Microsoft Dataverse Developer Guide

Power Apps offers users, businesses, independent software vendors (ISVs), and systems integrators (SIs) a powerful platform for building line-of-business apps. Microsoft Dataverse is the underlying data platform for Power Apps that contains the core functionality such as server-side logic (plug-ins and workflows), business process flows, a highly sophisticated security model, and an extensible platform for developers to build apps.

There are many aspects to how developers can contribute to creating apps that use Dataverse. While it is possible to build an application with code using Dataverse as your data source, most projects will use either model-driven apps or canvas apps to generate the experience that people will use.

Working with model-driven apps

Model-driven apps are built on Dataverse, and can only connect to a Dataverse environment. All the data that defines a model-driven app is stored within Dataverse.

Model-driven apps share the method of distributing customizations and extensions used by Dataverse using Solutions.

Model driven apps also have a number of points for developers to write code to extend. For information on what developers can do with model-driven apps, see Model-driven apps Developer Guide.

Some examples of model-driven apps available from Microsoft are Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Dynamics 365 Field Service, and Dynamics 365 Marketing.

Understand when to write code

Because Dataverse includes many capabilities for people to configure custom business logic without writing code, the most common scenarios for developers to contribute involve filling spaces in-between where existing features may not provide functionality you need to meet a requirement. Fortunately, Dataverse provides many points for developers to extend the common functionality using code.

For a developer who will contribute to projects it is important that they understand what can be done without writing code. You should familiarize yourself with these capabilities. More information: What is Dataverse?

Content for on-premises deployments

Dataverse is not available for on-premises deployments at this time. Content in this guide does not include information about options that are only available for on-premises or internet facing deployments (IFD). For information related to these options, see the Developer Guide for Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (on-premises).

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See also

Power Apps for developers
Model-driven apps Developer Guide