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Use the source code for a canvas app to review changes made by makers in Power Apps Studio. The generated canvas app YAML code is read-only and can't be modified. Any changes to the file are ignored and might be lost.
- The YAML schema is in active development, and the content might be incomplete.
- The current static schema for *.pa.yaml files is available here.
Power Fx and YAML are the languages used for Power Apps source code. YAML is valued for its human-readable format and benefits from a wide array of editors, tools, and libraries for manipulation.
Access source code files
You have access to the source code files if you're using the Dataverse Git Integration, eliminating the need for .msapp files.
The Power Apps Studio creates the source code for canvas apps, which is stored as *.pa.yaml files within the .msapp file. The .msapp file is a binary file that contains a collection of files, including the source code.
Tip
To effectively use application lifecycle management (ALM), it's recommended to use solutions. Canvas apps package doesn't support ALM and should only be used for basic import and export capabilities when Dataverse isn't available.
You can also get the source code files either from the .msapp file or by using Power Platform CLI.
The *.pa.yaml files can be found in the \Src folder of the extracted .msapp.
Important
Only files located in the \Src directory of the extracted .msapp are intended for use with source control. The JSON files in the .msapp shouldn't be used as source code because those aren't stable between save and load cycles.
Download and Extract the pa.yaml files using Power Platform CLI
Connect to your environment using Power Platform CLI and then use the following commands:
- To list the canvas apps in your current environment, use the command: pac canvas list.
- To extract the source code files, use the command: pac canvas download with the parameter -d.
Extract source code files from a .msapp file
To extract source code files from a .msapp file, you have two options:
- Manually unzip the .msapp file.
- Alternatively, you can use the following command:
Expand-Archive -Path "C:\path\to\yourFile.msapp" -DestinationPath "C:\path\to\destination"
File structure for a .msapp file
For older .msapp files without the \src folder, follow these steps to generate source code files:
- Import and resave and download the new .msapp in Power Apps Studio.
- After that, you can proceed to extract the source code files.
In the \src folder, find the following files and folders:
- App.pa.yaml: Represents the App.
- [screen Name].pa.yaml: One file for each screen, representing the screen.
- \Component: A folder containing one file for each component, represented as [component Name].pa.yaml.
Only *.pa.yaml files within the \src folder can be used as source code. Any other file shouldn't be used as source code.
Power Apps YAML schema versions
Currently, there are three schema versions of Power Apps source code:
| Format name | File extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | *.fx.yaml | Version used by the experimental Power Apps Git version control and pac canvas unpack—no longer in development. |
| Early preview | - | The version used by code view, copy code, and paste code. There's no version information in this schema, so it isn't suitable for version control. When code view is generally available (GA), it switches to the source code preview format. |
| Source code | *.pa.yaml files | Includes enhancements and version details for source control and is in active development. |
Experimental format (*.fx.yaml)
This schema describes an experimental format used by the Power Platform CLI to process and convert canvas apps into a source code format. This format isn't actively developed anymore.
You can't directly convert *.fx.yaml files to the new formats. To convert older apps, package the canvas app as a .msapp file and import it into Power Apps Studio.
Preview
This version is used by Code view during the preview period. It is designed to create canvas apps in Power Apps Studio, letting you easily copy and paste controls. In this version, the source code is used in Power Apps Studio instead of being converted, like the experimental format.
The format during preview was temporary and is no longer in use. You can paste code from the preview format.
Here are the changes made from the experimental format:
- ZIndex property removal: The ZIndex property is removed. Instead, a screen is represented as an array of controls. The order of controls determines their stacking order. Normal controls are ordered in ascending order, while responsive controls are ordered in descending order.
- JSON object representation replacement: The "As" syntax is no longer used to define the control type. Instead, the left side of the control's name identifier remains unique. Only properties that differ from the default values are serialized. Two new properties define the control type and default values:
- Control: Represents the control type in YAML.
- Variant: Identifies a variant of a control type, which might alter default property values, add or remove properties, or modify the behavior or layout of the control.
These properties are used for instantiating controls and don't accept Power Fx expressions.
Source code (*.pa.yaml)
Important
- The YAML source code for canvas apps is actively being developed. The content may be incomplete and subject to change.
- The .pa.yaml files are read-only and should only be used to review changes made in Power Apps Studio. These files are not used when an app is loading.
- External editing, merging, and conflict resolution isn't supported.
This schema is designed for source control purposes and allows the use of a single YAML file.
Updates from the previous format include:
- Grouping of Top-Level Node Elements:
- The top-level keywords "App" and "Screens" are examples of how elements are now grouped in a top-level node.
- Control Version Specification:
- You can now specify the version of a control using the Control Keyword followed by the @ operator. If no version is specified, the most current version of the control is used. The version is used to deserialize the properties of the source code. Runtime version of the control is defined by the authoring version.
- Simplified Variant Names:
- Not all controls require a variant.
- Consistent ZIndex for All Controls:
- All controls now use an ascending order to determine the ZIndex value, starting from 1. This behavior aligns with the CSS 2 spec.