| 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.
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.
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
}
⚠️ 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
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.
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 |
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 |
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
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)
Related Skills
web-resources — JavaScript form scripts and ribbon customizationscanvas-apps — Embedded Canvas Apps in Model-Driven formsdataverse — Underlying table, form, and view designsecurity — Security roles that control form and field visibility
