Summit Bajracharya

I was 15 when I wrote my first line of PHP code. My elder brother was learning web development. He had this PHP documentation PDF on the desktop, maybe 200 pages long. One day when he wasn’t around, I opened it out of curiosity. We had XAMPP installed on our computer. My brother had explained that you needed it to run PHP, something about Apache being the web server. I got the basics but didn’t really care about the details. My process was simple: start Apache from that orange control panel, write something in Notepad, save it in the htdocs folder, refresh the browser. I copied a basic snippet from the PDF. Probably just displaying some text or a variable. Saved it as index.php and hit refresh. It showed up. Right there in my browser. The code I’d written was actually working. I had no idea what half of it meant, but seeing it work was enough to get me hooked.

And it worked.

That rush? Unmatched. I didn’t understand why it worked. I didn’t know what an array really was or how sessions actually functioned. But I could see my name pop up on a webpage I built, and that was enough.

Someone at a local tech company spotted my work and told me, ‘If you want to build something real, you need to pick up SQL’. He handed me a book and walked me through using PhpMyAdmin in XAMPP. Suddenly I was building login forms, storing data and even recreated the entire WWE website. Still had no idea what I was doing, but watching information flow from a form into a database felt like wizardry.

But here’s what nobody tells you when you’re 15 and riding that dopamine wave: programming as a career is nothing like that.

When the Magic Wears Off

Fast forward a few years. I’m a developer now. Real projects, real deadlines, real expectations. And suddenly, coding isn’t fun anymore. It’s exhausting.

Traditional development demands something my brain just doesn’t do well: sustained, linear focus. You’re supposed to sit down, map out architecture, write clean code for hours, debug methodically, document everything. It’s slow. It’s meticulous. And if you have ADD? It’s torture.

I’d start a feature on Monday, get distracted by Tuesday, forget what I was doing by Wednesday, and spend Thursday relearning my own code. I’d lose hours in Stack Overflow rabbit holes, start refactoring something that didn’t need it, or get so bored waiting for builds that I’d switch to a completely different task.

The worst part? I thought it was me. That I just wasn’t disciplined enough. Wasn’t “serious” enough about my craft.

Then I discovered low-code platforms. And honestly? Everything changed.

Why Low-Code Feels Like Programming at 15 Again

Remember that PHP rush I mentioned? That instant “holy crap, it works!” feeling? Low-code brought that back.

Power Platform, specifically, feels like someone designed it for brains like mine. Not despite the ADD, because of it.

Here’s why it clicks:

1. You See Results Immediately

No waiting for compilers. No wrestling with dependencies for three hours before you can even run “Hello World.” You drag a button onto a canvas, press play, and boom. It works.

That quick feedback loop is everything. My brain needs those small wins to stay engaged:

• “Oh, that gallery is pulling my data correctly”
• “Wait, I just automated an email notification in 5 minutes?”
• “This actually looks… professional?”

Each little success fuels the next action. It’s momentum based learning, and it’s perfect for minds that need constant stimulation.

2. You Can Build in Sprints, Not Marathons

Traditional coding expects you to hold complex logic in your head for hours. Low-code breaks everything into bite sized pieces.

I work in 15 to 20 minute bursts now:

• Add a form
• Connect it to SharePoint
• Test it
• Take a break
• Come back and add a notification
• Test again
• Break

Sometimes I hit hyperfocus and build for two hours straight, and that’s great when it happens. But I don’t need it to make progress anymore. I can show up for 20 minutes and still ship something real.

3. It Handles the Stuff Your Brain Drops

My memory is like a browser with 47 tabs open. Something important is definitely lost in there, but good luck finding it.

Power Automate became my external brain:

• Automatic reminders for follow ups
• Notifications when approvals sit too long
• Daily digests of what needs attention
• Forms that route themselves to the right people

I’m not trying to “remember better” anymore. I’m building systems that remember for me. And that shift? That’s where real productivity started.

The AI Layer Makes It Even Better

Now we’re adding AI into the mix with Copilot and AI Builder, and honestly, it feels like cheating in the best way.

Need to extract data from receipts? AI Builder does it.
Want to generate app descriptions? Copilot writes them.
Stuck on a formula? Ask, and it explains in plain English.

For someone who never formally learned “the depth” of programming (just PDF files and trial and error), AI fills those gaps. I can build sophisticated solutions without needing to be sophisticated myself. The tools are smart enough that my half formed ideas actually work.

This Is Where ADD Brains Thrive

Here’s what I wish someone told me earlier: Your distracted, wandering brain isn’t a bug. It’s perfect for this kind of building.

Low-code rewards:

✅ Curiosity over focus
✅ Experimentation over planning
✅ Quick iterations over perfect architecture
✅ Learning by doing over studying theory

You don’t need a CS degree. You don’t need to understand recursion. You just need to be willing to click around, try stuff, break things, and fix them.

Start Messy, Ship Anyway

I spent years thinking I needed to “get better” at traditional development. Truth is, I just needed different tools.

If you’re someone who:

• Learned to code young and loved it, but struggles with it professionally
• Gets bored easily when progress feels slow
• Forgets things constantly despite your best efforts
• Works better in bursts than marathons
• Wants to build things but feels overwhelmed by “proper” programming

…then low-code might be your thing. Not as a compromise, but as a superpower.

The Microsoft Power Platform community is full of people like us, building real solutions without the burnout. There are short videos, step by step guides, and forums where people genuinely want to help.

You don’t need the perfect system to start. You just need something you can keep coming back to, 20 minutes at a time.

Start small. Build something that makes your life easier. Let the platform handle the heavy lifting while you focus on the creative parts, the parts that got you excited about technology in the first place.

Because that 15 year old with no internet, just a PDF file and curiosity, who thought coding was magic? They were right. It just took me years to find the kind of magic that actually works with my brain, not against it.

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Ready to explore? Check out the Microsoft Power Platform and start building at your own pace. No pressure. No deadlines. Just you and your ideas.

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Making reusable components in PowerApps is a great way for developers to speed up app development. With PowerApps’ low-code features, you can create components that include visuals and logic. This helps keep the user experience consistent across your apps. Plus, it saves time and makes it easier to keep your apps running smoothly as needs change.

Components let you build parts that can be used in different screens and apps. Whether you need a custom form, a menu, or a display card, you can create these once and then use them anywhere. This way, you don’t have to repeat yourself. If you update a component, it automatically updates everywhere. That cuts down on mistakes and keeps things uniform.

In this guide, we’ll talk about how to create and use custom components in PowerApps. We’ll cover setting up your work environment, making new components, and adding them to your apps. We’ll also share tips for managing and updating these components so your apps stay easy to work with. By the end, you’ll know how to build handy, reusable components that boost both the function and experience of your PowerApps projects.

Components and Component Libraries

Power Apps lets you create components that can be used again and again. These components mix design and logic. This way, you can keep your app looking consistent and save time.

For example, if you design a custom input form with text boxes, dropdowns, and buttons, you only need to build it once. You can then use that same form on different screens. This keeps your app neat and saves you a lot of effort.

If you want to step it up, you can make a component library. This library is a place where you keep and share your components for various apps. By doing this, you ensure a smooth user experience and work faster.

Creating a Component

1. Launch your Power Apps app and navigate to the Tree View.
2. In the Tree View, click on the Components tab to manage your custom components.
3. Click on New component to open an empty canvas where you can design your component.
4. Add various controls to the canvas to define your component. Any changes made here will automatically update all instances of this component across different screens in your app.
5. Insert the Component into a Screen:
   • Select a screen in your app where you want to use the component.
   • In the left pane, choose the component from the list of existing components.
   • Insert an instance of the component onto the screen, similar to how you would insert a control.
6. Locate Components in the Tree View:
   • Components created within the app are listed under the Custom category.
   • Components imported from component libraries are listed under the Library components category.

Creating a Component Library:

1. Go to the Apps section of make.powerapps.com and choose More.
2. Out of the More Options Click on Discover All. The URL will be something like https://make.powerapps.com/environments/<environment-id>/discover
3. Click on Component Library
4. Select the + New component library button.
5. Give the component library a name and click Create.

Getting Components from a Library:

1. Go to make.powerapps.com and create a new app.
2. Select the Insert icon and click Get More Components.
3. Choose the component library and select the component you want to import.
4. Click Import.

Making Changes to Components in a Library:

1. In your component library, make the desired changes to the component.
2. Save and publish the component library.

Updating Components in Apps:

1. Open the app that uses the component.
2. A prompt will appear about an update being available. Click Review.
3. Select the component library with the update and click Update.

Conclusion

To wrap things up, making reusable custom components in PowerApps is a smart way to boost how well your apps work. With PowerApps’ low-code features, you can build components that combine the look and functionality you need. This helps keep things steady and easy for users across your applications. Plus, it saves you time when developing. If you need to update something, just change it in one place, and it updates everywhere you used that component. By following the steps in this guide, you can create and use custom components in your PowerApps. This will help you create strong applications that fit your business needs.

Comprehensive Guide to Validations in Power Platform: Best Practices for Controls

Validation is the foundation of integrity of data and user-friendly apps. You can use validations on controls in Power Platform to ensure that the data you are getting and processing is reliable. We are going to cover a broad variety of validation scenarios and how you can use them in Power Platform in the following section.

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1. Age Validation

Scenario: Ensure that the user’s age is 18 or above.

Implementation:

• Use a Date Picker control to capture the user’s date of birth.
• Add a formula to validate the age:

If(DateDiff(DateValue(DateOfBirth.SelectedDate), Today(), TimeUnit.Years) < 18, Notify("You must be at least 18 years old.", NotificationType.Error))

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2. Email Validation

Scenario: Ensure the entered email address is in the correct format.

Implementation:

• Use a Text Input control to capture the email.
• Validate the email using a regular expression:

If(!IsMatch(EmailInput.Text, “^[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+.[a-zA-Z]{2,}$”), Notify(“Please enter a valid email address.”, NotificationType.Error))

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3. Weekend Date Validation

Scenario: Restrict the selection of weekend dates.

Implementation:

• Use a Date Picker control.
• Add a formula to validate the selected date:

If(Weekday(DatePicker.SelectedDate) in [1, 7], Notify("Weekends are not allowed.", NotificationType.Error))

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4. Phone Number Validation

Scenario: Ensure the entered phone number follows a specific format (e.g., 10 digits).

Implementation:

• Use a Text Input control.
• Validate using a regular expression:

If(!IsMatch(PhoneNumber.Text, "^\d{10}$"), Notify("Please enter a valid 10-digit phone number.", NotificationType.Error))

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5. Required Field Validation

Scenario: Ensure mandatory fields are not left empty.

Implementation:

• Use the If function to check for blank values:

If(IsBlank(TextInput.Text), Notify("This field is required.", NotificationType.Error))

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6. Numeric Range Validation

Scenario: Validate that a number falls within a specific range (e.g., 1 to 100).

Implementation:

• Use a Text Input control and validate:

If(Value(NumericInput.Text) < 1 || Value(NumericInput.Text) > 100, Notify("Value must be between 1 and 100.", NotificationType.Error))

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7. Prevent Duplicate Entries

Scenario: Prevent users from entering duplicate values.

Implementation:

• Use a Gallery or Collection to check existing values:

If(LookUp(DataSource, FieldName = TextInput.Text, true), Notify("Duplicate entry detected.", NotificationType.Error))

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8. Future Date Restriction

Scenario: Ensure a date field does not allow future dates.

Implementation:

• Use a Date Picker control:

If(DatePicker.SelectedDate > Today(), Notify("Future dates are not allowed.", NotificationType.Error))

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9. Special Character Restriction

Scenario: Prevent the use of special characters in a text field.

Implementation:

• Use the IsMatch function:

If(IsMatch(TextInput.Text, "[!@#$%^&*(),.?\":{}|<>]"), Notify("Special characters are not allowed.", NotificationType.Error))

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10. Password Complexity Validation

Scenario: Enforce a strong password policy (e.g., minimum 8 characters, includes letters, numbers, and special characters).

Implementation:

• Use a Text Input control:

If(!IsMatch(PasswordInput.Text, "^(?=.*[A-Za-z])(?=.*\d)(?=.*[@$!%*?&#])[A-Za-z\d@$!%*?&#]{8,}$"), Notify("Password must be at least 8 characters and include letters, numbers, and special characters.", NotificationType.Error))

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11. File Upload Validation

Scenario: Restrict file uploads to specific types (e.g., .pdf, .docx).

Implementation:

• Use a File Attachment control:

If(!EndsWith(FileAttachment.FileName, ".pdf") && !EndsWith(FileAttachment.FileName, ".docx"), Notify("Only PDF or DOCX files are allowed.", NotificationType.Error))

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12. Conditional Field Validation

Scenario: Validate a field only if another field meets a specific condition.

Implementation:

• Use an If statement with multiple conditions:

If(Dropdown.Selected.Value = "Other" && IsBlank(TextInput.Text), Notify("Please specify details for 'Other'.", NotificationType.Error))

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13. URL Validation

Scenario: Ensure a valid URL format.

Implementation:

• Use the IsMatch function:

If(!IsMatch(UrlInput.Text, "^(https?:\\/\\/)?([\\w.-]+)\\.([a-z\\.]{2,6})([\\/\\w .-]*)*\\/?$"), Notify("Please enter a valid URL.", NotificationType.Error))

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14. Decimal Validation

Scenario: Restrict input to only allow decimal numbers.

Implementation:

• Use the IsMatch function:

If(!IsMatch(DecimalInput.Text, "^\\d+(\\.\\d{1,2})?$"), Notify("Please enter a valid decimal number.", NotificationType.Error))

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15. Minimum Text Length Validation

Scenario: Ensure a text field contains a minimum number of characters.

Implementation:

• Validate using the Len function:

If(Len(TextInput.Text) < 5, Notify("Text must be at least 5 characters long.", NotificationType.Error))

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16. Maximum Text Length Validation

Scenario: Ensure a text field does not exceed a maximum number of characters.

Implementation:

• Validate using the Len function:

If(Len(TextInput.Text) > 50, Notify("Text cannot exceed 50 characters.", NotificationType.Error))

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17. Dropdown Selection Validation

Scenario: Ensure the user selects an option from a dropdown.

Implementation:

• Use the IsBlank function:

If(IsBlank(Dropdown.Selected.Value), Notify("Please select an option.", NotificationType.Error))

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18. Custom Date Range Validation

Scenario: Ensure the selected date falls within a specific range.

Implementation:

• Validate using the If function:

If(DatePicker.SelectedDate < DateValue("01/01/2023") || DatePicker.SelectedDate > DateValue("12/31/2023"), Notify("Date must be within the year 2023.", NotificationType.Error))

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19. Character Case Validation

Scenario: Ensure text is entered in uppercase.

Implementation:

• Use the Upper function:

If(TextInput.Text <> Upper(TextInput.Text), Notify("Text must be in uppercase.", NotificationType.Error))

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20. Multi-Select Validation

Scenario: Ensure at least one option is selected in a multi-select dropdown.

Implementation:

• Validate using the CountRows function:

If(CountRows(MultiSelectDropdown.SelectedItems) = 0, Notify("Please select at least one option.", NotificationType.Error))

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21. Cross-Field Dependency Validation

Scenario: Ensure a field is filled based on another field’s value.

Implementation:

• Use If to check dependencies:

If(IsBlank(TextInput2.Text) && !IsBlank(TextInput1.Text), Notify("Field 2 is required when Field 1 is filled.", NotificationType.Error))

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22. Alphanumeric Restriction

Scenario: Ensure text contains only alphanumeric characters.

Implementation:

• Use the IsMatch function:

If(!IsMatch(TextInput.Text, "^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$"), Notify("Only alphanumeric characters are allowed.", NotificationType.Error))

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23. Exact Length Validation

Scenario: Ensure input is exactly a specified length (e.g., 10 characters).

Implementation:

• Use the Len function:

If(Len(TextInput.Text) <> 10, Notify("Input must be exactly 10 characters long.", NotificationType.Error))

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24. Restricted Words Validation

Scenario: Prevent input of specific prohibited words.

Implementation:

• Use IsMatch with a word list:

If(IsMatch(TextInput.Text, "(badword1|badword2)"), Notify("Prohibited words detected.", NotificationType.Error))

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25. Minimum Items in Gallery Validation

Scenario: Ensure a gallery has a minimum number of selected items.

Implementation:

• Use the CountRows function:

If(CountRows(Gallery.SelectedItems) < 3, Notify("Please select at least 3 items.", NotificationType.Error))

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26. Overlapping Time Validation

Scenario: Ensure no overlap in time entries.

Implementation:

• Use LookUp to check for overlaps:

If(!IsBlank(LookUp(DataSource, StartTime <= ThisItem.EndTime && EndTime >= ThisItem.StartTime)), Notify("Time entries overlap.", NotificationType.Error))

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27. No Leading or Trailing Spaces

Scenario: Prevent leading or trailing spaces in text.

Implementation:

• Use the Trim function:

If(TextInput.Text <> Trim(TextInput.Text), Notify("No leading or trailing spaces allowed.", NotificationType.Error))

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28. Positive Number Validation

Scenario: Ensure input is a positive number.

Implementation:

• Use the Value function:

If(Value(TextInput.Text) <= 0, Notify("Please enter a positive number.", NotificationType.Error))

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29. Weekend and Holiday Restriction

Scenario: Restrict weekends and predefined holidays.

Implementation:

• Use Weekday and a holiday list:

If(Weekday(DatePicker.SelectedDate) in [1, 7] || DatePicker.SelectedDate in HolidayList, Notify("Weekends and holidays are not allowed.", NotificationType.Error))

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30. Max Number of Attachments

Scenario: Restrict the number of files attached.

Implementation:

• Use CountRows:

If(CountRows(FileAttachmentControl.Attachments) > 5, Notify("A maximum of 5 files can be attached.", NotificationType.Error))

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Conclusion

Validations on Power Platform are the assurance of data and a better user experience. You can apply multiple validations based on your application with PowerFX formulas and creative control settings. Accurate validation does not only protect your data but it also builds trust with the users.

What other checks are you missing? Comment below with any thoughts!