfer of PowerApps (SP) custom forms to another environment or to another SP List with same setup.

FYI, PowerApps (SP) custom forms is attached directly to SharePoint list and works slight different from stand-alone apps. This has advantages as it has built-in features that stand-alone apps does not have which makes it easier to deploy SharePoint solutions. 

You can still create a stand-alone app with SP as a datasource as @skylitedave suggested. I don't think that is what is being requested (I could be wrong), with stand-alone apps you can export packages but that is not the case for SP custom forms. 

Can you confirm @jo that this is the request that is currently in "plan" status that you were referring to last year? and any updates? There is a request that is similar but does not have any status. Move or Copy a SharePoint list PowerApps Custom Form. It would be good if you can update that request as well (or link it somehow) as it that has more votes or followings.

[Anonymous]

For me this request covers the basic SDLC need to have a single application which is deployable in the diffferent environments (DEV, TEST, STAGING, PROD). We want to be able to point at different datasources (different Dynamics CRM instances) in each deployment. Currently the only way we can do this is have 4 powerapps, each dedicated to a CRM environment. When we need to make a change we have to change 4 powerapps, each in turn. This goes against all the principles of structured development. We want to have a powerApp which is redeployable (or at least copy-able) with a configuration setting for the data source. Changing the datasource should not wipe out all the formulas that are using it (which is currently what happens).

[ozkidevops]

It would be great to have the connection configurable on the target tenant. This should allow for the import of the reusable app. Then we could just edit the connection/data source to point to the new environment.  The way this is now, it does not allow for app deployment to multiple tenants without having to edit every data source.