Microsoft PL-900 Power Platform Fundamentals Exam Dumps and Practice Test Questions Set 13 Q181 — 195
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Question 181:
What is the purpose of the Patch function in Power Apps?
A) To repair broken connections
B) To create or update records in a data source
C) To fix app errors
D) To update the app version
Answer: B
Explanation:
The Patch function in Power Apps creates or updates records in a data source, providing direct data manipulation capabilities without requiring forms. Patch is one of the most powerful and flexible functions for data operations, allowing developers to create new records, update existing records, or modify multiple records simultaneously. The function works with any data source including Dataverse, SharePoint, SQL Server, Excel, and other connectors that support write operations.
The Patch function syntax follows the pattern Patch(DataSource, BaseRecord, ChangeRecord) where DataSource specifies the table or list to modify, BaseRecord identifies the record to update or defaults for new records, and ChangeRecord contains the fields and values to set. For creating new records, BaseRecord is Defaults(DataSource) which provides a new blank record. For updating, BaseRecord identifies the specific record to modify by using a record reference or lookup.
Common Patch scenarios include creating records with syntax like Patch(Customers, Defaults(Customers),updating existing records with Patch(Customers, LookUp(Customers, ID = 5), {Status: «Active»}), updating multiple fields in one operation, and conditional updates that change records based on logic. Patch executes immediately and returns the created or updated record, allowing developers to capture the result for further operations.
Patch offers advantages over forms including more control over data operations, ability to update records without displaying forms, batch operations modifying multiple records, and integration into complex business logic. However, Patch bypasses form validation, requiring developers to implement validation logic manually. The function does not repair connections, fix app errors, or update app versions, which are separate maintenance activities. Patch specifically handles record creation and modification in data sources.
Question 182:
Which feature in Power Automate allows you to call other flows?
A) Flow Templates
B) Child Flows
C) Flow Connectors
D) Flow Triggers
Answer: B
Explanation:
Child Flows, also called manual flows or flow-to-flow actions, allow you to call other flows from within a parent flow, enabling modular workflow design and reusability. This capability lets developers create specialized flows that perform specific functions and then call those flows from multiple parent flows, promoting code reuse and simplifying maintenance. Child flows receive inputs from parent flows, perform their designated operations, and return outputs that parent flows can use in subsequent actions.
Creating child flows involves building a flow with a manual trigger that accepts input parameters, defining the flow’s logic and operations, and using the Respond action to return outputs to the calling flow. Parent flows call child flows using the «Run a Child Flow» action, passing required input values and receiving returned outputs. This pattern separates concerns, making workflows easier to understand, test, and maintain.
Common use cases for child flows include reusable business logic called from multiple workflows like address validation or tax calculation, complex operations that would clutter parent flows if included inline, standardized processes ensuring consistent execution across workflows, and modular components that can be updated independently without modifying all parent flows. For example, an organization might create a child flow that sends formatted notifications and call it from various approval, alert, and update workflows.
Child flows provide organizational benefits including reduced duplication eliminating repeated logic across multiple flows, easier maintenance with changes made once in the child flow, improved testing enabling isolated testing of components, and better readability keeping parent flows focused on high-level orchestration. Flow templates provide starting points for new flows, flow connectors enable service integration, and flow triggers initiate flow execution, but only child flows enable calling one flow from another for modular design.
Question 183:
What is the purpose of Environment Variables in Power Platform?
A) To store user preferences
B) To manage configuration values across environments
C) To create temporary storage
D) To track system performance
Answer: B
Explanation:
Environment Variables in Power Platform manage configuration values across different environments, providing a centralized way to store and reference values that change between development, test, and production environments. Environment variables eliminate the need to hard-code configuration settings in apps and flows, making solutions portable and easier to deploy across environments. When solutions are exported and imported to new environments, environment variable values can be updated without modifying the underlying apps or workflows.
Environment variables store values that vary by environment including connection references to different data sources, endpoint URLs for APIs or services, configuration settings like feature flags or thresholds, credentials or keys for external services, and other parameters that differ between development and production. By externalizing these values, developers build solutions once and deploy them across multiple environments with environment-specific configurations.
Creating and using environment variables involves defining the variable in a solution with a name, data type (string, number, JSON), and optional default value, setting environment-specific values in each environment where the solution is deployed, and referencing the variable in apps using the Environment Variable function or in flows using dynamic content. When solutions move between environments, administrators update environment variable values during import or through the Power Platform admin center.
Environment variables support solution portability and ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) best practices by separating configuration from code, enabling CI/CD pipelines to deploy solutions without modification, supporting multiple deployment environments with different configurations, and simplifying solution updates without touching apps or flows. They do not store user preferences, which are typically stored in user settings or profile tables. They are not temporary storage like variables, which exist only during sessions. They do not track performance, which requires monitoring tools. Environment variables specifically manage configuration values across environments.
Question 184:
Which Power Apps control displays hierarchical data with expandable nodes?
A) Gallery
B) Tree View
C) Dropdown
D) Combo Box
Answer: B
Explanation:
The Tree View control displays hierarchical data with expandable nodes, enabling users to navigate and explore data structures with parent-child relationships. Tree View presents data in a vertical expandable/collapsible structure where parent items can contain child items, which themselves can contain additional children, creating multiple levels of hierarchy. This control is ideal for displaying organizational structures, folder hierarchies, category taxonomies, and other nested data relationships.
The Tree View control requires data structured with hierarchical relationships, typically including fields that identify each item uniquely, specify parent-child relationships, and provide display text for nodes. The control configuration includes specifying the data source, mapping fields to control properties like Label for display text and ID for unique identification, and optionally configuring icons, selection behavior, and expand/collapse defaults. The control automatically renders the hierarchy with appropriate indentation and expansion controls.
Common use cases for Tree View include organization charts showing reporting relationships, file and folder browsers displaying nested directory structures, product categories presenting multi-level taxonomies, menu structures with nested options, and project hierarchies showing tasks and subtasks. The control supports user interactions including expanding and collapsing nodes, selecting items triggering navigation or showing details, and searching within the hierarchy to find specific items.
Tree View provides properties and events enabling developers to control behavior including SelectedNode property identifying which item the user selected, ExpandedNodes property controlling which nodes are expanded, OnSelect event triggering when users select items, and styling properties customizing appearance. Gallery controls display flat lists without hierarchical relationships. Dropdown and Combo Box controls show flat option lists without parent-child structures. Only Tree View provides the expandable hierarchical navigation required for nested data structures.
Question 185:
What is the purpose of the Filter function in Power Apps?
A) To sort data
B) To return records that match specified criteria
C) To delete records
D) To create new tables
Answer: B
Explanation:
The Filter function in Power Apps returns records that match specified criteria, enabling developers to display subsets of data based on conditions. Filter is one of the most commonly used functions for working with data, allowing apps to show relevant records to users based on search terms, selections, dates, status values, or any other criteria. The function evaluates each record in a data source against the specified conditions and returns only those records that meet all criteria.
Filter syntax follows the pattern Filter(DataSource, Condition1, Condition2, …) where DataSource is the table or collection to filter, and Condition parameters are logical expressions that must be true for records to be included. Multiple conditions act as AND logic, meaning all must be true. The function returns a table containing matching records, which can be used in galleries, dropdowns, or other controls that display data.
Common Filter examples include searching by text with Filter(Products, ProductName in SearchBox.Text) to find products matching search input, filtering by status with Filter(Orders, Status = «Pending») to show only pending orders, filtering by date range with Filter(Invoices, InvoiceDate >= StartDate && InvoiceDate <= EndDate), and filtering by relationships with Filter(Contacts, AccountID = SelectedAccount.ID) to show contacts for a selected account. Filter supports complex conditions using logical operators and nested functions.
Filter is essential for creating responsive, data-driven apps that show users relevant information. It is commonly combined with other functions including Search for text-based filtering with partial matches, Sort to order filtered results, and FirstN or LastN to limit the number of returned records. Filter does not sort data, which is done by the Sort function. It does not delete records, which uses Remove or RemoveIf functions. It does not create tables, which uses Table or Collect functions. Filter specifically returns subsets of existing data matching conditions.
Question 186:
Which Power Automate action allows you to create items in SharePoint lists?
A) Get Items
B) Create Item
C) Update Item
D) Send Email
Answer: B
Explanation:
The Create Item action in Power Automate allows you to create new items in SharePoint lists, enabling workflows to add data to SharePoint as part of automated processes. This action is part of the SharePoint connector and is commonly used to log information, create tasks, populate lists based on form submissions, or maintain data repositories. Create Item works with both SharePoint Online and SharePoint on-premises when using an on-premises data gateway.
Using the Create Item action involves selecting the SharePoint site and list where the item will be created, then providing values for the list columns. The action displays all columns from the selected list, including required fields that must be populated, optional fields that can be left empty, and choice fields showing available options. Developers map workflow data to list columns using dynamic content from previous actions, expressions for calculations, or static values for constant data.
Common scenarios using Create Item include logging workflow activities creating audit records in tracking lists, generating tasks based on approvals or other triggers, capturing form submissions storing data from Power Apps or Forms in SharePoint, creating project items populating project tracking lists, and maintaining inventories recording stock changes or equipment assignments. The action returns information about the created item including its ID, which can be used in subsequent workflow actions.
Create Item supports complex field types including person or group fields using email addresses or user IDs, lookup fields referencing items in other lists, choice fields selecting from predefined options, date and time fields with proper formatting, and rich text fields with HTML content. The action integrates with other SharePoint actions enabling comprehensive list automation. Get Items retrieves existing items rather than creating new ones. Update Item modifies existing items. Send Email sends messages but does not create SharePoint items. Only Create Item adds new items to SharePoint lists.
Question 187:
What is a Model-driven App in Power Apps?
A) An app built with complete design freedom
B) An app automatically generated from a data model
C) An app that displays 3D models
D) An app for machine learning
Answer: B
Explanation:
A Model-driven App in Power Apps is an app automatically generated from a data model, specifically from Dataverse tables, relationships, and business logic. Model-driven apps follow a data-first approach where developers define the data structure, business rules, and processes in Dataverse, then the system automatically generates forms, views, dashboards, and business process flows based on that model. This approach is ideal for complex data-centric applications requiring robust data modeling, business process enforcement, and enterprise-grade features.
Model-driven apps consist of several components including forms that display and edit individual records with field-level security and validation, views that list multiple records with filtering and sorting, dashboards that visualize data with charts and summaries, business process flows that guide users through processes, and commands that provide actions users can perform. These components are assembled into an app through a site map defining navigation structure.
The development process for model-driven apps differs significantly from canvas apps. Developers start by designing data models in Dataverse with tables, columns, relationships, and business rules, then configure forms and views determining how data displays, create dashboards for data visualization, define business process flows for guided processes, configure security roles controlling access, and assemble components into apps through site maps. The system handles UI generation, responsive design, and accessibility automatically.
Model-driven apps excel in scenarios requiring complex data models with many tables and relationships, enterprise applications needing advanced security and compliance features, process-driven workflows with guided user experiences, team collaboration with shared data access, and integration with Dynamics 365 applications. Canvas apps provide complete design freedom with pixel-perfect control. Model-driven apps do not display 3D models or focus on machine learning. They specifically generate applications from data models defined in Dataverse.
Question 188:
Which function in Power Apps navigates to a different screen?
A) Go
B) Navigate
C) Switch
D) Move
Answer: B
Explanation:
The Navigate function in Power Apps navigates to a different screen, enabling developers to control app flow and guide users through multi-screen experiences. Navigate is typically used in button OnSelect properties, conditional logic determining navigation paths, form submissions moving to confirmation screens, and gallery item selections showing detail screens. The function supports various screen transitions and can pass context variables to destination screens.
Navigate syntax is Navigate(Screen, Transition, UpdateContext) where Screen specifies the destination screen, Transition optionally specifies the visual effect like ScreenTransition.Fade or ScreenTransition.Cover, and UpdateContext optionally sets context variables available on the destination screen. The transition parameter creates visual continuity, with options including Fade for gradual appearance, Cover for sliding over, Uncover for sliding away, and None for instant switching.
Common navigation patterns include moving forward through a process with Navigate(ConfirmationScreen, ScreenTransition.Cover, {OrderID: NewOrder.ID}) passing data to the next screen, returning to previous screens with Navigate(HomeScreen, ScreenTransition.UnCover) often from back buttons, conditional navigation with If(UserType = «Admin», Navigate(AdminScreen), Navigate(UserScreen)) routing users based on logic, and navigation with data context passing selected items to detail screens.
Navigate differs from Back function, which returns to the previous screen in navigation history without specifying a destination. Back is useful for implementing back buttons that work regardless of the previous screen. Navigate provides explicit control over destination and context. There is no Go, Switch, or Move function for screen navigation in Power Apps. Navigate is the primary function for controlling screen transitions and implementing multi-screen app flows.
Question 189:
What is the purpose of Solutions in Power Platform?
A) To solve mathematical problems
B) To package and deploy components across environments
C) To create support tickets
D) To optimize performance
Answer: B
Explanation:
Solutions in Power Platform package and deploy components across environments, providing the primary mechanism for application lifecycle management and moving customizations between development, test, and production environments. Solutions are containers that hold apps, flows, tables, environment variables, connection references, and other components, enabling them to be exported from one environment and imported into another as a unit. Solutions ensure all related components move together, maintaining dependencies and relationships.
Solutions support two types: managed and unmanaged. Unmanaged solutions are editable and used in development environments where components are created and modified. Managed solutions are locked and used for deploying to test and production environments where components should not be edited directly. This distinction supports proper change management where modifications occur in development and are promoted through environments using managed solutions.
The solution lifecycle typically follows a pattern including creating components in an unmanaged solution in a development environment, testing and refining components, exporting the solution as managed for deployment, importing the managed solution into test environments for validation, and promoting to production after successful testing. Publishers can update solutions with new versions, and solutions can have dependencies on other solutions creating modular architectures.
Solutions contain metadata about components including apps specifying which screens and controls are included, flows with all actions and connections, tables with all columns and relationships, security roles defining permissions, environment variables with configuration values, and connection references specifying data source connections. Solutions do not solve mathematical problems, which is done through formulas and expressions. They do not create support tickets or optimize performance directly. Solutions specifically enable component packaging and environment-to-environment deployment.
Question 190:
Which Power Platform service provides robotic process automation capabilities?
A) Power Apps
B) Power Automate Desktop
C) Power BI
D) Power Pages
Answer: B
Explanation:
Power Automate Desktop provides robotic process automation (RPA) capabilities, enabling automation of repetitive desktop-based tasks through UI automation and screen scraping. Power Automate Desktop records and plays back user interactions with desktop applications, web browsers, and legacy systems that lack APIs or modern integration capabilities. This technology bridges the gap between modern cloud automation and older systems, enabling end-to-end automation across hybrid environments.
Power Automate Desktop includes hundreds of pre-built actions organized into categories including UI automation for interacting with desktop applications, web automation for browser-based interactions, Excel automation for spreadsheet operations, file and folder operations for document management, system actions for Windows operations, and data manipulation for transforming information. These actions are combined into flows using a visual designer with drag-and-drop functionality and configuration panels.
Common RPA scenarios include data entry automating form filling from spreadsheets or databases into legacy applications, report generation extracting data from multiple systems and creating reports, invoice processing reading invoices and entering data into ERP systems, system integration moving data between systems without APIs, and attended automation assisting users with repetitive tasks. RPA complements cloud automation by reaching applications that cannot be automated through connectors.
Power Automate Desktop flows can run attended where users trigger flows and interact during execution, or unattended where flows run automatically on schedule without user interaction. Unattended automation requires appropriate licensing and dedicated machines. Flows can integrate with cloud flows, enabling hybrid automation scenarios that combine desktop automation with cloud services. Power Apps builds applications, Power BI creates visualizations, and Power Pages builds websites, but only Power Automate Desktop provides RPA capabilities for desktop task automation.
Question 191:
What is the purpose of Power Fx in Power Platform?
A) To create visual effects
B) To provide a low-code formula language
C) To manage user permissions
D) To configure network settings
Answer: B
Explanation:
Power Fx provides a low-code formula language for Power Platform, offering an Excel-like language that makes logic and calculations accessible to business users while providing power for professional developers. Power Fx is the language used in Power Apps for formulas, in Power Automate for expressions, and increasingly across other Power Platform services. The language design emphasizes consistency, readability, and familiarity for users comfortable with Excel functions.
Power Fx includes comprehensive function libraries covering mathematical operations like Sum, Average, Round, text manipulation with functions like Concatenate, Left, Find, logical operations using If, And, Or, Not, date and time functions like Today, DateAdd, DateDiff, table operations including Filter, Sort, AddColumns, lookup functions like LookUp, and many others. Functions are composable, meaning they can be nested and combined to create complex logic from simple building blocks.
The language supports various programming constructs including variables for storing values, collections for working with tables of data, context variables for screen-specific state, records and tables as first-class data types, strong typing with automatic type inference, and delegation where operations push down to data sources for performance. Power Fx includes IntelliSense providing function suggestions, parameter hints, and error detection during authoring.
Power Fx benefits include a gentle learning curve for Excel users, consistency across Power Platform products, strong typing catching errors early, delegation optimization for large datasets, and a growing function library with regular additions. Microsoft is working to expand Power Fx adoption across Power Platform and potentially other products. Power Fx does not create visual effects, which are implemented through control properties. It does not manage permissions or configure networks, which are administrative functions. Power Fx specifically provides the formula language for building logic in Power Platform applications.
Question 192:
Which feature in Dataverse provides automatic auditing of data changes?
A) Change Tracking
B) Audit Logs
C) Version History
D) Data Export
Answer: B
Explanation:
Audit Logs in Dataverse provide automatic auditing of data changes, recording who made changes, when changes occurred, what was changed, and what the previous values were. Auditing enables compliance with regulatory requirements, supports security investigations, provides accountability for data modifications, and enables troubleshooting by understanding how data evolved over time. Organizations can enable auditing at the environment, table, or column level depending on requirements.
Auditing configuration involves enabling auditing at the environment level through settings, enabling auditing for specific tables where change tracking is required, enabling auditing for specific columns that require detailed tracking, and optionally configuring audit log retention periods. When enabled, Dataverse automatically records create, update, and delete operations including user identity, timestamp, operation type, and changed values. Audit records are stored in a separate audit table that authorized users can query.
Audit logs support various scenarios including compliance reporting for regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or SOX, security investigations tracking unauthorized data access or modifications, change analysis understanding how data evolved over time, troubleshooting identifying when and by whom data was incorrectly modified, and accountability ensuring data changes are attributable to specific users. Audit data can be exported for long-term retention or analysis in external systems.
Accessing audit logs involves using Dataverse APIs, Power Automate to monitor changes, or auditing reports in model-driven apps showing change history. Audit queries can filter by table, record, user, date range, or operation type. Change Tracking is a different feature optimizing data synchronization rather than auditing. Version History typically refers to document versioning in SharePoint. Data Export is for bulk data extraction rather than change auditing. Only Audit Logs provide comprehensive automatic auditing of data modifications in Dataverse.
Question 193:
What is a Connection Reference in Power Platform solutions?
A) A link to documentation
B) A reusable reference to connector connections
C) A network connection setting
D) A user directory reference
Answer: B
Explanation:
A Connection Reference in Power Platform solutions is a reusable reference to connector connections that allows apps and flows to reference connections without embedding connection details directly. Connection references solve a critical problem in solution portability: connections are environment-specific, so apps and flows that reference connections directly cannot be easily moved between environments. Connection references abstract this dependency, enabling solutions to be deployed across environments while allowing administrators to associate appropriate connections in each environment.
Connection references work by defining a logical reference in the solution that points to a connector type like SharePoint, SQL Server, or Office 365. When the solution is exported and imported to a new environment, the connection reference prompts administrators to select or create an appropriate connection for that environment. Apps and flows in the solution use the connection reference rather than direct connections, automatically using whichever connection is associated with the reference in the current environment.
Creating and using connection references involves adding a connection reference to a solution specifying the connector type, using the connection reference when adding data sources to apps or configuring actions in flows, exporting the solution with the connection reference included, and during import to a new environment, associating the reference with an appropriate connection. This process ensures apps and flows work correctly without requiring modifications after deployment.
Connection references are essential for application lifecycle management, enabling solutions to move through development, test, and production environments with different connections in each environment, supporting continuous integration and deployment pipelines, allowing administrators to update connections without modifying apps or flows, and ensuring consistent connection management across components. They are not documentation links, network settings, or user directories. Connection references specifically provide environment-independent references to connector connections within solutions.
Question 194:
Which Power Apps feature allows users to take photos within the app?
A) Gallery control
B) Camera control
C) Image control
D) Media control
Answer: B
Explanation:
The Camera control in Power Apps allows users to take photos within the app using device cameras, enabling apps to capture images for documentation, inspection, identification, or attachment to records. The camera control works on mobile devices, tablets, and computers with cameras, providing a native camera experience within the app. Photos captured through the camera control can be saved to data sources, displayed in the app, or processed using AI Builder for image recognition or analysis.
The Camera control provides properties and methods for managing photo capture including the Photo property containing the captured image as data URL, Stream property showing the live camera preview, OnSelect event triggering when users tap to take a photo, StreamRate property controlling preview frame rate, and various styling properties for positioning and sizing. The control automatically handles platform differences, using appropriate camera APIs on different devices and operating systems.
Common scenarios using the Camera control include inspection apps capturing condition photos during facility inspections, expense reporting apps photographing receipts for reimbursement claims, identification apps taking ID photos for access control, inventory apps documenting product conditions, and quality control apps recording defects or issues. The captured images can be stored in Dataverse attachments, SharePoint libraries, or other storage services supporting image data.
Working with camera images involves using the Camera control on a screen for capture, storing images using Patch to save to data sources like Patch(Photos, Defaults(Photos), {Image: Camera1.Photo}), displaying images in Image controls showing captured or retrieved images, and optionally processing images with AI Builder for recognition or analysis. Gallery controls display collections of items, Image controls display static or dynamic images but do not capture photos, and Media control is not a standard Power Apps control. Only the Camera control provides photo capture functionality within apps.
Question 195:
What is the purpose of the Concurrent function in Power Apps?
A) To run multiple formulas simultaneously for better performance
B) To create concurrent users
C) To manage user sessions
D) To schedule concurrent workflows
Answer: A
Explanation:
The Concurrent function in Power Apps runs multiple formulas simultaneously for better performance, enabling parallel execution of independent operations that would otherwise run sequentially. Concurrent is particularly valuable when apps need to perform multiple data operations, API calls, or calculations that do not depend on each other. By executing these operations in parallel, apps load faster and respond more quickly, improving user experience especially on slower connections or with data sources having higher latency.
Concurrent syntax follows the pattern Concurrent(Formula1, Formula2, Formula3, …) where each formula parameter represents an independent operation. The function executes all formulas simultaneously and waits for all to complete before continuing. Common uses include loading multiple collections in parallel when an app starts with Concurrent(ClearCollect(Orders, OrdersData), ClearCollect(Customers, CustomersData), ClearCollect(Products, ProductsData)), calling multiple APIs simultaneously, and performing independent calculations in parallel.
The performance benefit depends on several factors including operations being truly independent with no dependencies between concurrent formulas, data source capabilities with some sources supporting better concurrency than others, network conditions where parallel execution is most beneficial with latency, and the number of operations with diminishing returns beyond a certain parallelism level. Concurrent is most effective when combining operations that would otherwise create noticeable delays.
Best practices for using Concurrent include identifying independent operations that can safely run in parallel, avoiding dependencies where one formula needs results from another, considering data source throttling limits that might trigger with too many concurrent operations, testing performance improvements to validate benefits, and using appropriate error handling since any formula failure can affect the overall operation. Concurrent does not create users, manage sessions, or schedule workflows. It specifically enables parallel formula execution for performance optimization in Power Apps.