The custom application can be run on various platforms, including your local machine (laptop or desktop), external devices such as a Raspberry Pi, or a virtual machine. It can also be executed directly on the PPL controller. This guide provides instructions on running the application on your local machine using Visual Studio Code. Additional platform-specific instructions will be added in the future.
It is recommended to run your custom application on a local machine first. This approach allows you to test and troubleshoot the newly developed application. Once testing is complete, the application can then be transferred to the Power Platform controller for execution.
Follow the steps below to run the custom application on your local machine using the Terminal in Visual Studio Code. The instructions assume that Visual Studio Code is already open and the ppl-app repository is loaded.
1

Update IP Address in Application

  • Modify the IP address in the main function. By default, the controller’s IP address is configured.
The IP address for the NATS connection should match the IP address of the Power Platform controller.
2

Update NATS Client Credentials

  • Open the .env file from the left navigation pane.
  • In the .env file, update the username and password for the NATS client connection. Default credentials are currently assigned.
The username and password for the NATS connection should match the username and password specified in the config.json file under the nats local section.
3

Open Terminal in VS Code

  • Click on Terminal in the top menu bar and select New Terminal.
  • A terminal window will open at the bottom of your screen.
4

Run Application

  • Execute the Python script in the terminal by running the following command:
python boilerplate.py
Watch the instructional video to learn how to install the required libraries and run the application on your local machine: