Export Data to PDF – Power App – Custom Connector

Use Case: Export Course Management Data

We will create a Custom Connector to export data from the following Dataverse tables (Refer Dataverse Datamodel):

• Courses: Stores course information (e.g., Course Name, Description, Start Date).
• Students: Stores student details (e.g., Name, Email, Enrollment Status).
• Instructors: Stores instructor details (e.g., Name, Email, Assigned Courses).

The connector will support:

1. Retrieving all courses.
2. Retrieving students enrolled in a course.
3. Retrieving instructors assigned to a course.

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Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Set Up Your Dataverse Tables

Ensure your Dataverse data model includes:

• Courses:
  • Fields: CourseName, Description, StartDate, CourseID (unique identifier).
• Students:
  • Fields: StudentName, Email, EnrollmentStatus, CourseID (lookup to Courses).
• Instructors:
  • Fields: InstructorName, Email, CourseID (lookup to Courses).

Populate sample data to test the connector functionality.

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2. Expose Dataverse Data as an API

1. Enable Dataverse Web API:
   • Dataverse data is accessible via the Dataverse Web API.
   • Use OData queries to filter and retrieve specific data.
2. Example API Endpoints:
   • Get all courses:plaintextCopy codeGET https://<environment>.api.crm.dynamics.com/api/data/v9.2/courses
   • Get students by course:plaintextCopy codeGET https://<environment>.api.crm.dynamics.com/api/data/v9.2/students?$filter=CourseID eq <CourseID>
   • Get instructors by course:plaintextCopy codeGET https://<environment>.api.crm.dynamics.com/api/data/v9.2/instructors?$filter=CourseID eq <CourseID>
3. Authentication:
   • Use OAuth 2.0 with Azure Active Directory to authenticate API calls.

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3. Create the Custom Connector

1. Access Power Platform:
   • Go to Power Apps > Data > Custom Connectors.
2. Start a New Connector:
   • Click + New Custom Connector > Create from Blank.
   • Name the connector (e.g., CourseManagementExport).
3. Set Up General Information:
   • Host: Add your Dataverse environment URL (e.g., https://<environment>.api.crm.dynamics.com).
   • Base URL: Use /api/data/v9.2.
4. Configure Security:
   • Go to the Security tab and select OAuth 2.0.
   • Provide the following:
     • Client ID and Client Secret from your Azure AD App Registration.
     • Token URL: https://login.microsoftonline.com/<tenantID>/oauth2/v2.0/token.
     • Scope: https://<environment>.api.crm.dynamics.com/.default.

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4. Define Actions in the Connector

1. Add Action: Get Courses
   • Go to the Definition tab.
   • Click + New Action and configure:
     • Summary: Fetch all courses.
     • Operation ID: GetCourses.
     • Request:
       • Method: GET.
       • URL: /courses.
     • Response:
       • Add a sample response:jsonCopy code[ { "CourseID": "1", "CourseName": "Math 101", "Description": "Basic Mathematics", "StartDate": "2024-01-15" } ]
2. Add Action: Get Students for a Course
   • Configure another action:
     • Summary: Fetch students for a specific course.
     • Operation ID: GetStudentsByCourse.
     • Request:
       • Method: GET.
       • URL: /students?$filter=CourseID eq {CourseID}.
       • Add a parameter for CourseID.
     • Response:
       • Add a sample response:jsonCopy code[ { "StudentName": "John Doe", "Email": "john.doe@example.com", "EnrollmentStatus": "Active" } ]
3. Add Action: Get Instructors for a Course
   • Configure another action:
     • Summary: Fetch instructors for a specific course.
     • Operation ID: GetInstructorsByCourse.
     • Request:
       • Method: GET.
       • URL: /instructors?$filter=CourseID eq {CourseID}.
       • Add a parameter for CourseID.
     • Response:
       • Add a sample response:jsonCopy code[ { "InstructorName": "Jane Smith", "Email": "jane.smith@example.com" } ]

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5. Test the Custom Connector

1. Go to the Test tab in the Custom Connector.
2. Enter sample parameters (e.g., CourseID).
3. Verify the response:
   • Check that the data is retrieved correctly from Dataverse.

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6. Integrate the Connector

1. In Power Automate:
   • Use the connector to export data automatically.
   • Example: Export student and instructor data to a SharePoint list or email as a CSV.
2. In Power Apps:
   • Use the connector as a data source to display or manipulate course data in Canvas or Model-Driven Apps.