Add existing app to new solution for development?

[rg0173]

I need help understanding how to work with existing Model-Driven Apps.

If there is an existing App in another Solution on the same environment that I want to improve upon, do I have to

1. create a new Solution,
2. Select Add existing (app),
3. choose the existing app 
4. publish (won't there be a conflict that the named App already exists?)
5. export
6. Import into another new solution in order to make changes that don't affect the existing App?

Summary: How do i work (separately) on an existing app without affecting the existing version? Will I be able to rename it to something other than the 'production-read' version?

I've searched and read countless articles in the available sources among them:

Distribute a model-driven app using a solution - Power Apps | Microsoft Learn

[BCBuizer]

Hi @rg0173 ,

Solutions are, as suggested by the title of the article you posted, used for distribution. This means the same app within the same environment can be part of multiple solutions. Editing the app within that environment means you'll have to export all the solutions that contain this app to have it updated in the target environments.

As for editing the app, a single developer environment is advised for editing the app and from there you export it to a testing or production environment. The production environment is where the users are using the app. Because it is in a different environment from where you develop the app, the users will not notice anything until you export the solution(s) again to the production environment(s).

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/alm/environment-strategy-alm

[rg0173]

Thanks for responding, maybe I need to ask my question a different way. I have a DEV/TEST/PROD environment where there is a solution that has the app I want to change. These changes will be over time (weeks) and I don't want to integrate them into the 'final' solution/app until those longer-term changes are complete and ready for production.  There may be things that need to be promoted before the other changes are ready, so the app needs to be intact with what is needed, not what is in development.🤔

Is there not a way to make a standalone version of the app (with a new "development" name) in a new solution in the same environment?

[BCBuizer]

Hi @rg0173 ,

Adding an app to a solution will not automatically update the same app in multiple environments unless you automate that. Assuming you have not automated anything, you will still have to manually export/import the solution from one environment to another before any changes are applied in the target environments. 

Because of this, you can consider your app in the development environment as a standalone version: no changes you make in the dev environment will reflect in the test and prod environments unless you export the solution there.

[rg0173]

Once again, thank you for your help. I understand that changes made in DEV do not automatically render in other environments, that's not my question. My hope is that I could have 1 version of the app in DEV that is for 'longer-term development/POC testing and on the SAME ENVIRONMENT copy 2 which would be used for quicker development and migration to PROD. Changes in copy 1 wouldn't impact copy 2 (assuming because it is a renamed app).

Is this possible and how?

Really not understanding how this works for companies that have multiple developers working on the same app. 😳

[BCBuizer]

Hi @rg0173 ,

Enterprise grade organisations will have set up CI/CD pipelines using things like Git for their DevOps. More info on that can be found here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/alm/alm-for-developers

[rg0173 · Accepted solution]

HOORAY! I found a solution using XRMtoolbox. Thank you, @yasirsafeer for making my day! ☕

Link here to the demo video and XRMtoolbox: Model-Driven Apps Copier ⋆ PowerApps Ninja

[yasirsafeer]

You are welcome @rg0173  and I am glad it helped you.
Sincere apologies for the late reply.

[Akanksha09]

I also need to implement this. I have an app named xyz. I need to make a copy of it in same environment but a different solution and make changes to the copy of the app such that they do not reflect in original app. 

I used "Model Driven App copier" from XRMToolBox to do this , but it gave me the following error:

Creating App "Demo CSRD Data Collection "
> Sitemap "Demo CSRD Data Collection " (esg_DemoCSRDDataCollection) created in the solution "Demo App" (DemoApp)
> An error occured while creating the app...!
> Possible reasons may include name conflict with an existing Model Driven App or Sitemap
> ErrorCode: -2147155693
> ErrorMessage: The ID 09d937ab-664d-4869-b9cd-d52bf11eb3de doesn’t exist or isn’t valid for the component type “SavedQuery”.
> Timestamp: 2/1/2024 2:17:24 PM
> Failed to create the app "Demo CSRD Data Collection " (esg_DemoCSRDDataCollection)

[Akanksha09]

@yasirsafeer I am geeting the following error while making a copy of my MDA 

Creating App "Demo CSRD Data Collection "
> Sitemap "Demo CSRD Data Collection " (esg_DemoCSRDDataCollection) created in the solution "Demo App" (DemoApp)
> An error occured while creating the app...!
> Possible reasons may include name conflict with an existing Model Driven App or Sitemap
> ErrorCode: -2147155693
> ErrorMessage: The ID 09d937ab-664d-4869-b9cd-d52bf11eb3de doesn’t exist or isn’t valid for the component type “SavedQuery”.
> Timestamp: 2/1/2024 2:17:24 PM
> Failed to create the app "Demo CSRD Data Collection " (esg_DemoCSRDDataCollection)

But my original MDA is working fine..