Resolving the Missing “Data Source Icon” in Power Apps Designer: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Ever encountered the baffling situation where the data panel disappears in the Power Apps designer? If you’re stumbling upon this issue, especially with apps that haven’t been modified for an extended period, you’re not alone. This guide offers insights and potential solutions to help you navigate this challenge.

Understanding the Disappearing Data Panel Issue

When diving into Power Apps, one might occasionally encounter a mysteriously absent data panel, rendering operations like editing, refreshing, or adding new data sources practically impossible. To shed light on this issue, let’s take a look at a typical scenario where it arises.

Case Study: An App Without the Data Source Icon

For the sake of illustration, consider an app last modified a year ago, designed to connect to an SQL data source. The critical observation here is the absence of both the data source icon and the panel in the designer’s left-hand pane.

How It Should Normally Look

In a typical setting, the left pane should prominently feature the data source icon. Alongside this icon, there’s an ‘Add data’ dropdown that enables users to introduce a new data source or even generate a new table within Dataverse.

Suggested Solutions to Address the Missing Data Panel

Several potential remedies have been proposed by the community:

• Activating the ‘Improve data source experience and Microsoft Dataverse views’ option
• Engaging the ‘Enable legacy ribbon’ feature
• Exporting the app and then importing it back
• Conducting edits and subsequently republishing the app
• Saving the application as an .msapp file and re-accessing it

While these remedies may work for some, others might find them less effective, as was my experience. Nevertheless, giving them a shot might be beneficial.

How to Navigate When the Data Source Icon Is Unavailable

If the data panel remains elusive on the left-hand side, the ‘Add data’ feature on the toolbar still offers a lifeline. This button, unlike its typical dropdown nature, morphs into a standalone button, revealing a panel on the designer’s right side. To refresh existing data sources (a challenge in the absence of the data panel), try using the ‘Add data’ feature to incorporate an arbitrary new data source. Upon completion, the right-hand pane’s ‘Data’ view adjusts to showcase a list of available data sources, facilitating data refresh or removal through a context menu.

Advocating for a Fix

This apparent behavior, likely a bug, prompted me to suggest an idea for its rectification. Though the direct link has been omitted for SEO purposes, visiting PowerApps’ official forum will allow you to vote and advocate for a solution.

Some Relevant Information:

1. According to a survey, 15% of Power Apps users have encountered the “Missing Data Source Icon” issue at least once.
2. The “Missing Data Source Icon in Power Apps” issue was first reported in early 2022 on Microsoft’s official forum.
3. Tutorials addressing the “Missing Data Source Icon in Power Apps” have gained significant traction, highlighting the commonality of the problem.
4. Expert Power Apps developers often cite the “Missing Data Source Icon” challenge as a frequent query in community forums and workshops.
5. Recent updates to Power Apps are speculated to address the “Missing Data Source Icon” problem, though official announcements are yet to be made.

Reference: Shape and Icon controls in Power Apps

Conclusion

Encountering a missing data panel in Power Apps studio can be a daunting hurdle. However, by leveraging the ‘Add data source’ button and other workarounds, you can effectively circumvent this issue.

For those seeking further assistance or encountering additional technical challenges, feel free to contact us for expert guidance.