Create and Manage tables in Dataverse

 Create and Manage tables in Dataverse

        Dataverse allows data to be integrated from multiple sources into a single store, which can then be used in Power Apps. If you are using Power Apps, then the license will cover Dataverse so you don’t have to pay extra. Microsoft Dataverse “Common data service” is a cloud-based storage space that organizations can use to store business application data. Dataverse is a straightforward platform that you can use to begin designing your data structures, it is cloud-based storage space.

        The data within Dataverse is stored within a set of tables. A table is a set of records that used to store data, each table consists of some columns. Dataverse uses Azure Active Directory identity and access management mechanisms to help ensure that only authorized users can access the environment, data, and reports.

Advantage to use Dataverse

1) Easy to manage

2) Secure store

3) Work with any type of data

4) Work with any type of apps

5) Metadata

6) Analytics and reporting

Types of tables

The four types of tables are:

Standard - The base set of tables that are created for every instance of a Dataverse database. You can add more columns to any table, but you cannot delete any column from a standard, premium, or restricted table.

Complex - tables that contain complex, server-side business logic, including real-time workflows or plug-ins. Some of the tables that are used in Dynamics 365 applications are complex.

Restricted - Certain tables that are tied to Dynamics 365 application functionalities require each user to have the corresponding license for that Dynamics 365 application if they want to create, update, or delete rows within the restricted tables. 

Custom - Are created for a specific business application. All licensed users of Dataverse can access custom tables if they are assigned proper security permissions to do so.

Steps to create a custom table

1.Sign in to Power Apps.

2.On the navigation pane, select or tap Data to expand it and then select or tap Tables.

3.Select New table in the command bar.

4.In the New table panel, in the Display name box, enter the name of your new custom table.

Plural display name - The plural display name is the name of the table in the Dataverse WebAPI and is used when you are interacting with this table from Power Apps or Power Automate.

Name - This column is also auto populated when you enter a display name. The prefix was set up when the environment was created and ensures that the tables you create can be exported and imported into other environments without conflicting with other table names. 

Under the Primary Name column section and in the Display name box, enter a name for Display Name. In the Name box, replace Name with a name of your choosing for the new primary column.

By default, every table contains a Primary Name column that is used by lookup columns when establishing relationships with other tables. Typically, the Primary Name column stores the name description of the data that is stored in a table's row. You can update the name and display name of the Primary Name at any time.

When you are finished, select Create.

5.To add a column to the table, use the following procedure:

In the command bar, select or tap Add column to open the column properties panel.

In the Display name box, enter the name of the column that you want to add.

From the Data type drop-down list, select the type of data that you want to add.

Select and change the Required dropdown if desired.

Select or tap Done.

6.Select Save table to save your table and make it available for use in apps.