model-driven-apps

name	model-driven-apps
description	Model-Driven Apps Development. Use when: building Model-Driven Apps, forms, views, business rules, site map, command bar customization, custom pages, embedded Canvas Apps, subgrids, role-based form switching, generative pages.

Skill: Model-Driven Apps

When to Use

Trigger when building, configuring, reviewing, or troubleshooting Model-Driven Apps — including forms, views, business rules, app modules, site maps, command bar customizations, custom pages, and generative pages.

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When to Use Model-Driven Apps vs Alternatives

Scenario	Best Choice	Why
Standard Dataverse CRUD + business process	Model-Driven App	Built-in forms, views, business rules, BPF
Custom pixel-perfect UI	Code App	Full React/TypeScript control
Mobile field work, offline, camera	Canvas App	Power Apps mobile, offline support
Complex dashboards / analytics	Power BI embedded in MDA	Better charting, slicers
High-volume data admin (bulk edit)	Model-Driven App	Grid editing, bulk update, advanced find
Citizen developer / quick UI	Canvas App	No TypeScript needed

Key MDA strengths: Forms, views, charts, dashboards with zero custom code. Business rules on client and server. Role-based form switching, audit trail, duplicate detection, merge records. Offline mobile via Dynamics 365 mobile app.

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App Module (Site Map) Structure

App Module
├── Navigation Groups
│   ├── Group: "Operations" → Subareas (entities)
│   └── Group: "Configuration" → Settings, Users
├── Dashboards
└── Security Roles (who can access this app)

Create App Module via Web API

POST /api/data/v9.2/appmodules
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Contoso Projects",
  "uniquename": "contoso_ProjectsApp",
  "description": "Project management app",
  "clienttype": 4,
  "isdefault": false
}

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⚠️ REQUIRED: Load Sub-Files Before Implementation

SKILL.md is a summary only — it is NOT sufficient for implementation.

The detailed content (complete payloads, XML templates, working examples, edge-case handling) lives in sub-files in the same directory as this SKILL.md. Before writing any code, you MUST use read_file on the sub-files relevant to your task:

• Forms — form types, Quick View, role-based switching, lookup/choice columns, embedded Canvas Apps, form performance
• Views — view types, Quick Find, subgrids, Power Apps grid control, deprecated Editable Grid, view performance
• Sitemap — sitemap XML schema, Area/Group/SubArea structure, single Area layout (left-nav vs bottom tabs), Titles format, IntroducedVersion requirement, dashboard navigation
• Business Rules — scope options (Entity/AllForms/SpecificForm), supported actions, when NOT to use
• Command Bar — Command Designer (no-code), modern JavaScript commands, Power Fx commands, lookup parameter naming for form pre-population
• Custom Pages — Custom Pages vs embedded Canvas Apps, creating, navigating to, passing parameters
• Generative Pages (Genux) — React 17 + Fluent UI V9 single-file components, DataAPI, RuntimeTypes, PAC CLI workflow, localization, sample templates

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Microsoft 365 Copilot in Model-Driven Apps (Preview)

Note: The previous "Copilot chat" feature in MDA is deprecated (January 2026) for non-Dynamics 365 environments. Use M365 Copilot instead.

M365 Copilot requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Provides AI-assisted record summarization, data exploration. Works within the MDA shell for D365 and custom MDA apps.

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Deprecated & Removed Controls

Control	Status	Date	Replacement
Editable Grid	Deprecated	March 2026	Power Apps grid control
Hierarchy control	Removed	October 2025	None (removed entirely)
Classic look	Deprecated	April 2026	Modern look (now default)
Rich Text Editor (classic)	Deprecated	April 2025	Modern RTE (default)
Copilot chat (non-D365)	Deprecated	January 2026	M365 Copilot
Autocomplete control	Deprecated	—	Standard lookup
Input mask control	Deprecated	—	Business rules + validation
Multimedia player	Deprecated	—	Custom PCF / web resource

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Naming Conventions

Object	Convention	Example
App module	[Publisher] [Domain] App	Contoso Projects App
Form	[Entity] [Audience] Form	Project Admin Form
View (system)	[Audience] - [Scope]	My - Active Projects
Business rule	[Trigger]: [Action]	High Priority: Require Due Date
Command	[Verb] [Entity]	Approve Order
Dashboard	[Audience] [Domain] Dashboard	Manager Project Dashboard

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ALM for Model-Driven Apps

All MDA configuration lives in solutions:
  - App module (site map), Forms, views, charts, Business rules
  - Command bar customizations, Security role assignments

Export / unpack: pac solution export → pac solution unpack --processCanvasApps true
Forms and views unpack to readable XML — review diffs carefully
Business rules unpack to XAML — treat as opaque, don't edit manually

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Anti-Patterns

• Using Editable Grid in new development (deprecated March 2026 — use Power Apps grid control)
• Using hierarchy control (removed October 2025)
• Relying on Copilot chat feature in non-D365 environments (deprecated January 2026)
• Building Model-Driven Apps outside of solutions ("My Apps")
• Using JavaScript where a Business Rule suffices (harder to maintain)
• Business rules with scope "Entity" for UI-only logic (wastes server cycles)
• More than 7 tabs on a form (unusable cognitive load)
• Subgrids loading all records without default views (performance)
• Advanced Find views in production dashboards (personal views break sharing)
• Mixing managed and unmanaged customizations in the same environment
• Hardcoded GUIDs in JavaScript form scripts
• Not setting a Quick Find view (renders lookup search unusable or slow)

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Related Skills

• web-resources — JavaScript form scripts and ribbon customizations
• canvas-apps — Embedded Canvas Apps in Model-Driven forms
• dataverse — Underlying table, form, and view design
• security — Security roles that control form and field visibility