Microsoft 365 is a robust application development platform. The sorts of apps you can create with Microsoft 365 are listed below.
Why should you use Microsoft 365 to develop apps?
Microsoft 365, formerly known as Office 365, is a productivity cloud from Microsoft that businesses utilize for communication and collaboration. Microsoft 365 is used by 250 million people to create files, exchange emails, hold meetings, view information stored in Microsoft 365, and more.
Microsoft 365 can also be used as a development platform. Microsoft 365 stores all information on its users, as well as the material they create, and makes it available for you to engage with in your applications if you have the proper rights.
What kinds of applications can you create with Microsoft 365?
When it comes to developing apps for Microsoft 365, there are two sorts of apps to consider: standalone apps and apps that extend Microsoft 365.
Create your own applications to personalize your experience
For starters, you can create your own apps. Mobile apps, online apps, desktop apps, device-native apps, workflow automation, and scheduled procedures are examples of these. These apps can be developed in any programming language and run on any platform. You have complete control over how they are distributed and operated. In a nutshell, you control the entire technical stack as well as the user experience.
Your app is where users begin their adventure. Because your app is integrated with Microsoft 365, you can display relevant Microsoft 365 data alongside your app's capabilities. Users may not realize they're looking at data from Microsoft 365 because you can present the data in your app in a seamless manner.
Allow users to sign in to your custom app using their Microsoft 365 account to get the most out of your Microsoft 365 integration. That way, you'll be able to get the information they need from Microsoft 365 on their behalf.
Extend the capabilities of Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 has a lot of extension points that can help you get your app to where your users are. You make your app a part of people's work by exposing it inside Microsoft 365. They can focus on their task and interact with your app without having to move contexts because your app is present exactly where they are.
Extend the discussion
On Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams hosts chats. You may use your app to join a conversation in a variety of ways.
First and foremost, you can create talking bots. Bots assist individuals in completing jobs by conversing with them. They're a terrific way to show off your app's most useful features and act as a personal assistant, guiding users through the situation.
Messaging extensions are another option to make your app visible in a Teams conversation. Messaging extensions aid in the completion of tasks in a visually appealing manner. They're similar to bots, but they're more aesthetically focused, making them perfect for displaying large amounts of data.
Portals should be extended
Portals are used by many Microsoft 365 users to simplify communication and knowledge management. They disseminate content and create interactive dashboards using rich pages. End-users put up these pages, which are made up of reusable building components called web parts.
There are two techniques to extend portals in Microsoft 365. To begin, you can create web parts, which are widgets. Your web parts can be added to pages by users who build them in order to enrich the content. Data from Microsoft 365 as well as any other API can be displayed in your web components.
Building extensions is another option to extend portals. You can use SharePoint Framework extensions to run a piece of code on every page or change the way list fields are displayed. You can load data from Microsoft 365 or any other API in your extensions, just like you can with web components.
Documents should be expanded
Users can add interactive features like maps and charts to papers they create in Microsoft 365. These components can be linked to APIs to make documents more interactive and offer data that is always current.
You may also create task pane extensions for Microsoft Office apps to assist users with document work. When writing contracts or preparing invoices, a task window could help people seek up customer information or order information.
Integrate your app with Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 allows you to create a variety of different applications. You can connect your app to Microsoft 365 whether you're developing a custom app or extending Microsoft 365. Connect to Microsoft Graph, the online API for Microsoft 365, to obtain information and insights from Microsoft 365.
Building apps for Microsoft 365 is a fantastic way to reach millions of consumers and improve their productivity. I recommend checking out the interactive Graph Explorer if you want to get a fast idea of what kind of data you can get from Microsoft 365. If you're thinking about making a web app, I'd also recommend checking out Microsoft Graph Toolkit, which is a collection of web components that make it simple to display data from Microsoft 365 in your app. Sign up for the Microsoft 365 developer program to get a dev environment when you're ready to start constructing your app.
