Skills Development Background Geolocation Tracking and Dataverse Sync

Background Geolocation Tracking and Dataverse Sync

v20260903
add-geolocation
This internal skill facilitates continuous, background GPS tracking and durable storage management. It is designed for integrating location services directly into Power Apps by automatically syncing collected data points to a specified Dataverse table. Use this when reliable, persistent location monitoring is required, differentiating it from single, foreground coordinate reads.
Get Skill
370 downloads
Overview

Shared instructions: shared-instructions.md - read first.

Add Geolocation

Internal helper for /add-native geolocation, /add-native location-tracking, /add-native background-location, /add-native gps-tracking, and /add-native @microsoft/power-apps-native-bglocation.

Use this only for continuous/background GPS tracking with native durable storage and inline Dataverse upload. For a single foreground coordinate read, use /add-native location (expo-location) instead.

Hard rules:

  • Auth is MSAL-only. Do not expose OneAuth or an auth selector.
  • Use geoService(dataSource, app_id) and BgLocationClient.
  • Do not use GeolocationExtension, HostingSDK, PCF, Launch URI, or CordovaV2 bridge paths.
  • Do not install packages or edit native config.
  • The control is not usable until its Dataverse target table and mapped columns are verified.

1. Verify app and package

test -f app.config.js && test -f power.config.json && test -f package.json && test -d src
node -e "const p=require('./package.json'); const m='@microsoft/power-apps-native-bglocation'; if (!p.dependencies?.[m]) { console.error('MISSING: ' + m); process.exit(1); } console.log('OK: geolocation package present');"

If either check fails, stop. The template/app must already ship the native package.

2. Verify the Dataverse target table first

This control uses the package default Dataverse entity set:

msdyn_locationrecords

Do not ask the user for a table name and do not invent a custom table. msdyn_locationrecords must already exist before the control can be used.

ENV_JSON=$(node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/resolve-environment.js" "$(node -e "console.log(require('./power.config.json').environmentId)")")
ENV_URL=$(node -e "const j=JSON.parse(process.argv[1]); process.stdout.write(j.environmentUrl || '')" "$ENV_JSON")

TABLE="msdyn_locationrecords"
node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" "$ENV_URL" GET \
  "EntityDefinitions?\$filter=EntitySetName eq '$TABLE'&\$select=LogicalName,EntitySetName"

Required result:

  • One row returned: capture LogicalName and verify columns.
  • Empty value: []: stop. Mark BLOCKED (target table missing). Do not create the table, do not route to /add-dataverse, and do not report the control as usable. Tell the user to run the geolocation-control table provisioning/setup mechanism, then re-run /add-native geolocation.
  • Auth/environment error: stop. Mark UNVERIFIED (target table not checked). Do not report the control as usable.

When the table exists, verify every mapped column exists:

node "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/dataverse-request.js" "$ENV_URL" GET \
  "EntityDefinitions(LogicalName='<logicalName>')/Attributes?\$select=LogicalName,AttributeType"

Required default fieldMap columns from the package README:

msdyn_locationrecordid, msdyn_appid, msdyn_latitude, msdyn_longitude,
msdyn_altitude, msdyn_accuracy, msdyn_heading, msdyn_speed, msdyn_timestamp

If any active fieldMap column is missing, stop. Mark BLOCKED (target columns missing) and tell the user to fix the control table through the geolocation-control table provisioning/setup mechanism.

3. Write src/native/geolocation.ts

Create or patch src/native/geolocation.ts so screens import this wrapper, not the package directly.

The target config must require the README's two tracking flags:

  • trackInBackground: boolean
  • persistAcrossRestarts: boolean
// src/native/geolocation.ts
import {
  geoService,
  BgLocationClient,
  AuthMethod,
  ConnectionType,
} from '@microsoft/power-apps-native-bglocation';
import type {
  DataverseDataSource,
  LocationData,
  PermissionStatus,
} from '@microsoft/power-apps-native-bglocation';

export type { LocationData, PermissionStatus } from '@microsoft/power-apps-native-bglocation';

export type GeoTrackingTarget = Omit<DataverseDataSource, 'authMethod' | 'connectionType'>;

export type GeoResult<T> =
  | { ok: true; value: T }
  | {
      ok: false;
      reason: 'NATIVE_MODULE_MISSING' | 'PERMISSION_DENIED' | 'TRACKING_FAILED';
      message?: string;
    };

let activeClient: BgLocationClient | null = null;

function client(): BgLocationClient {
  return activeClient ?? new BgLocationClient();
}

function dataSource(target: GeoTrackingTarget): DataverseDataSource {
  return {
    ...target,
    authMethod: AuthMethod.MSAL,
    connectionType: ConnectionType.Dataverse,
  };
}

function fail(error: unknown): Extract<GeoResult<never>, { ok: false }> {
  const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
  if (/native|module|not.*link|undefined is not an object|null is not an object/i.test(message)) {
    return { ok: false, reason: 'NATIVE_MODULE_MISSING', message };
  }
  if (/permission|denied|authoriz|not granted/i.test(message)) {
    return { ok: false, reason: 'PERMISSION_DENIED', message };
  }
  return { ok: false, reason: 'TRACKING_FAILED', message };
}

export async function startTracking(
  app_id: string,
  target: GeoTrackingTarget,
): Promise<GeoResult<void>> {
  try {
    activeClient = geoService(dataSource(target), app_id);
    await activeClient.startTracking();
    return { ok: true, value: undefined };
  } catch (error) {
    activeClient = null;
    return fail(error);
  }
}

export async function stopTracking(): Promise<GeoResult<void>> {
  try {
    await client().stopTracking();
    activeClient = null;
    return { ok: true, value: undefined };
  } catch (error) {
    return fail(error);
  }
}

export async function isTracking(): Promise<GeoResult<boolean>> {
  try {
    return { ok: true, value: await client().isTracking() };
  } catch (error) {
    return fail(error);
  }
}

export async function getPermissionStatus(): Promise<GeoResult<PermissionStatus>> {
  try {
    return { ok: true, value: await client().getPermissionStatus() };
  } catch (error) {
    return fail(error);
  }
}

export async function getCurrentLocation(): Promise<GeoResult<LocationData>> {
  try {
    return { ok: true, value: await client().getCurrentLocation() };
  } catch (error) {
    return fail(error);
  }
}

4. Usage shape

Screens must pass connectionUrl, trackInBackground, and persistAcrossRestarts. Do not pass tableName or fieldMap; the control uses the default msdyn_locationrecords table and default msdyn_* field map. intervalMs, distanceFilterMeters, and notification are optional.

const target: GeoTrackingTarget = {
  connectionUrl: 'https://org.crm.dynamics.com',
  trackInBackground: true,
  persistAcrossRestarts: false,
};

await startTracking('my-wrap-app', target);

5. Type-check and summary

npx tsc --noEmit

Only after table + columns are verified and TypeScript passes, report:

Geolocation status : READY
Package present    : @microsoft/power-apps-native-bglocation
Wrapper            : src/native/geolocation.ts
Required config    : connectionUrl, trackInBackground, persistAcrossRestarts
Auth               : MSAL only
Target table       : <TABLE> verified
Native config      : not changed

If table verification failed, report BLOCKED or UNVERIFIED instead and do not update memory-bank.md as if the control is ready.

Info
Category Development
Name add-geolocation
Version v20260903
Size 7.48KB
Updated At 2026-09-06
Language