Create business rules to apply logic in a model-driven app form

Very often it is necessary to add in business logic to ensure that columns in a model-driven app are shown, hidden, or set with the correct values.

This article shows how to create business rules and recommendations to apply form logic in a model-driven app without writing JavaScript code or creating plug-ins. Business rules provide a simple interface to implement and maintain fast-changing and commonly used rules. They can be applied to main and quick create forms. Business rules work in model-driven apps, legacy web apps, Dynamics 365 for tablets, and Dynamics 365 for Outlook (online or offline mode).

By combining conditions and actions, the following actions are possible with business rules:

• Set column values

• Clear column values

• Set column requirement levels

• Show or hide columns

• Enable or disable columns

• Validate data and show error messages

• Create business recommendations based on business intelligence.

Note

To define a business rule for a table so that it applies to all forms, see Create a business rule for a table.

Business rules don’t work with multi-select choices.

View, edit or create a business rule in Power Apps

1. Sign in to Power Apps.

2. Select Tables on the left navigation pane, open the table you want, and then under the Customizations area, select Business rules. If the item isn’t in the side panel pane, select …More and then select the item you want.

Note

Customizations to a table take should place within a solution. To update a table within a solution, open your solution, and then open the table. Then, under the Customizations area, select Business rules.

3. On the command bar, select New business rule.

View, edit or create a business rule in form designer

1. On form designer left navigation pane, select Business rules.

2. Select from these options:

   • By default, only active business rules for the form are displayed. Clear Show only active business rules to view deactivated business rules for the form.
   • To create a business rule, select New business rule.
   • Select the business rule to view properties and edit the business rule.

Set the business rule properties

When the business rule designer window opens for a new rule, a single condition is already created. Every rule starts with a condition. The business rule takes one or more actions based on that condition.

Enter or select the following properties from the business rule command bar.

1. Business rule name: By default, the rule is named New business rule. We recommend you enter a meaningful name for the business rule.

2. Description: Optionally, add a description.

3. Scope: The scope of the business rule determines which forms the business rule will be applied. You set the scope, according to the following:

   If you select this item...

   The scope is set to...

   Entity

   The table and all forms for the table

   All Forms

   All forms for the table

   Specific form (account Main Form, for example)

   Just that form

Note

To modify an existing business rule, you must deactivate it before you can modify it.

Build the business rule

1. Add conditions. To add more conditions to your business rule:

   1. Drag the Condition component from the Components tab to a plus sign in the designer.

      

   2. To set properties for the condition, select the Condition component in the designer window, and then set the properties in the Properties tab on the right side of the screen. As properties are set, an expression is created at the bottom of the Properties tab.

   3. To add an additional clause (an AND or OR) to the condition, select New in the Properties tab to create a new rule, and then set the properties for that rule. In the Rule Logic column, you can specify whether to add the new rule as an AND or an OR.

      

   4. Once finished setting properties for the condition, select Apply.

2. Add actions. To add an action:

   1. Drag one of the action components from the Components tab to a plus sign next to Condition component. Drag the action to a plus sign next to a check mark if you want the business rule to take that action when the condition is met, or to a plus sign next to an x if you want the business rule to take that action if the condition is not met.

      

   2. To set properties for the action, select the Action component in the designer window, and then set the properties in the Properties tab.

   3. When finished setting properties, select Apply.

3. Add a business recommendation. To add a business recommendation:

   1. Drag the Recommendation component from the Components tab to a plus sign next to a Condition component. Drag the Recommendation component to a plus sign next to a check mark if you want the business rule to take that action when the condition is met, or to a plus sign next to an x if you want the business rule to take that action if the condition is not met.

   2. To set properties for the recommendation, select the Recommendation component in the designer window, and then set the properties in the Properties tab.

   3. To add more actions to the recommendation, drag them from the Components tab, and then set properties for each action in the Properties tab.

      Note

      When you create a recommendation, a single action is added by default. To see all the actions in a recommendation, select Details on the Recommendation component.

   4. When you're finished setting properties, select Apply.

4. To validate the business rule, select Validate on the action bar.

5. To save the business rule, select Save on the action bar.

6. To activate the business rule, select it in the Solution Explorer window, and then select Activate. It is not possible to activate the business rule from the designer window.

Tip

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you work on business rules in the designer window:

• To take a snapshot of everything in the Business Rule window, select Snapshot on the action bar. This is useful, for example, when getting feedback from team members.
• Use the mini-map to navigate quickly to different parts of the process. This is useful when working on a complicated process that scrolls off the screen.
• As you add conditions, actions, and business recommendations to your business rule, code for the business rule is built and appears at the bottom of the designer window. This code is read-only.

Localize error messages used in business rules

If more than one language is provisioned for your environment, it is worth localizing any error messages that have been set. Each time a message is set, a label is generated by the system. If the translations in your environment are set, localized versions of your messages can be added and then imported back into the system. This enables people using languages other than your base language to view the translated messages.

Common issues

This section describes common issues that may occur when you use business rules.

Full Name column and Address column not supported with Unified Interface apps

Actions or conditions that use a composite column like the Full Name (fullname) column or an Address column aren't supported in apps based on Unified Interface. Alternatively, you can use actions or conditions with the constituent columns. For example, for the Full Name column, you can use actions or conditions on the First Name (firstname) and Last Name (lastname) columns.

Business rules don't execute for some users

Make sure that users have a security role that includes, at a minimum, user scope read privileges on the Process table. By default, the Basic User security role has this privilege.

Business rules don't fire on editable grid on a dashboard

Entity scoped business rules will not fire on an editable grid when the editable grid is configured on a dashboard page.

Is the business rule not firing for a form?

A business rule may not execute because the column referenced in the business rule isn't included with the form.

1. Open solution explorer. Expand the table that you want, and then select Forms.

2. Open the form, and then on the form designer ribbon select Business Rules.

3. In the form designer, open the business rule.

4. In the business rule designer, select each condition and action to verify all the columns referenced in each condition and action.

   

5. Verify that each column referenced in the business rule is also included on the form. If not, add the missing column to the form.

   

A business rule may also not execute because a column referenced in the business rule is a composite column. The constituent columns of the composite column can be used instead.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Can business rules unlock columns on a read-only form?

• Yes, a business rule can unlock columns and edit actions on a read-only form.

How do I troubleshoot a business rule that isn't working?

• See Is your business rule not firing for a form? in this topic.

What do recommendations look like within a form?

Recommendations show a lightbulb next to the column label.

• 

Select the lightbulb to expand the view and show the recommendation.

• 

See also

Create custom business logic through processes

Create a business process flow