Dataverse and Model-Driven Apps¶

Table of Contents¶

Dataverse Fundamentals
Tables and Columns
Relationships
Business Rules
Model-Driven Apps
Forms and Views
Charts and Dashboards
Exam Tips

Dataverse Fundamentals¶

What is Dataverse?¶

Secure, cloud-based storage platform for Power Platform.

Key Features: - Relational database - Built-in security - Business logic layer - Managed storage - API access - Integrated with Power Platform

Dataverse Architecture¶

Components: - Tables - Data structures (like database tables) - Columns - Fields in tables - Rows - Records/data - Relationships - Links between tables - Business Rules - Logic and validation - Workflows - Automation - Security Roles - Access control

Table Types¶

Standard Tables¶

Pre-built tables from Microsoft.

Common Examples: - Account - Contact - Lead - Opportunity - Case - Task - Email

Characteristics: - Managed by Microsoft - Cannot delete - Can customize - Regular updates

Custom Tables¶

Created by users/organizations.

Naming: - Prefix with publisher prefix (e.g., contoso_) - Use singular form (e.g., Project, not Projects) - Descriptive names

Types: - Standard - Full features, ownership - Activity - Time-based activities - Virtual - External data source

Table Ownership¶

User or Team: - Owned by specific user/team - Used for: Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities - Row-level security - Can reassign ownership

Organization: - Owned by organization - Used for: Configuration, Settings - No individual ownership - Shared across org

None: - No ownership concept - Used for: Reference data - Simple access control

Tables and Columns¶

Creating Custom Tables¶

Settings:

Display Name: Project
Plural Name: Projects
Name (Schema): contoso_project
Primary Column: Project Name
Enable Attachments: Yes
Track changes: Yes
Advanced:
- Ownership: User or Team
- Create a new activity: Yes (for tracking)

Properties: - Enable for: Queues, Business Process Flows, SharePoint integration - Type: Standard, Activity, Virtual - Track changes - Audit trail - Enable attachments - File storage

Column Types (Data Types)¶

Text Columns¶

Single Line of Text:

Display Name: Email Address
Name: emailaddress
Format: Email
Max Length: 100
IME Mode: Auto

Formats: - Email - Text - Text Area - URL - Ticker Symbol - Phone

Multi Lines of Text:

Display Name: Description
Name: description
Max Length: 4000
Format: Text / Rich Text

Number Columns¶

Whole Number:

Display Name: Employee Count
Name: employeecount
Min Value: 0
Max Value: 1000000

Decimal Number:

Display Name: Price
Name: price
Precision: 2
Min Value: 0.00
Max Value: 1000000.00

Currency:

Display Name: Annual Revenue
Name: annualrevenue
Precision: 2
Currency: USD

Choice Columns¶

Choice (Local):

Display Name: Status
Name: status
Choices:
  - Active (Value: 1)
  - Inactive (Value: 2)
  - Pending (Value: 3)
Default: Active

Choices (Global): - Reusable across tables - Centralized management - Consistent values

Yes/No (Boolean):

Display Name: Is Approved
Name: isapproved
Default: No

Date and Time¶

Date and Time:

Display Name: Created On
Name: createdon
Format: Date and Time
Behavior: User Local

Date Only:

Display Name: Birth Date
Name: birthdate
Format: Date Only

Behaviors: - User Local - Timezone conversion - Date Only - No time component - Time-Zone Independent - Stores as-is

Lookup Columns¶

Lookup:

Display Name: Account
Name: accountid
Related Table: Account
Related Column: Account Name

Creates: - Lookup column - Relationship (1:N) - Related menu in target table

Other Column Types¶

File:

Display Name: Profile Picture
Name: profilepicture
Max Size: 10 MB

Image:

Display Name: Product Image
Name: productimage
Max Size: 10 MB
Primary Image: Yes

Calculated and Rollup Columns¶

Calculated Column¶

Formula-based, calculated on retrieval.

Example:

Display Name: Full Name
Name: fullname
Data Type: Text
Formula: firstname & " " & lastname

Functions Available: - Text: CONCATENATE, SUBSTITUTE, TRIM - Math: ADD, SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY, DIVIDE - Date: ADDDAYS, ADDMONTHS, ADDYEARS - Logical: IF, AND, OR

Limitations: - Cannot reference other calculated fields - Limited function set - No workflow triggers

Rollup Column¶

Aggregate data from related records.

Example:

Display Name: Total Opportunity Amount
Name: totalopportunityamount
Data Type: Currency
Source Entity: Opportunity
Aggregate: SUM
Aggregated Column: Estimated Revenue
Filter: Status = "Open"

Aggregate Functions: - SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, COUNT

Update Frequency: - Manual: Calculated on demand - Automatic: Every 1-12 hours

Relationships¶

Relationship Types¶

One-to-Many (1:N)¶

One parent record, many child records.

Example: Account → Contacts

Primary Table: Account
Related Table: Contact
Relationship Name: account_contacts
Lookup Column in Contact: Account (accountid)
Cascade Behavior:
  - Delete: Restrict (Cannot delete Account with Contacts)
  - Assign: Cascade All (Reassign Contacts with Account)
  - Share: Cascade All
  - Unshare: Cascade All
  - Reparent: Cascade All
  - Merge: Cascade All

Cascade Options: - Cascade All - Apply to all related - Cascade Active - Apply to active related - Cascade User-Owned - Apply if same owner - Cascade None - Don't cascade - Remove Link - Remove relationship, keep records - Restrict - Prevent if related exist

Many-to-One (N:1)¶

Many child records to one parent (reverse of 1:N).

Example: Contact → Account - Created automatically with 1:N - Lookup field in child table

Many-to-Many (N:N)¶

Many records on both sides.

Example: User ↔ Team

Current Table: User
Other Table: Team
Relationship Name: teammembership

Creates:
- Intersect table (hidden)
- Related menu on both sides
- No cascade behaviors

Use Cases: - Tags and items - Skills and employees - Products and categories - Users and teams

Self-Referential Relationships¶

Example: Contact → Contact (Manager)

Primary Table: Contact
Related Table: Contact (self)
Lookup Column: Manager
Relationship Name: contact_manager_contact

Business Rules¶

Business Rule Scope¶

Entity (Table) Level: - Applies to all forms - Server-side execution - API calls included

Form Level: - Specific form only - Client-side execution - Faster performance

Business Rule Components¶

Conditions¶

Field Conditions:

If Status Equals Active
AND Priority Equals High
AND Estimated Revenue Is Greater Than 10000

Operators: - Equals, Does Not Equal - Contains, Does Not Contain - Is Greater Than, Is Less Than - Begins With, Ends With - Is Null, Is Not Null

Actions¶

Set Field Value:

When: Status = "Approved"
Then: Set Approval Date = Current Date

Set Business Required:

When: Amount > 10000
Then: Set Manager Approval as Business Required

Set Visibility:

When: Is Corporate Account = Yes
Then: Show Corporate Details Section

Show Error Message:

When: End Date < Start Date
Then: Show Error "End Date must be after Start Date"

Lock/Unlock:

When: Status = "Completed"
Then: Lock All Fields

Set Default Value:

When: New Record
Then: Set Status = "Draft"

Example Business Rules¶

Validation:

Scope: All Forms
Condition: Discount Percentage > 20
Action: Show Error "Discount cannot exceed 20%"

Required Fields:

Scope: All Forms
Condition: Order Type = "Corporate"
Action: Set Business Required on fields:
  - Corporate Account Name
  - Purchase Order Number
  - Billing Address

Auto-Calculate:

Scope: Entity
Condition: Always
Actions:
  - Set Total Amount = Unit Price × Quantity
  - Set Tax = Total Amount × 0.08
  - Set Grand Total = Total Amount + Tax

Model-Driven Apps¶

Model-Driven App Components¶

Site Map: - Navigation structure - Areas, Groups, Subareas - Dashboards and views

Forms: - Data entry/viewing - Main, Quick Create, Quick View - Card, Dialog forms

Views: - List of records - Public, Personal, System - Filters and columns

Charts: - Visual data representation - Associated with views

Dashboards: - Overview page - Charts and grids

Creating Model-Driven Apps¶

App Designer:

1. Create new model-driven app
2. Add tables:
   - Account
   - Contact
   - Opportunity

3. Configure components:
   - Forms: Main form, Quick create
   - Views: Active Accounts, My Contacts
   - Charts: Opportunity pipeline
   - Dashboards: Sales dashboard

4. Design site map:
   Area: Sales
     Group: Customers
       - Accounts
       - Contacts
     Group: Pipeline
       - Opportunities
       - Quotes

5. Publish app

Site Map¶

Structure:

App
  └─ Area (e.g., Sales, Service, Marketing)
      └─ Group (e.g., Customers, Cases, Reports)
          └─ Subarea (e.g., Accounts, Contacts)

Subarea Types: - Entity - Table view - Dashboard - Dashboard display - Web Resource - HTML, JavaScript - URL - External link

Example:

Area: Sales
  Group: Customers
    Subarea: Accounts (Entity)
    Subarea: Contacts (Entity)
  Group: Sales
    Subarea: Opportunities (Entity)
    Subarea: Quotes (Entity)
  Group: Dashboards
    Subarea: Sales Dashboard (Dashboard)
    Subarea: Pipeline Dashboard (Dashboard)

Forms and Views¶

Form Types¶

Main Form¶

Primary data entry form.

Sections: - Header - Body (tabs and sections) - Footer

Components: - Fields - Subgrids - Quick View forms - IFrames - Web resources - Business Process Flows

Quick Create Form¶

Fast record creation.

Characteristics: - Appears in modal dialog - Limited fields (max 10) - No tabs - Used from: Lookups, Recent records, Quick Create menu

Quick View Form¶

Read-only related data.

Example: In Contact form, show Account details via Quick View:

Related Table: Account
Fields Shown:
  - Account Name
  - Industry
  - Annual Revenue
  - Primary Contact

Card Form¶

Compact view for grids.

Used in: - Dashboard grids - Subgrids - Lists (mobile)

Form Design¶

Tabs and Sections:

Tab: General
  Section: Contact Information
    - Full Name
    - Email
    - Phone
  Section: Address
    - Street
    - City
    - State
    - Zip

Tab: Details
  Section: Professional
    - Job Title
    - Department
    - Manager

Form Elements: - 1-column section - Full width - 2-column section - Side-by-side - 3-column section - Header/footer - 4-column section - Compact layout

Views¶

View Types¶

Public Views: - Visible to all users - Created by admins - Org-wide queries

Personal Views: - User-specific - Private - Custom filters

System Views: - Built-in by Dataverse - Examples: Active Accounts, All Contacts - Cannot delete (can deactivate)

View Components¶

Columns:

- Account Name (Primary)
- Primary Contact (Lookup)
- Industry (Choice)
- Annual Revenue (Currency)
- Created On (Date)

Filter Criteria:

Status Equals Active
AND
Revenue Greater Than 100000
AND
Industry Equals "Technology" OR "Manufacturing"

Sort Order:

Primary: Account Name (Ascending)
Secondary: Annual Revenue (Descending)

Charts and Dashboards¶

Charts¶

Chart Types¶

Column - Compare categories
Bar - Horizontal comparison
Line - Trends over time
Pie - Proportions
Funnel - Progressive reduction
Area - Cumulative trends
Doughnut - Proportions with total

Creating Charts¶

Example: Opportunities by Stage

Chart Name: Opportunity Pipeline
Record Type: Opportunity
View: My Open Opportunities

Chart Settings:
  - Legend Entries (Series):
      Y-Axis: Estimated Revenue (Sum)
  - Horizontal Axis:
      X-Axis: Sales Stage
  - Chart Type: Column
  - Top X: 10

Example: Cases by Priority (Pie)

Chart Name: Cases by Priority
Record Type: Case
View: Active Cases

Chart Settings:
  - Legend: Priority
  - Values: Case ID (Count)
  - Chart Type: Pie

Dashboards¶

Dashboard Types¶

System Dashboard: - Pre-built by system - Org-wide - Examples: Sales Dashboard, Service Dashboard

User Dashboard: - Personal dashboards - Customizable - Private or shared

Dashboard Components¶

Grid:

Component: Account List
View: Active Accounts
Columns: 2
Height: 4 rows

Chart:

Component: Opportunity Pipeline
Chart: Opportunities by Stage
Columns: 2
Height: 4 rows

IFrame:

Component: External Report
URL: https://reports.contoso.com/sales
Columns: 4
Height: 6 rows

Web Resource:

Component: Custom Analytics
Web Resource: contoso_analytics.html
Columns: 4
Height: 6 rows
Parameters: entityid, entitytype

Dashboard Layout¶

Standard Dashboard (4 columns):

Row 1: [Chart 1 (2 cols)] [Chart 2 (2 cols)]
Row 2: [Grid 1 (4 cols - full width)]
Row 3: [Chart 3 (2 cols)] [List 1 (2 cols)]

Example Sales Dashboard:

Header: Sales Performance Dashboard

Row 1:
  - Opportunity Pipeline (Chart, 2 cols)
  - Revenue by Month (Chart, 2 cols)

Row 2:
  - Active Opportunities (Grid, 4 cols)

Row 3:
  - Recent Activities (List, 2 cols)
  - Top Accounts (Grid, 2 cols)

Exam Tips¶

Key Concepts¶

Dataverse: - Secure, cloud-based storage - Tables (entities), Columns (fields), Rows (records) - Relationships: 1:N, N:1, N:N - Standard vs Custom tables

Table Ownership: - User/Team: Row-level security, reassignable - Organization: Shared, no ownership - None: Simple reference data

Column Types: - Text: Single line, Multi-line - Number: Whole, Decimal, Currency - Choice: Local, Global - Date/Time: User local, Date only - Lookup: Creates relationship - Calculated: Formula-based - Rollup: Aggregate related

Relationships: - 1:N: One parent, many children - N:N: Many-to-many via intersect table - Cascade behaviors: All, Active, User-Owned, None, Restrict

Business Rules: - Entity level vs Form level - Conditions and Actions - Validation, Required fields, Visibility - No-code business logic

Model-Driven Apps: - Component-based - Site map: Areas, Groups, Subareas - Forms: Main, Quick Create, Quick View - Views: Public, Personal, System - Charts and Dashboards

Common Scenarios¶

Create Custom Table: 1. Define table (name, ownership, features) 2. Add columns (primary + custom) 3. Create relationships 4. Configure forms and views 5. Add to model-driven app

Relationship with Cascade: Account → Opportunities (1:N) - Delete: Restrict (can't delete Account with Opportunities) - Assign: Cascade All (reassign Opportunities with Account) - Use case: Maintain data integrity

Business Rule for Validation:

Scope: Entity
Condition: Discount% > 20
Action: Show error "Max discount is 20%"

Model-Driven App Site Map:

Area: Sales
  Group: Customers
    Accounts
    Contacts
  Group: Sales
    Opportunities
    Quotes

Decision Matrix¶

Column Type: - Short text (< 100 chars) → Single Line of Text - Long text (< 1000 chars) → Multi-line Text - Predefined options → Choice - Reference another table → Lookup - Formula → Calculated - Aggregate related → Rollup

Relationship Type: - One parent, many children → 1:N - Many children, one parent → N:1 - Many-to-many → N:N - Same table → Self-referential

Form Type: - Primary data entry → Main Form - Quick add → Quick Create Form - Show related data → Quick View Form - Mobile compact → Card Form

Business Rule Scope: - All forms + API → Entity level - Specific form → Form level - Best performance → Form level - Complete validation → Entity level

Quick Reference¶

Table Settings:

- Display Name: Singular
- Plural Name: Plural form
- Name: prefix_lowercase
- Primary Column: Descriptive name
- Ownership: User/Team or Organization

Cascade Behaviors: - Cascade All: All related records - Cascade Active: Only active records - Cascade User-Owned: Same owner only - Cascade None: No cascade - Restrict: Prevent action - Remove Link: Keep records, remove relationship

Business Rule Actions: - Set Field Value - Set Business Required - Set Visibility - Show Error Message - Lock/Unlock - Set Default Value

Form Components: - Fields: Data entry - Subgrids: Related records - Quick View: Related data (read-only) - Business Process Flow: Guided process - Web Resource: Custom HTML/JS

Study Focus¶

Understand Dataverse architecture and components
Master column types and when to use each
Know relationship types and cascade behaviors
Learn business rules - conditions and actions
Understand model-driven apps - components and site map
Know form types and when to use each
Understand views - public vs personal vs system
Practice creating tables, columns, relationships

Dataverse and Model-Driven Apps¶

Table of Contents¶

Dataverse Fundamentals¶

What is Dataverse?¶

Dataverse Architecture¶

Table Types¶

Standard Tables¶

Custom Tables¶

Table Ownership¶

Tables and Columns¶

Creating Custom Tables¶

Column Types (Data Types)¶

Text Columns¶

Number Columns¶

Choice Columns¶

Date and Time¶

Lookup Columns¶

Other Column Types¶

Calculated and Rollup Columns¶

Calculated Column¶

Rollup Column¶

Relationships¶

Relationship Types¶

One-to-Many (1:N)¶

Many-to-One (N:1)¶

Many-to-Many (N:N)¶

Self-Referential Relationships¶

Business Rules¶

Business Rule Scope¶

Business Rule Components¶

Conditions¶

Actions¶

Example Business Rules¶

Model-Driven Apps¶

Model-Driven App Components¶

Creating Model-Driven Apps¶

Site Map¶

Forms and Views¶

Form Types¶

Main Form¶

Quick Create Form¶

Quick View Form¶

Card Form¶

Form Design¶

Views¶

View Types¶

View Components¶

Charts and Dashboards¶

Charts¶

Chart Types¶

Creating Charts¶

Dashboards¶

Dashboard Types¶

Dashboard Components¶

Dashboard Layout¶

Exam Tips¶

Key Concepts¶

Common Scenarios¶

Decision Matrix¶

Quick Reference¶

Study Focus¶

Final Checklist¶