#PowerPlatformTip 119: ‘Web-Based Editing with VS Code’

TL;DR: Use vscode.dev in your browser as a roomy editor for Power Fx, JSON and expressions, no install needed.

💡 Challenge

Working with Power Apps and Power Automate often means wrangling code snippets, formulas and expressions. The built-in editors sometimes lack the space and flexibility you need for more complex text operations.

✅ Solution

Use web-based Visual Studio Code (vscode.dev) as a spacious, full-featured environment for Power Platform tasks, with advanced editing, find & replace, and syntax highlighting.

🔧 How It’s Done

1. Open VS Code for the web

🔸 Go to https://vscode.dev in your browser.

2. Sign in (optional)

🔸 Use your Microsoft account for synced settings and extensions.

3. Edit and manipulate

🔸 Use multi-line editing, find & replace, and syntax highlighting to handle JSON, compose HTTP requests, or refine Power Fx formulas.

🎉 Result

Power Platform makers get a streamlined, efficient editing experience. The web editor’s rich feature set makes it quick to edit and organize scripts and formulas, better productivity, easier management.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 More space: room for editing complex scripts compared to the default editors.

🔸 Versatile: handles many types of code and text, including Power Fx, JSON, and more.

🔸 Convenient: available from any device with a browser, no installation.

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🛠️ FAQ

1. What is vscode.dev and why use it for Power Platform? vscode.dev is the browser-based version of Visual Studio Code. It gives you a full-featured code editor with no local install, perfect for editing Power Platform scripts and formulas on the go.

2. Do I need to install any extensions to edit Power Platform files? No install is required. vscode.dev supports built-in features like syntax highlighting and can load popular extensions when you sign in with your Microsoft or GitHub account.

3. Can I handle JSON and Power Fx formulas in the browser editor? Yes. Open, edit, and save JSON, Power Fx formulas, and other script files directly in vscode.dev with full editor features such as find/replace, multi-cursor editing, and error highlighting.

🔗 Related Tips

• #PowerPlatformTip 89: Code View / Peak Code, inspect control code fast inside Studio.
• #PowerPlatformTip 145: Power Platform Tools, more browser-based helpers for formulas and expressions.