Problem Statement

When creating Virtual Tables using the Modern Power Apps Maker UI, the current experience introduces multiple limitations compared to the Classic (Advanced Settings) UI, making it unsuitable for enterprise and ALM-governed environments.

1. Connection Reference Reuse Limitation

In the Modern UI:

• Only connection references owned by the currently logged-in user are visible and selectable.
• Existing Virtual Table Data Sources created using a shared service account are not reusable by other developers.
• This forces each developer to create their own connection reference, even when the same backend SQL connection is already configured.

In contrast, the Classic UI:

• Surfaces Virtual Table Data Sources directly
• Allows all authorized users (e.g., System Customizers) to reuse existing data sources regardless of connection ownership.

2. Limited Control Over Column Definition and Schema Evolution

The customer also confirmed additional functional gaps in the Modern UI:

“The new UI for virtual tables is currently not fit for purpose and we will be continuing to use the classic UI for now.”

Specifically:

• The Modern UI provides very limited control over column data types during virtual table creation.
• It does not support future updates to Virtual Table schemas, such as:
• Adding new columns
• Modifying column definitions
• These capabilities are available in the Classic UI, where users retain full control, even if the process is more manual.

As a result, teams must continue relying on the Classic UI to:

• Properly model data types
• Maintain virtual table schemas over time
• Support evolving backend SQL structures

Expected / Desired Behavior

Enterprise customers expect the Modern Maker UI to reach parity with (or exceed) Classic UI capabilities:

1.Reuse Existing Virtual Table Data Sources

• Surface Virtual Table Data Sources directly in Modern UI
• Allow reuse regardless of connection reference ownership
• Respect environment-level permissions (e.g., System Customizer)

2.Full Column Control & Schema Maintenance

• Allow explicit control of column data types during creation
• Support updating Virtual Table schemas (e.g., add new columns)
• Enable safe, iterative virtual table evolution

Proposed Improvement

Align Modern Maker UI behavior with Classic UI for Virtual Tables

Surface Virtual Table Data Sources instead of restricting selection to user-owned connection references

Enhance the Modern UI to support:

• Column data type management
• Schema updates post-creation