Customizing SharePoint forms using Power Apps Vs Building standalone apps? Can I have a hybrid approach ?

[johnjohn123]

We have a development SharePoint online site >> and its lists' forms have been customized using Nintex forms. Now we are on the stage of converting the Nintex forms to Power Apps. and we have 2 approaches to follow:-

1) Customizing the SharePoint list forms using Power Apps, as follow:-

2) Build a Standalone Canvas App, and use the build-in SharePoint lists' forms as is.

but we have the following issues:-

1) If we follow the first approach >> then when we finalize the development work on the development site and we need to create the live site >> then we will have to rebuild the customized forms, as currently there is not a way to export and import the customized Power Apps forms.

2) If we follow the second approach to be able to import and export the power apps from dev to live >> then users can still interact with the SharePoint lists using the SharePoint built-in forms, so any business logic implemented inside Power Apps (like cascading drop-downs, hiding fields, make fields as disabled) can be over passed by users when they create or edit list items using SharePoint built-in forms.

so how we can fix these issues? for example is this scenario achievable:-

To build a power app standalone >> so we can Export and Import them between different sites >> then inside the standalone app to define deep linking >> and finally , to define a redirect from SharePoint list to the standalone app. So if the user click on edit link inside SharePoint list view Or click on the edit button , as follow:-

to redirect the users to the standalone power app instead of opening the built-in forms? is this approach achievable? if not then which approach of the above 2 approaches we should follow? and why?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[johnjohn123]

@Pstork1but seems there are work around to export/import customized forms @ https://blog.aterentiev.com/migrating-power-apps-sharepoint-list-form + https://poszytek.eu/en/microsoft-en/office-365-en/powerapps-en/importing-powerapps-package-as-a-shar...

[PowerRanger]

@johnjohn123 There is a way to redirect users to a standalone app. In Short you would create a standalone app, you would also create a custom Form. In the custom form you would edit the OnEdit and OnNew properties and use Launch() to open your Standalone app. You would also disable quick edit in Sharepoint List Settings. This will prevent the User to interact with the list build in ui edit possibility. But ofcourse there are several other ways a User could interact with that list. They could easily create their own powerapp to create their own edit form. No way you can prevent a User of doing that. Powerapps always requires that the logged in user has permissions on the underlying datasource as it always run in a User context.

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[Pstork1]

There are also hacks available for turning a mobile app into a Desktop/Tablet app.  But they also aren't supported.  The fact that there are ways to hack it doesn't mean that you should or that it will ever be supported.  The bottom line is that Microsoft built Power Apps and SharePoint for a non-professional developer audience.  That dictated the way it is designed to work and that hasn't (and probably won't) change.

[johnjohn123]

@PowerRanger  seems an interesting approach "There is a way to redirect users to a standalone app. In Short you would create a standalone app, you would also create a custom Form. In the custom form you would edit the OnEdit and OnNew properties and use Launch() to open your Standalone app. You would also disable quick edit in Sharepoint List Settings." where i can read more about it? thanks

Second question i have .. if you can advice on it.. do you prefer to create standalone apps and define a redirect?or customize the forms and use the hack approaches to do import/export?

[johnjohn123]

@Pstork1  i am a professional developer with 16 years of experience in SharePoint  + .NET development.. seems the issue is not within SharePoint or within power apps. but rather with the integration between them...

[johnjohn123]

@Pstork1  anyway thanks a lot for your supported and useful replies.