"Couldn't import components" error when importing custom component into Canvas app

[OPEC-JoshWalsh]

Hi there,

I'm developing my first PowerApps code component. I have been following this guide.

I'm able to upload my solution and "Publish all customizations" without any issues, but when it's time to import the component into my Canvas App then I get this error:

Doing some Googling, I found this thread. The error message is the same, but I think the cause is different. In that thread the root cause was found to be that uploading an update to a solution that removes a resource causes the issue. But this is the first time I've uploaded the solution, so I don't think that's the cause.

I don't have any unsupported resources, my only resource is a TypeScript file. My solution is unmanaged.

I would be happy to send a copy of my component to a Microsoft staff member for troubleshooting.

Thanks,

Josh

[DianaBirkelbach]

Hi @OPEC-JoshWalsh , 

I've just tested the Enums in CanvasApp. It's true that you can input any text, but you can still use the enum you defined.

In my case, I can choose from the defined options.

while the Manifest for my Enum is this:

<property name="displayTextType" display-name-key="Display_text_type" description-key="Display text type" of-type="Enum" usage="input" required="true">
    <value name="SIMPLE" display-name-key="No decoration" description-key="No decoration" default="true">SIMPLE</value>
    <value name="BOX" display-name-key="Colorful background" description-key="Colorful background">BOX</value>
    <value name="BORDER" display-name-key="Colorful Border" description-key="Colorful Border">BORDER</value>
</property>

I haven't thought to use spaces in the name, since they are the Enum properties that I use in the code. For the user, there is the "display-name-key", which can be translated too. But unfortunately I don't see that in CanvasApps.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,

Diana

[DianaBirkelbach]

Hi @OPEC-JoshWalsh , 

Is your problem solved? If so, please mark the answer as solution, in order to let the community find it faster.

Kind regards,

Diana

[JonathanGibbs]

@DianaBirkelbach  Just come across this thread as I try to resolve a "Couldn't import components" failure. Very much feeling my way with this.
I'm confused about the routes to get from a developed component that works in the harness, to something I can use in a Power App. There seem to be three critical processes: the 'pac auth' process; the 'pac pcf push' process; and the 'msbuild /t:rebuild' process.

When the outcome doesn't work, and I get "Couldn't import components" (such a helpful error, that, ha ha..), my first thought is I've got one of these wrong, or not done them in the right order, or whatever..
Diana, your very helpful post seems to be saying 'pac pcf push' and 'msbuild /t:rebuild' are in fact alternative options. I should be using 'pac pcf push' only in development, and 'msbuild /t:rebuild' only in production. Is that right? And where does 'pac auth' fit in - if at all?

[DianaBirkelbach]

Hi @JonathanGibbs , 

Yes

- "pac pcf push" will build and upload the PCF into your environment. For this one to work, your pac cli needs to know where to upload the component... so you need the "pac auth" first, in order to setup your connection. 

-  msbuild will generate a solution containing the component. You can take this solution after that, and import it into any environment you like.This one doesn't need the "pac auth". You need to

  a) call "msbuild /t:restore" only once (after you've created the "cdsproj" ( pac solution init) and added the pcf project to if (pac solution add-reference)

  b) after that you only need "msbuild", each time you want to generate a new solution.

Yes, the main purpose of "pac pcf push" is to upload during development. But there is a way to also upload a production version using "pac pcf push", if you don't want to use "msbuild"-way at all.

This, and all the ALM strategies are explained in the sdk: Code components ALM

Hope this helps!

[JonathanGibbs]

Thank you @DianaBirkelbach ! Got it now!

The mistake I’ve been making is to build a quite complex control which works in the harness, but leave testing it in an app until too late. Then discover you can get the Couldn’t import components error even though the harness works, and have to unpick everything. Moral is, test in an app right from the start…