In this article, we will outline a solution to a common problem that many developers encounter when setting the default mode for forms in Power Apps, specifically when creating a form using a canvas app.

So, if you are new to Power Apps and create a form using a canvas app, in some cases, you must have encountered a problem where the form doesn’t show up when you run or test it in the browser itself.

For the article's purpose, I have used a SharePoint List as a data source; however, you can use any data source, such as Excel, CDS, SQL, or any other as needed.

Steps to create a form and set the default mode 

• First, open your account at https://make.powerapps.com/ with your Microsoft user credentials for Power Apps. 

• After you login, select Apps from the navigation menu on the left-hand side. Select Canvas from the +New and from the dropdown select Canvas.

• Thereafter, it will give you many options to create an app from different data sources. I chose the Blank app in tablet layout for demo purposes.

• It opens a Power Apps Studio, select Create a form.

• From the View tab on the top navigation menu, select the Data Sources and connect to your data source from different connectors.

• Either enter the SharePoint URL or select from the given options to link your site.

• Select the List and click on Connect.

• When the form is connected to a data source, it will be displayed in the Power App Studio as image below.

• Click on the Preview button from the top right-hand navigation menu to see how it works.

• You will not be able to see anything on the screen, and the blank screen appears with the message “No item to display.” 

• The form is not visible as the default mode for the form is not set properly. 

Setting the Default Mode 

There are 3 Default Modes for the form, and when creating a form using Canvas, it is important to know which mode to use when. The 3 Default Modes of form are Edit, New, and View.

• To understand the default mode in the form, we will add one more screen for the Gallery and name it as Employees List Screen. Also, connect the gallery with the same data source as the form and name the gallery as galEmployees. 

• Rename the screen with the form as Employee Edit Screen. 

• Click on the pencil icon to edit the gallery. Set the OnSelect property of an arrow to: Navigate (Employee Edit Screen); Transition. None

• Now, in the Employee Edit screen, rename the form name to frmEmployeeEdit and set the item property to galEmployees.Selected 

• Although the default mode of the form is the same but now if you try to preview the app, you will be able to see the form displayed on the browser with the details of the gallery item selected.

• So, if the Default Mode of the form is set to Edit, it is necessary to pass the value to the form from the item property, typically from the gallery, like Gallery. Selected

• If you are creating a new form, set the Default Mode to New; otherwise, you will experience the same error of a blank screen. 

• If you only want to view the content of the form and do not want it to be edited, set the Default Mode of the form to View. In this mode, fields will not be visible, and the data that appears will be as a result of the row from the gallery or list selected. This is a Read-only view of the form. 

Hope this article will be useful to you when you are creating an app using Power Apps. For your suggestions and feedback, please leave comments. 

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Conclusion 

When it comes to getting the form mode right in Power Apps is a small thing, but it makes a big difference. Whether you’re adding new records, modifying existing ones, or just viewing data, setting the right default mode means users don’t hit blank screens or confusing messages like “No item to display”. Take a few minutes to get it right, test your app, and you’ll have a more reliable and user-friendly experience. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the default form modes in Power Apps Canvas apps? 

A: There are three default form modes in Power Apps: 

1. New – It is for creating new records. 

2. Edit – It is to update existing records or data. 

3. View – To view or access records. 

Q: How can I fix the “No item to display” issue in Power Apps? 

A: If you are facing the “No item to display” issue, this might be because of the form in Edit or View mode, but no data is linked with it. To fix this issue, you can connect the form’s item property or switch the form to a new mode if you are looking to make new entries. 

Q: How do I set the default mode of form in Power Apps?  

A: Go through the following steps to set the default mode of form in Power Apps: 

• First of all, you have to choose the form. 

• Thereafter, navigate to the DefaultMode property. 

• Now, set it to FormMode.New, FormMode.Edit, or FormMode.View, as per your needs. 

Q: Can I change the form mode dynamically into Power Apps? 

A: Yes, you can change the form mode dynamically into Power Apps using the FormMode function along with variables or navigation logic.