The ask, rebuild a legacy VB.NET desktop application as a Power Platform solution. The app was written maybe 17 years ago, hasn't been updated, and is a media tracker app, like a personal IMDb. Because it was a personal solution, not an enterprise solution, its data was stored in a Microsoft Access database, so this … Continue reading Solution Rebuild: Part #1 | Database – Access to Dataverse (Extracting + Transforming)
Author: Charles
PowerPoint: Animations + Transitions | Map Highlighting
The ask, combine PowerPoint slide Transitions and sequenced Animations to create a follow-along focus effect. Simply, the asking trainer wants something unique added to their presentation. So, for today's steps, darken the slide with a transparent rectangle, introduce an oval, then combine the two shapes into a freeform shape and animate that shape along several … Continue reading PowerPoint: Animations + Transitions | Map Highlighting
PowerPoint: Animations + Animations | Gear Shifting
The ask, help a trainer add some animations to their presentation. Following the Power Platform Community Conference, the keynote's main takeaway was that "Low-code (as we know it) is dead," highlighting that low-code is shifting into another gear. Taking that as inspiration, the trainer wants to animate an element shifting between gears: Figure 1 - … Continue reading PowerPoint: Animations + Animations | Gear Shifting
Power Fx: Date Picker | Calculate Day of the Year
The ask, take a date value as input and output its calculated day of the year using Power Fx. Not a fancy request, but it is an ask. E.g., November 1, 2025, is the 305th day of the year. Figure 1 - Power Apps canvas app with date picker and label elements. Breaking down the … Continue reading Power Fx: Date Picker | Calculate Day of the Year
Power Automate + SharePoint Online: Get Items | Lookup Column Threshold Error
The ask, correct a failing Power Automate cloud flow. For months, this flow ran daily, without issue, querying a growing SharePoint Online list, but now, the Get Items action is failing and throwing an error: "The query cannot be completed because the number of lookup columns it contains exceeds the lookup column threshold." Figure 1 … Continue reading Power Automate + SharePoint Online: Get Items | Lookup Column Threshold Error
Data Governance: Reframed for Better Participation
The ask, propose some ideas for improved data governance. However, before jumping in and tackling governance itself, let's ask Copilot for a more high-level definition: With Copilot's definition in mind, is there an underlying organizational resistance to data governance? Generally, no. Everyone understands its importance and agrees that it could be improved upon. Rather, there's … Continue reading Data Governance: Reframed for Better Participation
SharePoint Online: Modern Architecture | The Case for “Folder-Less”
The ask, propose a reimagined folder restructure for a group migrating to SharePoint Online (SPO) later this year. Pushing back a bit and flipping the ask, why not simply do away with folders? Especially considering Knowledge Agents, agents built in SharePoint, will soon be able to reason over metadata. Microsoft has actually encouraged flatter SharePoint … Continue reading SharePoint Online: Modern Architecture | The Case for “Folder-Less”
Power Apps: Canvas Apps | Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM)
The ask this time, pitch Power Apps as a low-code consideration for a few pro-code initiatives stuck in the perpetual, project backlog. Although sentiments are changing, there are still pro-dev teams skeptical of the Power Platform. A common concern, driven by much of the community skepticism, is the idea that low-code is limiting and restrictive, … Continue reading Power Apps: Canvas Apps | Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM)
Power Platform: Canvas App + Cloud Flow | SPO List Config.
The ask, propose an alternative configuration option for a Power Platform solution. The maker created a Power Apps canvas app and a Power Automate cloud flow. When items are submitted, others are prompted via email, sent by the cloud flow, to open the canvas app and complete an action. Following best practice, the maker created … Continue reading Power Platform: Canvas App + Cloud Flow | SPO List Config.
Power Platform: SPO Data Sources + Error Emails
The ask, rethink error email recipients of a Power Platform solution. The original maker needs to transfer ongoing support to the help desk and presently, if there's an issue, the cloud flows are designed to email the maker directly. Fortunately, the solution's data source is a series of SharePoint Online (SPO) lists, so there's at … Continue reading Power Platform: SPO Data Sources + Error Emails
PowerPoint: Morph + Highlight
The ask, figure out a way to "highlight" PowerPoint slide elements. A technical trainer, in their more content-heavy sessions, would like to "highlight" lines of code. The suggestion today, use the Morph transition in PowerPoint, but instead of using morph to zoom, add transparent rectangles to "highlight" code snippets. Figure 1 - PowerPoint presentation with … Continue reading PowerPoint: Morph + Highlight
PowerPoint: Morph + Transitions
The ask, add some animation to a technical trainer's PowerPoint deck. Their content is solid, but they're looking for help drawing attendee attention to specific elements of their presentation. The recommendation, add morph transitions to a few of their slides: Figure 1 - PowerPoint slides with morph transitions. An often-overlooked feature of PowerPoint, Morph is … Continue reading PowerPoint: Morph + Transitions
Personal Reflections: Data Trends + Context
No ask this time, just reflections and observations. First and foremost, it's been amazing to see people around the world find my blog content helpful. I published my first post mid-2019, and I've consistently posted at least twice a month since. Little by little, I feel that my writing and presentation skills have improved as … Continue reading Personal Reflections: Data Trends + Context
.NET MAUI: Picker for Time | XAML vs C#
The ask, update a .NET MAUI app's Picker control to display more time choices. The existing choice options were manually assigned to the ItemSource representing each hour of the day, but now, because of new project requirements, the app needs to present the time choices in 15-minute increments. While not impossible to implement using XAML, … Continue reading .NET MAUI: Picker for Time | XAML vs C#
Power Automate: Cloud Flows | Terminate Unnecessary Runs
The ask, address a Power Automate cloud flow that needlessly continues to run even when there's no data to process. This particular flow is an Automated cloud flow, and it runs daily, emailing a dynamic list of people a digest report of SharePoint Online list items created the day prior. The flow is triggered, then … Continue reading Power Automate: Cloud Flows | Terminate Unnecessary Runs
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