Forms, Galleries, and allow users to create or update records. Galleries, display forms, and edit forms are commonly

Forms, Galleries & Controls

For example, in an asset tracking app, a gallery can show a list of all assets. When the user selects one asset, a display form can show the details of that asset. If the user needs to update the asset location or status, an edit form can allow changes and save them back to the data source.

What are Controls in Power Apps?

Controls are the visual and interactive elements that app makers place on a canvas app screen. A control can display information, collect input, perform an action, show a list of records, or help users interact with data.

Examples of controls include labels, buttons, text inputs, dropdowns, date pickers, forms, galleries, icons, images, and checkboxes. Each control has properties that define how it looks and behaves. For example, a button can have text, color, size, and an action formula. A label can display static text or dynamic data. A gallery can display multiple records from a data source.

Why Forms, Galleries, and Controls are Important

Forms, galleries, and controls are important because they create the user experience of a canvas app. Users do not directly work with the database or data source. Instead, they use controls on the app screen. These controls help them view, search, filter, select, enter, edit, submit, and delete information.

These elements are useful because they help app makers:

• Create data entry screens.
• Show lists of records from a data source.
• Display details of selected records.
• Allow users to edit existing records.
• Allow users to create new records.
• Add buttons for actions such as submit, cancel, save, or navigate.
• Add input controls such as text boxes, dropdowns, and date pickers.
• Create interactive business apps without traditional full-code development.

Three Main Data Interaction Controls

Microsoft Learn describes three important controls for working with records in canvas apps: gallery control, display form control, and edit form control. These controls support three common user activities: browsing records, viewing details, and editing or creating records.

What is a Gallery?

A gallery is a Power Apps control used to display multiple records from a data source. Each record in the gallery can show one or more pieces of information. For example, a customer gallery may show customer name, city, phone number, and status. An asset gallery may show asset name, asset ID, assigned employee, and location.

Microsoft Learn describes a gallery control as a control that contains other controls and shows a set of data. A gallery can show multiple records from a data source, and each record can contain multiple types of data.

Use of Gallery Control

A gallery is useful when the app needs to show a list of records. Instead of showing one record at a time, a gallery can display many records in a scrollable format. Users can browse the list and select a record to view more details or edit it.

Common uses of galleries include:

• Showing a list of employees.
• Showing a list of customers.
• Showing submitted leave requests.
• Showing asset records.
• Showing service tickets.
• Showing project tasks.
• Showing student attendance records.

A gallery is often used on the browse screen of an app. Users select a record from the gallery, and the selected record can then be shown in a display form or edit form.

Gallery Template

A gallery contains a template. The template represents the design of one item inside the gallery. When changes are made to the template, those changes are reflected for all items in the gallery.

For example, if a gallery shows customer records and the maker adds a label for customer name inside the template, that label appears for each customer record. If the maker changes the font size or color in the template, the same design is applied to all records in the gallery.

The template helps app makers design once and repeat the design for every record.

Important Gallery Properties

Properties control how a gallery behaves and what data it displays. Microsoft Learn identifies key gallery properties such as Items, Default, and Selected.

The Items property is especially important because it controls which records appear in the gallery. A gallery may show all records from a data source, or it may show filtered or sorted records depending on the formula used.

What is a Form?

A form is a Power Apps control used to show, edit, or create a single record. Forms are useful when the app needs to display many fields from one selected record or collect information from users.

There are two important form controls for beginners:

• Display Form: Used to show details of one record.
• Edit Form: Used to edit an existing record or create a new record.

Display Form

A display form is used to show information about one selected record. It is useful when users need to view details but do not need to edit the record.

For example, if a user selects an employee from a gallery, a display form can show the employee’s full details such as name, department, email, phone number, manager, and joining date.

A display form is suitable for:

• Viewing employee details.
• Viewing customer information.
• Viewing asset details.
• Viewing service request details.
• Viewing project task information.

Edit Form

An edit form is used to create a new record or update an existing record. It allows users to enter or change data and save those changes back to the underlying data source.

For example, a leave request app can use an edit form to collect employee name, leave type, start date, end date, reason, and manager comments. A service ticket app can use an edit form to update ticket status, priority, assigned user, and resolution notes.

An edit form is suitable for:

• Creating a new leave request.
• Editing customer details.
• Updating asset location.
• Submitting inspection data.
• Updating ticket status.

Forms and Data Cards

In Power Apps forms, fields are displayed using cards. A card represents one field from the data source. For example, an Employee Name card displays or edits the Employee Name field. A Start Date card displays or edits the Start Date field.

Cards help organize fields inside a form. App makers can decide which fields appear on the form and how they should be arranged. A form may show only important fields, or it may show many fields depending on the business need.

Example cards in a Leave Request form:

• Employee Name card
• Leave Type card
• Start Date card
• End Date card
• Reason card
• Status card

Controls Used Inside Forms

Forms can contain different input controls depending on the field type. These controls help users enter correct information.

Common Controls in Power Apps

Controls are used to design the user interface of an app. Some controls show information, some collect input, and some trigger actions.

Browse, Detail, and Edit Screen Pattern

Many canvas apps follow a three-screen pattern: browse screen, detail screen, and edit screen. This pattern is easy for beginners to understand and is useful for many business apps.

This pattern is common because most business apps need to show records, show details, and allow updates.

How Galleries and Forms Work Together

Galleries and forms are often used together. A gallery shows many records, and a form shows or edits one selected record. The selected record from the gallery can be passed to the form so that the form displays the correct details.

Example:

1. The gallery shows all leave requests.
2. The user selects one leave request from the gallery.
3. The detail form shows information for the selected leave request.
4. The user selects an edit button.
5. The edit form allows the user to update the request.
6. The app saves changes back to the data source.

This combination creates a complete user experience for viewing and managing records.

Buttons and Actions

Buttons are controls that allow users to perform actions. A button can navigate to another screen, submit a form, reset a form, cancel editing, refresh data, or perform another configured action.

Common button examples:

• Submit button
• Save button
• Cancel button
• Edit button
• New request button
• Back button
• Delete button

Buttons become powerful when formulas are added to their action properties. For example, a button can be configured to navigate to another screen or submit form data.

Text Inputs and Labels

Text inputs and labels are basic but very important controls in Power Apps.

A label is used to display text. It can show headings, instructions, field names, messages, or dynamic values from a data source. A text input is used to collect typed information from users.

Example uses:

• A label shows the title “Leave Request Form”.
• A label shows the text “Employee Name”.
• A text input collects the reason for leave.
• A text input collects comments or remarks.

Dropdowns, List Boxes, and Radio Controls

Dropdowns, list boxes, and radio controls help users select values from predefined options. These controls are useful because they reduce typing errors and make data entry more consistent.

Example uses:

• Dropdown for selecting department.
• Dropdown for selecting leave type.
• Radio control for selecting priority.
• List box for selecting one or more categories.

These controls are useful when the app maker wants users to choose from controlled options instead of typing free text.

CRUD Apps and Forms

A common type of canvas app is a CRUD app. CRUD means Create, Read, Update, and Delete. A CRUD app allows users to create records, read or view records, update records, and delete records in a data source.

Forms and galleries are very useful in CRUD apps:

• A gallery can show records.
• A display form can show one selected record.
• An edit form can create or update a record.
• Buttons can submit, cancel, create, delete, or navigate.

For example, an asset management CRUD app can allow users to add a new asset, view asset details, update assigned user, and delete outdated records if allowed.

Example: Leave Request App

A leave request app is a good beginner example for understanding forms, galleries, and controls.

Browse Screen

A gallery can show all leave requests. Each item in the gallery may show employee name, leave type, start date, and status.

Detail Screen

A display form can show the full details of the selected leave request, such as reason, end date, manager comments, and approval status.

Edit Screen

An edit form can allow the user to create a new leave request or update an existing one. Controls such as dropdowns, date pickers, text inputs, and buttons can be used in the form.

Buttons

• New Request button
• Submit button
• Cancel button
• Back button

Example: Asset Tracking App

An asset tracking app can also use forms, galleries, and controls effectively.

Gallery

A gallery can show a list of assets with asset name, category, location, and status.

Display Form

A display form can show the selected asset’s full details, including asset ID, assigned employee, purchase date, and condition.

Edit Form

An edit form can update asset status, location, assigned employee, or remarks.

Controls

• Dropdown for asset category.
• Text input for remarks.
• Date picker for purchase date.
• Button for save or cancel.

Example: Student Attendance App

Forms, galleries, and controls can also be used in educational apps such as student attendance apps.

Gallery

A gallery can show a list of students in a selected class.

Controls

Radio buttons or dropdowns can be used to mark attendance status such as Present, Absent, or Late.

Form

A form can be used to submit attendance records for a selected date and class.

This app can help students understand how controls collect input and how forms submit data.

Best Practices for Forms, Galleries, and Controls

Forms, galleries, and controls should be used carefully so that the app is easy to use and maintain.

• Use galleries to show lists of records.
• Use display forms when users only need to view data.
• Use edit forms when users need to create or update data.
• Use meaningful names for controls.
• Show only necessary fields on forms.
• Use dropdowns or radio controls when users should choose from fixed options.
• Use labels clearly so users understand what to enter.
• Keep screens simple and uncluttered.
• Test form submission with sample data.
• Check that galleries show the correct data source.
• Use buttons with clear action names such as Submit, Save, Cancel, or Back.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

Beginners may make mistakes when working with forms, galleries, and controls. These mistakes can make the app difficult to use or troubleshoot.

• Using too many controls on one screen.
• Not naming controls clearly.
• Using an edit form when only a display form is needed.
• Using text input where a dropdown would give cleaner data.
• Not connecting the gallery to the correct data source.
• Not checking the selected item from a gallery.
• Showing too many fields in a form.
• Not testing submit and cancel buttons.
• Not checking whether form data is saved correctly.
• Writing formulas on the wrong control property.

A good app maker should test each control and screen carefully.

Forms, Galleries, and Controls Workflow

The following workflow can help beginners design a simple canvas app using forms, galleries, and controls.

1. Connect the app to a data source.
2. Create a browse screen.
3. Add a gallery to show records.
4. Configure the gallery Items property.
5. Create a detail screen.
6. Add a display form to show selected record details.
7. Create an edit screen.
8. Add an edit form for creating or updating records.
9. Add buttons for New, Edit, Submit, Cancel, and Back actions.
10. Test browsing, viewing, editing, and submitting records.

Simple Architecture of a Canvas App Screen

The following diagram shows how controls may work together in a simple canvas app:

Data Source
   |
   v
Gallery Control
(List of Records)
   |
   v
Selected Record
   |
   +------------------+
   |                  |
   v                  v
Display Form       Edit Form
(View Details)     (Create or Update)
   |
   v
Buttons and Controls
(Submit, Cancel, Back, Edit)

This simple pattern helps users browse, view, and manage records in an app.

Important Properties to Understand

Properties are very important in Power Apps. They define how controls behave and what they display.

Forms, Galleries, and Controls Terms to Remember

Important Points to Remember

• Forms, galleries, and controls are important building blocks of canvas apps.
• A gallery displays multiple records from a data source.
• A display form shows details of one selected record.
• An edit form allows users to edit or create a record.
• Controls are user interface elements such as buttons, labels, text inputs, dropdowns, forms, and galleries.
• The Items property controls what data appears in a gallery.
• The Selected property represents the selected record in a gallery.
• Gallery templates help apply the same design to all records in the gallery.
• Forms use cards to show and edit fields.
• Buttons are used for actions such as submit, cancel, save, edit, and navigate.
• Dropdowns and radio controls help reduce typing errors by using predefined options.
• A common app pattern is browse screen, detail screen, and edit screen.

Simple Summary

Forms, galleries, and controls are essential parts of a Power Apps canvas app. A gallery shows many records from a data source. A display form shows details of one selected record. An edit form allows users to create or update a record. Controls such as labels, buttons, text inputs, dropdowns, date pickers, forms, and galleries make the app interactive.

A simple canvas app often has three screens: a browse screen with a gallery, a detail screen with a display form, and an edit screen with an edit form. Buttons and other controls help users move between screens and perform actions such as submit, cancel, save, or edit.

Understanding forms, galleries, and controls helps learners build useful apps that can display data, collect user input, and update business records.

Conclusion

Forms, galleries, and controls are the foundation of user interaction in Power Apps canvas apps. They allow app makers to design screens where users can browse records, view details, enter information, edit records, and perform actions. Without these elements, a canvas app would not be able to provide a meaningful user experience.

Galleries are useful for showing lists of records. Display forms are useful for showing details of a selected record. Edit forms are useful for creating new records or updating existing records. Controls such as buttons, labels, text inputs, dropdowns, date pickers, and icons help users interact with the app in a simple and structured way.

For beginners, the best way to understand these concepts is to build a simple CRUD-style app. A browse screen can show records in a gallery, a detail screen can show the selected record in a display form, and an edit screen can allow users to create or update records using an edit form. This pattern helps learners understand how data flows through an app.

A good Power Apps maker should use controls carefully, name them clearly, keep forms simple, show only required fields, use dropdowns where controlled choices are needed, and test all buttons and formulas before publishing the app. These practices make apps easier to use, easier to maintain, and more reliable for business users.

After learning Forms, Galleries & Controls, learners can move to the next topic: Using Power Fx Formulas. In that topic, they will learn how formulas control navigation, filtering, form submission, visibility, validation, and app behavior.