Evaluate integration of Microsoft Graph Toolkit in PowerPlatform

[aaclage]

Proposal: Evaluate integration of Microsoft Graph Toolkit in PowerPlatform

After making some test and custom PCF and with other sample articles regarding this topic, i see the potential to use MGT components in PowerPlatform, this component could make very flexible the access to Graph content even managing in some elements.

Evaluate option to include in Canvas model:

Advantages:

• Option 1 - Connectors:

Ability to define different type of providers (Custom,MSAL,MSAL2,Teams MSAL2,Teams), multiple connectors could be important to have one or multiple connections base on different business needs, for example integration of SSO with associated url, or MSAL2 to associated client id.
Possible option: This could be added by page or global to be always authenticated.
This connector will make possible the capability to make query to Graph associated with correct

• Option 2 - Datasources and Elements:

  • Include existing elements (Login, sign in,Person, People, Agenda, People picker, Person card, File, File list, Get, Channel picker, To Do, Tasks) and ability to define & retrieve properties in elements from cross platform adoption.
  • Creation of multiple Datasources based on Graph queries.
    This component could have the capability to use Datasource based on previous defined DS Graph queries.

This possible connector will also make DataSource available to be used with other PowerPlatform, such us the chart component.

• Option 3 - challenges and new elements:
  Integrated and expand to new elements will became easier because usage of Graph query Datasource could help integrate new element, such us picker or Search capabilities.

Challenges:
Some challenges on css adopt but depend on how completed will be the components to be created (UI/UX capabilities) align with current CSS.
Creation of additional actions that currently required additional manual functions (Sample > FileList navigate folder by folder) or additional functions action for other elements will be a challenge to Power Users that are not skilled in web component/Graph api and PowerPlatform rational of work.

• Option 4 - if nothing works, then create samples on how to integrate MGT with powerplatform:
  Add associated documentation on how this could be reach and best practices to integrate with powerplatform.

Creation of option to create generic PCF control for model drive (dynamics):

• Option 1 - Creation of control that uses SSO or Powerautomate provider that avoid complexity of authentication.

  • Issues associated: Creation of Global app registration for auth process
  • What Graph roles should be included on not, dependence of App registration...

• Option 2

  • Creation of MGT PCF for each component to be included using the out of the box capabilities/Properties

Documentation on step by step on how to include, app creation and deploy in model drive (dynamics)

Description

Creation of PowerPlatform component control based on Microsoft graph toolkit to allow cross platform integration between all services.

Rationale

This components should provide the existing UI/capabilities in M365 to be used cross platform that user can easily identify existing component and developer can align current development feature between different platforms and easy configure.
Future integration with new MGT components can easily be made with the extension of current proposal if made in pre defined pattern.

Preferred Solution

The components should be provide the same properties that existing in current MGT elements and Powerplatform should make easy the configuration using current capabilities, below some samples on how this could be configured.

FileList Sample

How to Create a Datasource

How to add the Queries

**How to select Datasource **

Manage properties from existing component and include in side panel

• file-list-query
• file-queries
• ...
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/toolkit/components/file-list
  

For PoC made a code sample of 2 components (Login and FileList) using Implement control and microsoft graph toolkit

Additional Context

There is a very good article also talking on this topic https://taerimhan.com/quick-takeaway-from-using-microsoft-graph-toolkit-in-pcf/

@sebastienlevert as discuss.

[aaclage]

PS: some points that described could already exist in Powerplatform but i could be not aware (i don't know everything :) ), fell free to remove truncate with other features that could be easily included with documentation

[sebastienlevert]

Hey @aaclage! We had a pretty good conversation internally today and it appears that the PCF + MGT is a great starting point. There is other work (better Connectors, etc.) that are also in discussion in the bigger Graph team but I'd love to focus on MGT + PCF here.

I would love to hear your thoughts on a couple of statement:

• Having a community-specific project and repo with all the PCFs controls
• Making sure the PCFs controls are shown both in the PCF Gallery and on the Sample Gallery site
• Making this effort part of the PnP community to drive attention
• What would be the first controls you think should be available as part of this?

Would you love to participate in the creation of this effort? We would love to help creating the connections and bring a couple of community members together to find the right angle!

Thanks for your write-up!

[aaclage]

Hi @sebastienlevert

Thank you for your feedback and understand your effort/goal is to bring impact and this topic can be easy a win and became a almost required in the list of tools to have in PowerApps World.

Having a community-specific project and repo with all the PCFs controls

• Yes separate on MGT-PCF community specific would very valuable, the PowerApps community is very large with a lot of components, can see them use and onboard very easily (response to you next point) when initial PCF control became accessible and with initial samples /demos in sessions adoption and feedback will easily grow because they will see they have more control in the access with the app registration in the AAD.

Making sure the PCFs controls are shown both in the PCF Gallery and on the Sample Gallery site

• Before that we need to create Documentation, pre requisites and best practices and then we can create the scenarios

Making this effort part of the PnP community to drive attention

• the abc of every new community-specific: PCF session, videos, social media, people make articles and onboard the current champions in the Powerapp PCF community
• Key message will be "Are you going to use PowerPlarform" then first thins should be install PCF regarding graph calls and existing control became flexible and provide info that could interact with other controls.

What would be the first controls you think should be available as part of this?

Here some controls by order "MGT-Get" would be great for template reasons, after we define the login/provider process should be one the first one for display content (we need to have a meeting call to prioritize)
The other controls should be able to interact with other controls and what content we are able/should collect to interact "needs to be evaluate/decided"

Below by order, will be important to define phases for each of them.

• Login (Evaluate SSO or MsalProvider and how to secure the parameters object id and url for sso if needed)
• User (currently logged-in user)
• People (users under a specified Azure AD group id)
• Agenda (events in a group calendar)
• File-List (Retrieve Folder/files)
• Tasks
• File
• To-do

There is a very good article that can be used to learn improve https://taerimhan.com/quick-takeaway-from-using-microsoft-graph-toolkit-in-pcf/

A lot of challenges but a good one, if you have the time we can have a call.

[anttipajunen]

Food for thought: Dataverse currently suffers from hindered capabilities to sync Outlook events (calendar) with OOTB data model tables from 1st party applications such as Field Service and Project Operations. There are multiple use cases where being able to leverage calendar controls for the event resource in conjunction with specific Dataverse tables would be an enormous benefit. More than happy to give more insight and to point out Graph API pitfalls with the event resource and with the aforementioned Dataverse tables.

[sebastienlevert]

The sync is to Outlook calendars, right? We could use the agenda control to display that data? I love the fact we could be more integrated with this scenario! I don't think we want to look at Dataverse data yet, but if this is available via Graph, I'm more than happy to understand the scenarios!

We don't have a calendar control (yet), but it's something that the community could come into play to add these specific use cases!

[anttipajunen]

Yep the event resource would be for Outlook calendars. Even being able to display calendars would be a good start. Calendars to Dataverse or Dataverse to calendars is where the money is though. Again, more than happy to sync on this one.

[sebastienlevert]

Got it! This is a topic for Microsoft Graph in general and how it can play a bigger role with Dataverse! Let's focus on the topic of calendars, though for now, even if I think this is a very exciting space!

[aaclage]

@sebastienlevert
Would you love to participate in the creation of this effort?
Yes and would need some support/time this is a long path, architecture definitions and clarifications from your side.

[sebastienlevert]

Excellent! We'll work on a initial plan and from there, we will be coordinating this effort. I'll come back shortly with some updates!

[sebastienlevert]

I also feel this could benefit from some input from @waldekmastykarz, @LuiseFreese, @aprildunnam and @hugoabernier!

[anttipajunen]

I love this idea!! Really hoping to see this become a reality!

[taerimhan]

Yes, I love this idea as well! It would be great to be able to expose MGT as PCFs. I can definitely see good use cases!

[LuiseFreese]

I also feel this could benefit from some input from @waldekmastykarz, @LuiseFreese, @aprildunnam and @hugoabernier!

Hey @sebastienlevert

Please keep me updated and included, planning to look into this together with @aprildunnam and @hugoabernier

[LuiseFreese]

hey there - a bit late to the part, but thank you for including me @sebastienlevert! Love the idea to bring the reusable MGT components into Canvas Apps - which means to me that both rendering a beautiful card AND getting the right data will be easier.
Lots of makers still struggle with the complexity of a custom connector, and very often, our options are limited.
Option 1 and 2 sound most appealing to me.

[LuiseFreese]

adding @CarmenYsewijn to this conversation as she might have valuable insight as well

[CarmenYsewijn]

It would be amazing if the MGT components could be added to Canvas Apps. Almost every app that we build contains a picture and name of the logged in user, and people pickers. So if these were ready-made and small tweaks in colors etc. can be made, it would make building pretty apps even easier!
To make this a success, I believe the PCF components should match as closely as possible other control behavior and have similar properties to change e.g. colors to match the color scheme of the app, define potential actions that need to be taken when selecting etc.
The technical part of creating these components is probably beyond me 😅 but I'd love to chime in on what the ideal maker experience could be

[sebastienlevert]

A quick update from us regarding this topic.

We have had an initial discussion with the Power Apps PCF team to identify solutions to help with authentication and make it even easier for us to work on building these things!

We will have a brainstorm session this week with @LuiseFreese @aprildunnam, @hugoabernier and @aaclage and come back with a clearer path forward!