Creating a User-Based Permission App through Power Apps

Custom applications are becoming more prevalent within organizations because they are getting more accessible and easier to build. With Microsoft Power Apps, we find we are making all different types of applications – from social apps to business apps paired with Power Automate. We have been able to implement easy-to-use solutions that can be accessed within Microsoft Teams or SharePoint pages on tablets or mobile phones. A recent document control project had us digging into Power Apps features so that we could apply permissions to the different elements in the app, thereby allowing certain users specific app functionality. We found a pretty neat solution: based on the current user, we can use Power Apps connectors, such as Office 365 Users, to pull user profile information and apply logic to show or hide elements.

By using the current users’ profile information, we can mimic a permissions-like control. This is accomplished by comparing the current user to the user that should have permission. This logical test is then applied to buttons and other elements within the app, resulting in showing, hiding, enabling, or disabling of controls. For example, an admin in the document control process may need access to specific tools or have the ability to edit anything within the list or library, while others cannot. In this scenario, we will build a particular set of screens that only the admin can access. It’s as simple as setting the button used to navigate to the current screen only to appear when [current user email] = [admin email].

Another example allows users to edit items or files they have created, using the same logic as above, [current user email] = [created by email]. Instead of hiding a button, we set the switch to the disabled when the logic came back false.

 

 

Do You Need Power Apps In Your Organization?

Klarinet Solutions has seen a lot of success in using Power Apps to make powerful, user-friendly internal tools that connect to your pre-existing and new business data. To learn more about how these tools can work for you in your company, please reach out to us at 866.211.8191 or book a product demo here.