View Layout Copier

Copy the layout of one Dataverse view to multiple other views of the same table in a single operation.

Table of Contents

• View Layout Copier
  • UI Preview
  • Features
  • Installation
  • Development
  • Usage in ToolBox
  • Key Concepts
    • Layout Components
    • Copy Options
    • Smart Query Merging
  • Technical Stack
  • Troubleshooting
  • Contributing
  • License
  • Support

UI Preview

Features

• ✅ React 18 with TypeScript
• ✅ Vite for fast development and optimized builds
• ✅ Copy layout from one view to multiple target views
• ✅ Support for system views and personal views
• ✅ Solution-based table filtering
• ✅ Searchable table list (display name and schema name)
• ✅ View type badges (Public, Personal, Lookup, etc.)
• ✅ Source layout preview (columns, order, widths, sort)
• ✅ Selective copy options (layout, sort, components)
• ✅ Smart FetchXML query merging
• ✅ Lookup view safety validation
• ✅ Single-operation publish
• ✅ Real-time progress tracking
• ✅ Theme-aware dark/light mode support

Installation

Install dependencies:

npm install

Development

Run development server:

npm run dev

Build for production:

npm run build

Preview production build:

npm run preview

Usage in ToolBox

1. Build the tool:

   npm run build

2. The built files will be in the dist/ directory:

   • index.html - Main entry point
   • index.js - Bundled application
   • index.css - Compiled styles

3. Install the tool in Power Platform ToolBox through the UI

4. Use View Layout Copier:

   • Select a solution (or work across all tables)
   • Choose a source table from the searchable list
   • Select the source view to copy layout from
   • Preview the source layout (columns, order, widths)
   • Check target views to receive the layout
   • Adjust copy options as needed
   • Click Copy & publish to apply changes

Key Concepts

Layout Components

A view layout consists of:

• Column Layout: Order, display names, and column widths
• Sort Order: Primary and secondary sorting criteria
• Components Configuration: Custom controls and grid components
• Filters: Not copied—target views keep their existing filters

The tool preserves all configuration except filters, which remain unchanged on target views.

Copy Options

Choose what to copy during the operation:

• Column Layout (enabled by default): Columns, order, and widths
• Sort Order (enabled by default): Replaces target sort criteria
• Components Configuration (enabled by default): Custom controls and grid components

Note: Components configuration is skipped for Quick Find, Lookup, Advanced Find, and personal views.

Smart Query Merging

When copying layout:

• Attributes referenced by the source layout are automatically added to the target's FetchXML
• Related-table (link-entity) columns are carried over without their filters
• Each target view retains its own filter logic
• Single publish operation applies all changes at once

Safety checks prevent breaking lookup views by validating primary name column positioning.

Technical Stack

• React 18 with TypeScript
• Vite for fast development and optimized production builds
• Fluent UI React Components for modern UI
• PPTB API for all Dataverse operations
• @pptb/types - PPTB type definitions

Troubleshooting

Copy Operation Fails

Issue: Error when copying layout to target views

Solution:

• Verify source view is fully loaded
• Check target views are editable (unmanaged)
• Ensure all target views are the same entity type
• Try copying to fewer views at once

Layout Not Applied

Issue: Source layout doesn't appear on target views

Solution:

• Verify copy options are correctly enabled
• Check target views are published successfully
• Refresh target views in Power Apps
• Review console for error messages

Sort Order Not Copied

Issue: Sort order from source view not applied

Solution:

• Verify "Sort order" option is enabled
• Check source view has defined sort criteria
• Ensure target views don't have conflicting sorts
• Try copying sort separately from layout

Filters Appearing on Target

Issue: Source filters appear on target views

Solution:

• Filters are intentionally NOT copied
• Clear target view filters manually if needed
• This behavior prevents unintended filtering
• Use Smart Query Merging for attribute handling only

Component Configuration Issues

Issue: Custom controls don't copy correctly

Solution:

• Verify source and target support components
• Check component configuration is enabled
• Note: Components skipped for Quick Find, Lookup, Advanced Find views
• Try copying layout and components separately

Best Practices

1. Test First: Copy to one test view before batch copying
2. Verify Source: Preview source layout before copying
3. Batch Carefully: Copy to related views (same entity, same purpose)
4. Document Changes: Keep notes of what was copied and when
5. Backup Views: Export view definitions before major changes

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! When contributing:

1. Maintain PPTB integration patterns
2. Keep webview bundle browser-only (no Node.js dependencies)
3. Test in Power Platform ToolBox
4. Update documentation as needed
5. Follow existing code style

License

This project is licensed under the GPL-2.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions