create-code-app

📋 Shared Instructions: shared-instructions.md - Cross-cutting concerns.

References:

• prerequisites-reference.md - Prerequisites and required permissions
• troubleshooting.md - Common issues, npm scripts, resources

Create Power Apps Code App

Workflow

1. Prerequisites → 2. Gather Requirements → 3. Plan → 4. Auth & Select Environment → 5. Scaffold → 6. Initialize → 7. Build & Deploy (baseline) → 8. Add Data Sources → 9. Implement App → 10. Final Build & Deploy → 11. Summary

---

Step 0: Check Memory Bank

Check for memory-bank.md per shared-instructions.md. Skip completed steps.

Step 1: Validate Prerequisites

Run prerequisite checks first -- no point gathering requirements if the environment isn't ready. See prerequisites-reference.md for details.

Check Node.js, the npm CLI package, and Git (runs natively in bash):

node --version                         # Must be v22+
git --version                          # Optional but recommended

Check pac CLI via PowerShell — it's a Windows executable not on the bash PATH:

pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac"  # Used for auth, env selection, code commands

• Missing Node.js: Report "Install Node.js v22+ from https://nodejs.org/" and STOP.
• Node.js below v22: Report "Node.js 22+ is required. Please upgrade or switch with nvm use 22." and STOP.
• Missing pac: Report "Install Power Platform CLI from https://aka.ms/PowerAppsCLI" and STOP.
• Missing Git: Report "Recommended but optional." Continue if approved.
• All present: Report versions and proceed.

Step 2: Gather Requirements

Skip questions the user already answered in their initial instruction.

If the user has not described what they want to build (i.e., /create-code-app was invoked with no arguments or a vague prompt), start with a single open-ended question before asking anything else:

"What would you like to build? Describe it in your own words — what it does, who uses it, and what problem it solves."

Wait for their answer. Use it to frame all follow-up questions. Do NOT present a multiple-choice list of app types before the user has described their idea.

Once you have their description:

1. Confirm the app name and clarify the purpose if needed
2. Ask about data -- focus on what the app needs to do, not specific technologies:
   • "What data does your app need to work with?" (e.g., company emails, project tasks, custom business records)
   • "Does your app need to search existing information, manage its own data, or both?"
   • Based on their answers, recommend the best approach:
     • Store and manage custom business data (tables, forms, CRUD) → Dataverse (/add-dataverse)
     • Interact with specific services (send emails, post messages, manage files) → the appropriate connector
   • If they mention existing Dataverse tables, SharePoint lists, or connectors by name, use those directly
3. Ask about UI requirements: key screens, layout, interactions, theme preference
4. Ask any clarifying questions now -- resolve all ambiguity before entering plan mode

Step 3: Plan

1. Enter plan mode with EnterPlanMode
2. Design the full implementation approach:
   • Which /add-* skills to run for data sources
   • App architecture: components, pages, state management
   • Feature list with priority order
3. Present plan for approval, include allowedPrompts from prerequisites-reference.md
4. Exit plan mode with ExitPlanMode when approved

Step 4: Auth & Select Environment

pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac auth list"

If empty, proceed since the command will use system credentials. If profiles are listed, check which environment they target.

If multiple profiles are listed: Notify the user that using Microsoft tenant credentials requires clearing all profiles first, then run:

pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac auth clear"

After clearing, there is no need to run auth create. The tool picks up the system login automatically.

pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac auth list" shows the active auth profile with its environment. Check which environment it targets.

• Environment matches user's target: Confirm and proceed.
• On a different environment or no target set: Run pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac env list", show up to 10 options, let the user pick, and run pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac env select --environment <id>".

See preferred-environment.md for details.

Critical: Capture the environment ID for Step 7.

Step 5: Scaffold

Ask the user for a folder name. Default to powerapps-{app-name-slugified}-{timestamp} if they don't have a preference.

IMPORTANT: Use npx degit to download the template. Do NOT use git clone, do NOT manually create files, do NOT download from GitHub UI. degit downloads the template without git history.

npx degit microsoft/PowerAppsCodeApps/templates/vite {folder} --force
cd {folder}
npm install

Notes:

• Use --force to overwrite if the directory already has files (e.g., .claude from a planning session)
• If targeting an existing directory, use . as the folder name: npx degit microsoft/PowerAppsCodeApps/templates/vite . --force
• If npx degit fails (network issues, npm not found), retry once, then ask the user to run manually

Verify: package.json exists, node_modules/ created.

Step 6: Initialize

pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code init --displayName '{user-provided-app-name}' -e <environment-id>"

pac code init failure:

• Non-zero exit: Report the exact output and STOP. Do not continue to Step 7.
• "environmentId not found": Confirm the environment ID from Step 4 and retry with the correct -e value.
• Example: "The pac code init command failed: [error text]. Please check that environment ID 32a51012-... is correct and that you have maker permissions in that environment."

Critical: Read power.config.json and verify environmentId matches Step 4. Update if mismatched (common issue).

Step 7: Build & Deploy (baseline)

Pre-approved: This baseline deploy is part of the scaffold flow and does not require a separate confirmation prompt.

Build and deploy the bare template to verify the pipeline works before adding data sources.

npm run build

Verify dist/ folder created with index.html and assets/.

pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code push"

Capture app URL from output: https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e/{env-id}/app/{app-id}

Common deploy errors: See troubleshooting.md.

Create or update memory-bank.md in the project root now -- don't wait until the end. Include:

• Project path, app name, environment ID, app URL
• Completed steps: scaffold, init, baseline deploy
• Data sources planned (from Step 2)
• Version: v1.0.0

This ensures progress is saved even if the session ends unexpectedly.

Step 8: Add Data Sources

Invoke the /add-* skills identified in the plan (Step 3). Run each in sequence. Pass context as arguments so sub-skills skip redundant questions (project path, connector name, etc.):

App needs to...	Invoke
Store/manage custom business data	/add-dataverse
Track work items, bugs, pipelines	/add-azuredevops
Send or read Teams messages	/add-teams
Read/write Excel spreadsheet data	/add-excel
Upload, download, or manage files	/add-onedrive
Work with SharePoint lists or docs	/add-sharepoint
Send emails, read inbox, manage calendar	/add-office365
Invoke a Copilot Studio agent	/add-mcscopilot
Connect to another service	/add-connector

Each /add-* skill runs npm run build to catch errors. Do NOT deploy yet.

If no data sources needed: Skip to Step 9.

Step 9: Implement App

This is the core step. Build the actual app features described in the plan from Step 3.

1. Review generated services: Use Grep to find methods in generated service files (they can be very large -- see connector-reference.md). Do NOT read entire generated files.
2. Build components: Create React components for each screen/feature in the plan
3. Connect data: Wire components to generated services (use *Service.getAll(), *Service.create(), etc.)
4. Apply theme: Use the user's theme preference (default: dark theme per development standards)
5. Add version display: Show app version in the UI (per development standards)
6. Iterate with user: Show progress, ask for feedback, adjust as needed

Key rules:

• Use generated services for all data access -- never use fetch/axios directly
• Read dataverse-reference.md if working with Dataverse (picklist fields, virtual fields, lookups have critical gotchas)
• Remove unused imports before building (TS6133 strict mode)
• Don't edit files in src/generated/ unless fixing known issues

Step 10: Final Build & Deploy

npm run build

Fix any TypeScript errors. Verify dist/ contains the updated app.

Ask the user: "Ready to deploy to [environment name]? This will update the live app." Wait for explicit confirmation before proceeding.

pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code push"

Increment version (e.g., v1.0.0 → v1.1.0) and update version display in the app.

Step 11: Summary

Provide:

• App name, environment, app URL, project location
• Version deployed
• What was built: features, data sources, components
• Next steps: how to iterate (npm run build && pac code push), how to add more data sources
• Suggest what else the app could do:
  • /add-datasource -- add another data source (describe what you need, and the plugin will recommend the best approach)
  • /add-dataverse -- store and manage custom business data
  • /add-azuredevops -- track work items, bugs, and pipelines
  • /add-teams -- send and read Teams messages
  • /add-sharepoint -- work with SharePoint lists or documents
  • /add-office365 -- send emails, manage calendar
  • /add-connector -- connect to any other service
• Manage at https://make.powerapps.com/environments//home

Update Memory Bank

Update the memory bank (created in Step 7) with final state:

• All completed steps (scaffold, data sources, implementation, deploy)
• Features implemented and components created
• Data sources connected
• Current version
• Suggested next steps

---

Example Walkthroughs

These walkthroughs show the full sequence from user request to final output — commands run, files changed, and the verbatim summary format the assistant should use.

---

Example 1: Create a Task Tracker App with Dataverse

User request:

"Build me a simple task tracker that stores tasks in Dataverse. I want to add tasks, mark them complete, and see a list."

Commands run (in order):

# Step 1: Prerequisites
node --version                                    # → v22.4.0
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac"          # verify installed

# Step 4: Auth
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac auth list"          # → verify active environment

# Step 5: Scaffold
npx degit microsoft/PowerAppsCodeApps/templates/vite powerapps-task-tracker-20260302 --force
cd powerapps-task-tracker-20260302
npm install

# Step 6: Initialize
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code init --displayName 'Task Tracker' -e <environment-id>"

# Step 7: Baseline deploy (pre-approved as part of scaffold flow)
npm run build
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code push"
# → App URL: https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e/32a51012-.../app/<app-id>

# Step 8: Add Dataverse (via /add-dataverse)
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code add-data-source -a dataverse -t cr123_task"
npm run build   # verify connector — no deploy yet

# Step 10: Final deploy (requires user confirmation)
npm run build
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code push"

Files changed:

File	Change
power.config.json	Created by pac code init — contains environmentId
src/generated/models/Cr123_taskModel.ts	Generated by pac code add-data-source
src/generated/services/Cr123_taskService.ts	Generated by pac code add-data-source
src/components/TaskList.tsx	Created — renders task list with status filter
src/components/AddTaskForm.tsx	Created — form to add new tasks
src/App.tsx	Updated — wires components to Cr123_taskService
memory-bank.md	Created in Step 7, updated in Step 11

Final assistant summary (verbatim format):

Task Tracker is live.

App: Task Tracker v1.0.0
Environment: <your-environment-name> (<environment-id>)
URL: https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e/<environment-id>/app/<app-id>
Project: ~/powerapps-task-tracker-20260302/

What was built:
- Task list view with Active / Completed filter
- Add task form (title, description, due date)
- Mark complete / delete actions
- Dataverse table `cr123_task` (Title, Description, DueDate, IsComplete)

To redeploy: npm run build && pac code push (from the project folder)

What you can add next:
- /add-teams — post task updates to a Teams channel
- /add-office365 — send email notifications on completion

What to record in memory-bank.md:

# Task Tracker — Memory Bank

## Project

- Path: ~/powerapps-task-tracker-20260302/
- App name: Task Tracker
- Environment: <your-environment-name> (<environment-id>)
- App URL: https://apps.powerapps.com/play/e/<environment-id>/app/<app-id>
- Version: v1.0.0

## Completed Steps

- [x] Prerequisites validated
- [x] Scaffold (npx degit)
- [x] Initialize (pac code init)
- [x] Baseline deploy
- [x] Add Dataverse (cr123_task)
- [x] Implement app (TaskList, AddTaskForm)
- [x] Final deploy

## Data Sources

- Dataverse: cr123_task (Title, Description, DueDate, IsComplete)

## Components

- TaskList.tsx — filtered list, mark complete, delete
- AddTaskForm.tsx — create new tasks

## Next Steps

- Consider /add-teams for task assignment notifications

---

Example 2: Add SharePoint Connector to an Existing App

User request:

"My app already exists. Add SharePoint so I can read items from a list called 'Project Milestones'."

Commands run (in order):

# Step 6: Get connection ID (via /list-connections)
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac connection list"
# → ConnectionId: conn-sp-xyz789  (SharePoint Online)

# Step 7: Discover sites
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code list-datasets -a sharepointonline -c conn-sp-xyz789"
# → https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Projects

# Step 8: Discover tables
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code list-tables -a sharepointonline -c conn-sp-xyz789 -d 'https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Projects'"
# → Project Milestones, Documents, Team Wiki

# Step 9: Add connector
pwsh -NoProfile -Command "pac code add-data-source -a sharepointonline -c conn-sp-xyz789 -d 'https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Projects' -t 'Project Milestones'"

# Step 11: Build to verify
npm run build   # → success

Files changed:

File	Change
src/generated/services/SharePointOnlineService.ts	Generated — contains GetItems, PostItem, etc.
src/generated/models/SharePointOnlineModel.ts	Generated — TypeScript interfaces
.power/schemas/sharepointonline/	Generated schema files
memory-bank.md	Updated — connector recorded

Final assistant summary (verbatim format):

SharePoint Online connector added.

Connector: SharePoint Online
Site: https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Projects
List: Project Milestones
Build: Passed ✓

Usage:
  const result = await SharePointOnlineService.GetItems({
    dataset: "https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Projects",
    table: "Project Milestones"
  });
  const milestones = result.data?.value || [];

Next: Implement your UI components using the generated service, then run /deploy when ready.