Taking a picture with PowerApps and sending to SharePoint with just Flow

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Less than one day after I wrote about Taking a picture with PowerApps and sending to SharePoint with help of Azure Functions - I was looking at Flow to do another thing with recurring calendar events, and reading about how Logic App's Workflow Definition Language can be used in Flow.  Then as I scrolled down - I saw this: dataUriToBinary

This was the heart of the problem in converting PowerApp's camera image (Data URI) for SharePoint File upload (Binary).  That I solved with an Azure Function.

And here it is, again, staring at me: dataUriToBinary()
And I know I'd have to write this new post.  

Create the Flow from Template

Using Advanced Formula from Logic Apps Functions in Flow

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-au/azure/logic-apps/logic-apps-workflow-definition-language#functions lists the Logic Apps functions available to Flow.  There are some tricks to make the syntax work - but they are all the same, so practice makes perfect.  Also, there is a LOT of functions.  So it should be fun.

 

Add Compose Action

Add "@dataUriToBinary(  ...  )" drag in Createfile_FileContent.  It'll look OK at first, but if you try to Update flow, you'll get an error.

The template validation failed: 'The template action 'Compose' at line '1' and column '1947' is not valid: "The template language expression 'dataUriToBinary(@{triggerBody()['Createfile_FileContent']})' is not valid: the string character '@' at position '16' is not expected.".'.

Note 2018: the Flow designer has been changed since 2017, and the way to write this expression has changed.

  • Create a Compose action

  • In the dynamic content panel that pop up on the right, select expression editor

  • Type in dataUriToBinary(triggerBody()['Createfile_FileContent'])

  • Note, without the prefix @

  • Hit OK to write the expression into the Compose

Note: Once you save and come back, it won't show the " quotes anymore, and it isn't updateable.

flow2.png

 

Result

So that's all - DataURI to Binary conversion for PowerApps camera to go to SharePoint file.

 

In a way, I'm glad - even in my previous post I argued that data conversion should be native, and shouldn't require a developer.  So this is kind of my wish come true.

 

April PnP JavaScript special interest group call and Azure Functions demos

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Shortly after the March Azure Functions demo, I reached out and asked Patrick about coming back to do a follow up focused on JavaScript - specifically PnP-JS-Core.  As I've completely skipped it in the March call/demo that was focused on PnP PowerShell (and C#).  When I first started playing with Azure Functions I was doing everything in JavaScript - so it was nice to return to be able to do this demo. 

Uploaded by SharePoint / Office 365 Dev Patterns & Practices on 2017-04-13.

I'm a bit more mindful of the time, but this whole demo is on PnP-JS-Core.

We focused on a few things that people asked in the PnP-PowerShell call in March:

  • What about JavaScript - can you show JavaScript in Azure Functions
  • Isomorphic PnP-JS-Core - running on NodeJS - if you are going to use JavaScript on the client, might as well use the same code on the server.
  • Authentication using Sergei's node-sp-auth (congrats on MVP award!)
  • How to test your Azure Functions locally via azure-functions-cli
  • Live debugging with VSCode (locally)
  • How to pack your JavasScript AzureFunctions so that you don't need to deploy the massive node_modules (which is both costly for storage, and has a higher startup time).  We use azure-functions-pack

SharePoint's Future is full of JavaScript

Lots of quick little demos that makes a nice introduction scenario - but if you have not seen Azure Functions before, this is best viewed as a supplementary follow up to the first PnP Call in March.

Related Links

http://johnliu.net/blog/2017/4/march-pnp-special-interest-group-call-and-azure-functions-demos

 

If anyone asks is Microsoft still investing in SharePoint - show them this.

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I was attending an MVP community event, and a few non-office MVPs asked me, hey is Microsoft still investing in SharePoint?  Is there anything new coming next?  There hasn't been a product for a few years right?  (This is so odd, we just had SP2016...  and SPO hasn't stopped having new features every month.)

I was also working at a client when one of our advanced users rushed over and asked John - what's going on with this new Teams thing - is Microsoft scrapping SharePoint.  (I was pretty shocked at this one).

Realizing that I'm probably directly connected to the flood of news regarding SharePoint - it is surprising people aren't aware of many of the best and greatest of SharePoint is still to come.  I decided to write this post.

April - SP Tech Con (lastest info as of this post)

This is the latest info as of this post.  Follow Mark Kashman - PM SharePoint. 

This was the SPTechCon keynote. 
https://www.slideshare.net/markkashman/reinventing-content-collaboration-the-future-of-sharepoint-is-now-sptechcon-austin-ms-keynote

 

Feburary - Internal Demo Day

Is there still a SharePoint team?  YES - and they are legion.

Directly from Jeff Teper the father of SharePoint

May - What's next?

2017 May 16 is the SharePoint Virtual Summit.  This is the big one.  Especially if we look back to 2016's May the 4th event when we first embarked on the next step of the Future of SharePoint, and now we see what the team has delivered within just one year.  It's been nothing but awesome. 

So no matter where you are in the world - you should register for the Virtual Summit.

In Australia

The Office 365 Saturday is upon us really soon.  The annual free community event will be coming to a city near you!  You need to sign up.  This helps us plan our catering needs.

O365 Customizations in the year 2017

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It is the year 2017 - watch out, because O365 customizations are full speed ahead.

This is a MS Australia Ignite 'lightning talk' for Meetup Madness (sorry, I took twice the amount of time than I should) to convince a room full of people that loved O365 to become developers.

MS AU Ignite Meetup Madness - O365 Customizations in 2017

Much laughter was had.  But I stand by what I said - you are now all developers, now go build something amazing!

 

Where is SharePoint Customization going in 2017

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I'm actually pretty terrible at gambling the future of Technology.  But I like writing these posts because it makes me sit down and think.

User Experience: SPFx is king

 

The user experience is dominated in 2016 with the news of SharePoint Framework (SPFx).  Which shifts development and toolchain to a more modern JavaScript Stack:  NodeJS, Yeoman.  WebPack.  There are component libraries like Office UI Fabric, but we explored options such as Kendo UI and UI Bootstrap and there are many benefits too.  In 2017, SPFx should come down to On-Premises too, we'll have to wait and see what that looks like.

Sure - there are still plenty of gaps where SPFx can't cover - many of us are looking to a solution that allows us to do a site-level script injection or something that will let us do a Single Page Application override.  But I'm very bullish on the SPFx.  I think 2017 will rock.

https://github.com/SharePoint/sp-dev-docs

 

Frameworks: Angular or React

React continues to better suit component development, and Angular might catch up, but we'll see.  In SPG, we are divided into both camps, and for people that aren't familiar with Angular, I am not opposed to them learning React.

I am however, dead serious that no one should try to learn both Angular and React at the same time.  One need to pick one, master it, then the concepts of the other framework will map in the mind and come naturally.  Learning both at the same time without mastering either of them will screw one's learning path.  Don't risk this.

Have an ASPNET MVC background?  Angular will make more sense.  Want a more code / component based approach?  Then React will make more sense.  Pick one and run with it.

I have picked up Angular now and am quite happy with it.  Feel free to reach out with Angular+SharePoint questions.  I can't help with React questions.

 

SP Helper: PnP-JS-Core

I have high hopes that PnP-JS-Core will continue to gain popularity and wrap around the SharePoint REST Services well.  I can totally see a few blog posts in the future using NodeJS, PnP-JS-Core inside an Azure Function to manage SharePoint Online.

As a bonus, it works really well with On-Premises too.  Congrats on hitting 2.0.0 Patrick!

 

Build tool: Webpack

Pick up webpack - do it now.  gulp and grunt are no longer the right tools that manage the build process.  Use them to automate the tasks around the build.

The rise of command-line-interface CLI tools will be the theme of 2017.  We have angular-cli, create-react-app, SharePoint Framework has its own yeoman template.

CLI is just a command line's way of "new file wizard"

 

Dashboards: Power BI

We did a bit of work with embedding Power BI dashboards into SharePoint, and with the rapid pace of releases of upcoming Power BI SPFx, Push data with Flow to PowerBI and PowerBI Streaming Datasets - it will become increasing no brainer to use Power BI to build your reporting dashboard and embed them into your sites.  With a local gateway, Power BI works for on-premises data too.

 

Forms: ???

I would like to say Power Apps is the thing.  But it's not, not yet.  The reason I say this is that business wants Forms.  They want forms to replace paper processes.  They want forms to replace older, aging digital forms (InfoPath).

Power Apps isn't trying to be a Form.  It is trying to be a Mobile App-Builder.  It might get there one day.  But I'm not sure if that's the course they have set.

I was thinking Angular-Forms for heavy customizations and Power Apps for simple ones.

I'm open to suggestions. 

 

Automation: Flow / Logic Apps + Azure Functions

Several products hit the scene - Flow, Logic Apps are fairly basic.  But once you pair them up with an Atomic Hammer (Azure Functions), then everything will look like a nail and everything's easy.

The way I see it, Flow is better for single events and Logic Apps is better for sets of data.

And don't get me started on the dirt cheap price point too. 

 

Server Code as a Service: Azure Functions

You've probably seen from my recent posts where I rant on and on about Azure Functions.  I truly see it as the ultimate power to do anything that we need a server to do.

  • Any Elevate Permissions task - in Workflow, Flow, Logic Apps or JavaScript Front-End Application
  • Any long running task
  • Any scheduled task
  • Any event response task - especially combined with the newly released SharePoint Webhooks
  • Any task that requires you to build a set of microservices for your power user to build complex Flows or Power Apps
  • Choose any language you like: C#, NodeJS or PowerShell, in fact, mix them in your microservices - nobody cares how it runs, and it's great.

 

Auth Helper: ADAL, MSAL

We can't escape this.  As soon as we begin to connect to various APIs we'll need authentication bearer tokens.

We seem to have better and better helper libraries as time goes on.  But regardless, in 2017 - we will need to be able to auth to the Microsoft Graph in any language that we use.

Julie Turner has an excellent series:

 

Summary

And these are my picks for 2017.  Do let me know what you think - I'm really interested in points where you disagree with my choices, because I want to learn.