Today, we’re diving into part two of our PowerApps Modern Controls series! If you’re ready to build dynamic, sleek apps that integrate seamlessly with SharePoint, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll explore how to create a fully functional internet submission form with custom tabs, live attachment previews, and more. Here’s what you’ll master by the end of this:

• Structuring SharePoint lists for use in PowerApps
• Setting up custom tabs for intuitive navigation
• Enabling live previews for attachments directly inside your app
• Building a secure notes section that captures and appends approver comments

Ready to build an app that works smoothly and scales effortlessly? Let’s get started!

The Backbone: SharePoint Data Structure

Your SharePoint data structure is absolutely critical if you want top-notch app performance. We can’t ignore this essential step because it ensures everything runs without a hitch.

In this walkthrough, I’m using my development tenant with dummy data. This structure captures key submission details using multi-line text fields and people picker columns.

Here’s what we set up in SharePoint:

• Single Line of Text: Great for capturing things like names or basic information.
• People Picker: To manage contributors and collaborators.
• Choice Columns: These are perfect for categories or statuses (though I tend to set up a single line of text for more flexibility).
• Multiple Lines of Text: Essential for spaces like mission blueprints or special instructions.

These SharePoint columns will connect seamlessly to PowerApps to build a rock-solid form. Make sure to also allow attachments in your SharePoint list for previewing docs directly within the app.

Custom Tabs for Streamlined Navigation

Tired of users getting lost in a maze of forms? Let’s fix that! Custom tabs will make navigation inside your app clean and intuitive. Whether you’re viewing submission details, attachments, or approval statuses, these tabs will simplify everything.

Here’s what we’re doing:

1. Submission Details Tab: Displays the static submission details that users can’t change.
2. Attachments Tab: This loads a gallery and previews attachments without downloads (yes, we’ll get to the juicy part in a bit).
3. Approval Status Tab: Shows dynamic approval information captured through Power Automate (we’ll dive more into this in part 4).

Creating these tabs in PowerApps is easy. Simply insert a container for your tabs, then dynamically control what becomes visible based on the selected tab. Want to limit what people can see based on their roles? No problem! These tabs can adapt depending on user permissions.

Enabling Live Attachment Previews — No Downloads Required!

Nobody likes downloading documents just to peek inside. We can do better! With PowerApps, live previews of attachments become possible. Users can just click on the attachment and—boom—there it is, without having to open a separate file.

This is all handled through a horizontal gallery that displays attachment previews directly inside the app. Even better, if you’re dealing with large PDFs or images, the app will only pull the first page as a quick preview. This speeds up load times and ensures your app doesn’t slow down.

Here’s what we’re doing:

• Attach Gallery: Display attachments as thumbnail previews in a horizontal gallery within PowerApps.
• Preview Thumbnails: Use formulas to load just the first page or first image of the file, reducing load time without sacrificing value.

And voilà, attachments inside PowerApps, previewed in just seconds. You might never go back to the old way again!

Building a Robust Notes Section with Audit Trails

One of the most critical aspects of app development—especially when approvals are involved—is tracking comments and maintaining a robust audit trail. Building a notes section that captures every bit of interaction means you’re ready for anything.

In our app, we set up a Rich Text Box that allows users to add comments, which are then appended to the existing notes for security and historical tracking. This ensures a clean and simple audit trail with zero shenanigans.

Here’s how it works:

1. Append Notes: Create a multi-line text field that captures new notes, and append them to the existing SharePoint list entry.
2. Timestamp & User Info: Automatically capture the date, time, and the user who posted the note—this locks everything in as a record.
3. Approval Comments: Filter data to dynamically display the comments that come in from multi-stage approvals.

Using this approach ensures that every note is logged, locked, and accessible for tracking. Plus, it does double duty for both user interaction and security.

Part 3 Sneak Peek: Gallery Filtering Mastery

Next up in our series is all about gallery setups and custom filtering. If your app has tons of submissions, you don’t want to scroll endlessly. We’ll be zooming in on how to filter by categories, priorities, or even custom fields unique to your SharePoint list.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

1. Advanced Filtering: Sort by statuses or priorities to find the high-priority items quickly.
2. Sorting: Easily order submissions based on submission date or custom criteria.
3. Scalability: We’ll talk about delegation to ensure your app can scale as your list of submissions gets longer.

These are power moves for making sure your users never struggle to find the submission details they need.