When building apps in Power Apps, understanding the tools available is essential to creating a smooth and intuitive user experience. Two of the most common controls you’ll come across are Forms and Galleries. While both are used to interact with data, they have distinct purposes and use cases. In this post, we’ll dive into the differences between a Form and a Gallery, helping you make the right choice for your app.
What is a Power Apps Gallery?
A Gallery is used to display multiple records in a list format. Think of it like a scrollable list that shows multiple items from your data source, such as a list of customers, products, or tasks. Each record is represented as a single item within the gallery.
Key Features of a Gallery:
- Multiple Records: A gallery can display many records at once, making it ideal for browsing large sets of data.
- Customizable Layout: You can decide what information to display for each record, such as adding images, labels, or icons.
- Selectable Items: Users can click on a record to view its details, which can trigger other actions like navigating to a form or displaying the details of the selected item.
- Use Case: Ideal for showing a list of data such as a product catalog, a customer directory, or a task list.
What is a Power Apps Form?
A Form is designed for viewing, editing, or creating a single record. It’s used when you need to interact with detailed information, like entering or updating a customer’s profile or creating a new order. A form works with fields, and each field is tied to a specific column in your data source.
Key Features of a Form:
- Single Record: Forms work with one record at a time, making them ideal for detailed data entry or editing.
- Modes: Forms can be used in three modes – View, Edit, or New. You can customize the form to show fields for different actions.
- Data Binding: Forms are bound to a specific record, which allows for direct interaction with that record’s data.
- Use Case: Best suited for tasks such as filling out a customer form, editing an order, or creating a new item in a database.
Forms vs. Galleries: A Quick Comparison
| Feature | Gallery | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Display multiple records at once | Display, create, or edit a single record |
| Interaction | Users select records from a list | Users create, view, or edit a single record |
| Data Source | Shows multiple records from a data source | Shows one record (for view/edit) or creates new |
| Customization | Customize layout for multiple items | Customize layout for individual fields |
| Use Case | Browsing or selecting a record from a list | Entering or editing detailed information |
When to Use a Gallery
If your app needs to display a list of records for users to select or browse through, a Gallery is the best choice. For example, if you’re building a product catalog or a customer list, galleries provide a clean and efficient way to show many records at once.
When to Use a Form
When your app requires users to enter or modify detailed data, such as filling out a new customer profile or editing order details, a Form is the go-to control. Forms are perfect for scenarios where users need to input or change specific information.
Conclusion
Both Galleries and Forms are essential components of Power Apps Canvas apps, each serving different functions. While Galleries excel at displaying lists of records, Forms shine when it comes to handling detailed data for a single record. Understanding when and how to use each will help you build more efficient, user-friendly apps.
With this knowledge, you can now confidently use Forms and Galleries to create powerful and intuitive apps in Power Apps!