As we wrap up the year, we know everyone is already in holiday mode, so instead of diving into complex new stuff, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the exciting functionality updates across the Power Platform in 2024. This year has been filled with innovation that continues to empower makers and users alike. Let’s dive into the highlights, broken down by product, to give you a quick recap before the new year.
Power Apps
The Power Apps Studio saw updates this year with the addition of Copilot, new Modern controls, and an updated interface for makers:
- Copilot: Made the formula bar more intuitive, automatically suggesting formula inputs as you type. You can even add remarks to your formula code, and Copilot will interpret these as coding suggestions.
- Modern Controls: Many modern controls are now production-ready, offering robust theming and customization options. These sleek controls, like combo boxes, date pickers, and the new data table (still in preview), make creating polished apps easier than ever.
- Enhanced Interface: The updated interface introduced hover menus for controls like galleries and combo boxes, providing quick access to settings without extra clicks. Tree view icons now better represent control types, while the Data and Media panels simplify resource management with smart removal buttons for unused assets.
Power Automate
Power Automate delivered notable updates in 2024, focusing on usability and integration:
- Modern Designer: Bugs have been ironed out, and Copilot now provides intuitive suggestions while designing and testing flows.
- Power Automate Desktop: Seamless integration between desktop and cloud flows is now possible, with Power FX support for desktop flows and improved functionality for the recorder tool. Tweaking automations has never been easier.
- Copilot for Automations: Copilot has improved significantly, turning natural language into functional automations. If you haven’t used it yet, now is the time to explore this game-changing feature.
Power Pages
2024 Power Pages updates focus on enhancing the way makers create and connect their web experiences:
- Copilot for Pages and Forms: Easily create pages and forms using Copilot, which leverages natural language and the summarization API for actionable insights. Add insights to your lists and forms with Copilot integration with the summarization API.
- Improved Data Connectivity: A new setup wizard simplifies the creation of virtual tables in Dataverse and linking to external data sources, making integrations more accessible than ever.
- Power Fx Integration: While still in preview, Power Fx began rolling out in Power Pages, giving makers more flexibility to customize logic directly within their sites.
- Enhanced Data Model: All new sites now include an enhanced data model by default, setting a strong foundation for scalable and efficient data management.
Power BI
Power BI delivered some powerful updates in 2024, focused on enhancing collaboration, visual storytelling, and data-driven decision-making:
- Copilot Integration: Introduced natural language queries, AI-generated report summaries, and automated data cleaning to streamline workflows and enhance usability.
- DAX Enhancements: Released the general availability of DAX Query View, support for live connections, and new INFO functions for improved metadata insights.
- Feature Updates: Added visual calculations, dynamic format strings for measures, and enhancements to card and slicer visuals, offering greater flexibility and interactivity in reporting.
- Improved User Experience: Features like Dark Mode, advanced geospatial mapping with the Path Layer, and small multiples in card visuals further enhanced Power BI’s analytical capabilities and ease of use.
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