CodeAppJS Extension
CodeAppJS Extension is a VS Code wrapper around Power Platform CLI workflows for code-first apps. The extension no longer hosts its own agent panel or chat harness. It now exposes PAC-driven setup, authentication, environment switching, data source sync, debugger toggling, and deploy actions directly in the editor chrome, and it contributes a packaged codeapp custom agent plus related skills to Copilot Chat.
This extension is built on codeapp.js, which is aimed at developers building Power Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a code-first workflow.
What You Get
- Top editor buttons for
Debugger and Deploy.
- Bottom status bar actions for
Deploy, Debugger, Dataverse, Table, Flow, Mockup, Import, Setup, Env, and Auth.
- A packaged
codeapp custom agent in the Copilot Chat agent picker, backed by the bundled codeapp-js agent and skill files.
- A bundled
CAP terminal command for VS Code integrated terminals, limited to Power Platform Code App workflows.
- Project setup that copies starter files into your workspace and updates
power.config.json through native VS Code input prompts.
- Connection reference syncing against the active environment.
- Code app import that lists available code apps in the selected environment, exports the chosen solution, and unpacks it into the workspace.
- Mockup launching that lists HTML mockups in
agent/ and opens the selected file in your default browser.
- One-click deploy through the packaged
codeapp-js-cli Power Apps runner, including app URL detection and appId update when available.
- A
Ctrl+Alt+D keybinding for CodeAppJS: Deploy.
Requirements
- VS Code
1.95.0 or newer.
- An open workspace folder.
The extension runs its Power Platform commands through the packaged codeapp-js-cli dependency. The extension uses CAP authentication and environment APIs plus the Power Apps runner bundled with codeapp-js-cli, so no separate PAC installation or local wrapper is required.
New VS Code integrated terminals automatically include the extension's bundled CAP command on PATH. The terminal shim exposes Power Platform Code App commands such as CAP auth, CAP environment, CAP setup, CAP dataverse, CAP table, CAP flow, CAP connector, CAP import, CAP mockup, and CAP deploy; GitHub Copilot commands such as CAP copilot, CAP model, CAP skills, CAP instruction, CAP session, CAP edit, and prompt/chat commands are intentionally excluded.
Quick Start
- Open the folder that will contain your Power Platform code-first app.
- Click the
Auth status bar item to start CAP authentication through the bundled CLI.
- Click the environment status bar item to select the target environment.
- Use the bottom status bar actions for
Setup, Dataverse, Table, Flow, Mockup, and Import as needed.
- Use the top editor buttons for
Debugger and Deploy.
Command Surface
| Command |
What it does |
CodeAppJS: Setup Project |
Copies the bundled template files into the workspace and updates power.config.json. |
CodeAppJS: Import Code App |
Lists code apps in the selected environment, exports the selected solution, and unpacks it into the workspace. |
CodeAppJS: Authenticate |
Starts CAP authentication through the bundled codeapp-js-cli so you can sign in to Power Platform. |
CodeAppJS: Change Environment |
Lists environments, switches the active org selection, stores the selection locally, and updates power.config.json when possible. |
CodeAppJS: Add Dataverse Schema |
Prompts for a Dataverse table logical name and generates the matching schema into the agent folder. |
CodeAppJS: Add Dataverse Table |
Uses VS Code input prompts to collect table metadata and optional fields, then creates the Dataverse table through cap table. |
CodeAppJS: Add Flow Schema |
Lists flows through the packaged codeapp-js-cli Power Apps runner, lets you filter them with Quick Pick search, and adds the selected flow schema in non-interactive mode. |
CodeAppJS: Open Mockup |
Lists HTML mockups under agent/ and opens the selected mockup in the default browser. |
CodeAppJS: Toggle Debugger |
Adds or removes the codeapp debugger snippet from the current build entry point. |
CodeAppJS: Deploy |
Runs the packaged Power Apps push command through codeapp-js-cli, reports progress, and stores the detected appId in power.config.json when available. |
Setup Behavior
When you run project setup, the extension copies files from its bundled template folder into your workspace.
- Existing files are not overwritten.
- If
power.config.json is copied, the extension asks for app metadata and environment information with native input boxes.
- If the configured build entry point exists, the HTML
<title> is updated to match the app display name.
Notes
- PAC authentication must be completed before environment listing, data source sync, or deploy can succeed.
- The extension does not use a system-installed PAC CLI or the old local wrapper; auth, environment, flow, schema, and deploy command execution is backed by the packaged
codeapp-js-cli dependency.
- Flow commands still run in non-interactive mode so they fail instead of opening a browser prompt when required configuration is missing.
- Import uses a VS Code Quick Pick to choose a code app before running the packaged
cap export workflow non-interactively.
- Mockup uses a VS Code Quick Pick to choose an HTML file from
agent/ before running the packaged cap mockup workflow.
- Deploy captures command output, looks for the Power Apps URL, and stores the detected
appId in power.config.json when possible.
- Data source sync reads
connectionReferences, selects the configured environment if one is set, inspects available connections, and updates reference metadata in power.config.json.
Version
- v1.1.2 - launch version using CodeApps-JS v1.1.2
- v2.0.0 - update to CodeApps-JS v2.0.0. Removed PowerPlatform CLI dependency and migrated to power-apps-cli npm version to allow deploying apps that call flows.
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