Power Platform Naming Conventions
Power Platform solutions require clear naming conventions for objects like Solution Names, Connection References, and Environment Variables to keep them organized and easy to find across environments.
When creating a Power Platform solution, remember that the items are created in the environment. These "Objects" are available to the entire environment and can be shared across multiple solutions.
When we have multiple solutions in the environment, naming our objects is crucial. A clear naming convention makes things easier to find for both those familiar with the environment and especially for outsiders.
Solution Names
Your solution should have a descriptive name. I start each solution in the tenant with an abbreviation of the company name for easier reference.
Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
{Company} Time and Expense App | This solution contains all the objects used by the Time and Expense solution. |
Connection References
Connection References refer to an external Connection. The Connection Reference does not contain the connection; it only references it. Therefore, in each environment, the same Connection Reference will point to the Connection used for that data source in that environment.
Connection References across Solutions. I prefer each Solution to have its own Connection References for independent deployment.
A Connection Reference name should indicate the Solution it applies to and the Data Source it connects to.
Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
{Solution} SharePoint Connection Reference | A connection reference to SharePoint within the Solution, abbreviated as {Solution}. |
{Solution} Planner Connection Reference | A connection reference to Microsoft Planner within the {Solution}. |
Environment Variables
Environment Variables make your solution easy to deploy between environments. They apply to the current environment, so when you deploy, you can update it with the relevant content for that environment.
An Environment Variable for storing the current environment name is useful to display in my apps to see which environment the app is loaded in; otherwise, they would look identical. The variable’s value in the Dev environment would be DEV, UAT for the next, and PROD for the final.
Environment Variables apply to the entire environment, hence the name. However, like Connection References, I prefer each Solution to have its own Environment Variables for separate deployment.
The Environment Variable name should indicate the Solution it applies to.
Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
{Solution} Environment Name} | A text variable for the current environment name (DEV, UAT, PROD). |
{Solution} App URL | The full URL to the Power App in the current environment, commonly used for email links. |