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Microsoft 365 for Beginners – What is Microsoft 365 Power Automate – Part 19
As a technology giant, Microsoft never ceases to innovate. In recent years, the company has invested heavily in boosting user collaboration. One such innovation is the Fluid Framework, or “Microsoft Fluid,” as it’s commonly known. Introduced as a new tool to enhance the Microsoft ecosystem, Fluid transforms how organizations work and collaborate. It serves as the backing technology for new solutions like Microsoft Loop. Let’s look at Microsoft Fluid for beginners and learn more about this innovative framework.
What is Microsoft Fluid Framework?
The Microsoft Fluid Framework, now an open-source project, is a platform that breaks down barriers between apps and facilitates better teamwork. Unlike static documents, Fluid documents are living, breathing entities that update in real time and can be integrated into any app.
Fluid components, the building blocks of Fluid documents, can exist independently outside of documents. They can be created, modified, and shared across multiple apps, from Outlook to Microsoft Teams. This characteristic of Fluid allows users to collaborate more effectively and efficiently.
Developers can add multi-user interactivity to apps that use the same code used in Microsoft 365 apps and services, helping to form a seamless experience for end users.
Microsoft Teams integration
Microsoft 365 Fluid works seamlessly with Microsoft Teams. When a Teams meeting starts, the integration of Fluid into Teams allows meeting notes, task lists, and other collaborative modules, like whiteboards, to be created within the meeting interface. These notes and modules stay in sync with the meeting and can be accessed and edited by all participants during and after the meeting.
Beyond meetings, Teams can also utilize Fluid to collaborate on documents or projects. Users can create their own Loop components — a new feature of the Microsoft Fluid Framework — to tailor their collaborative experience.
Extending Microsoft Fluid Beyond Microsoft Apps
The versatility of the Fluid Framework extends beyond Microsoft apps. Developers can leverage the Fluid Framework to create their own Loop components and integrate them into existing message extension apps. The availability of a framework like Fluid creates a seamless, integrated, and collaborative experience across not just Microsoft apps but also other apps within the digital ecosystem.
With Graph connector integrations, users can now import data from various sources into their Fluid documents. The interoperability of the Fluid Framework with other apps and extensions showcases the flexibility of Microsoft’s new framework.
Creating and Collaborating with Fluid Components
Fluid components are the heart of Microsoft’s collaborative vision. Users can create Fluid components and embed them in any document or Teams chat. These components can take many forms, from simple text blocks and tables to more complex graphs and status trackers.
Loop components, a type of Fluid component, can be used in Microsoft Teams Meetings and Outlook Calendar invitations. Users can also embed Fluid components like voting tables in Microsoft Teams meeting chats, providing real-time updates to all participants.
Exploring Advanced Features of Microsoft 365 Fluid
Diving deeper into Microsoft 365 Fluid, we uncover a world of features designed to enhance your work’s fluidity and dynamism. This section explores some advanced facets of Microsoft 365 Fluid that stand out.
Building Fluid Components: A Developer’s Perspective
Building Fluid components requires understanding the Fluid Framework and utilizing its unique functionalities. There is a good
Microsoft has provided a rich developer ecosystem for building Fluid components. Developers begin with setting up their development environment, which includes installing Node.js, then the Fluid Framework by running the following command:
npm install @fluidframework/azure-client fluid-framework @fluidframework/test-client-utils
To create a new Fluid component, they would start a new ‘.ts’ file, import the necessary libraries, and then follow the framework’s structure to define their component.
//`Util.ts
import { IFluidContainer } from “fluid-framework”;
import { AzureClient, AzureClientProps } from “@fluidframework/azure-client”;
import { InsecureTokenProvider } from “@fluidframework/test-client-utils”;
To run the component, they would typically use a command such as
npm run start
Learn more about Loop components development here: Overview of Loop components in Teams – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn.
Whiteboarding in Microsoft Teams with Fluid
Whiteboarding is another key aspect of the Fluid Framework, particularly in Microsoft Teams. Teams have relied on digital whiteboards to brainstorm ideas, explain complex concepts, and map out plans. With Fluid, the whiteboarding experience becomes even more interactive and dynamic.
Whiteboard data can be represented as a Fluid component, and like other Fluid components, it can be embedded in various contexts — for example, a Teams chat or meeting, an Outlook email, or even a standalone Fluid document.
Microsoft Loop and experience built on top of Fluid
Loop experiences are available in Microsoft 365 within OneDrive and SharePoint as examples. These are backed by .fluid or .loop files. As a note, Microsoft is transitioning from .fluid files to .loop files in the near future. Cloud administrators can control the Loop experiences and access to .fluid files using either cloud policies or SharePoint PowerShell commands.
Cloud policy settings allow the following:
- Create and view Loop files in Microsoft apps that support Loop
- Create and view Loop files in Outlook
- Create and view Loop workspaces in Loop
Microsoft announced the Loop app as an exciting addition to its Fluid-based offerings. The Loop app enables users to create, share, and collaborate on Loop components in real time. With the Loop app, you can open a Fluid document, and it will automatically sync across all instances in the Microsoft ecosystem where it’s embedded.
Fluid Framework and the Web
Regarding integration with the web, Microsoft Fluid doesn’t disappoint. Using Fluid components across the web is particularly useful for those who rely on various Microsoft apps on their web browsers.
Fluid offers web users the same dynamic, real-time collaboration, and versatility that desktop app users enjoy. For instance, an organization might use Outlook on the web for email but use Teams as a desktop client for meetings. Fluid ensures a seamless experience for users across different platforms.
Fluid and Client-Server Interaction
With Fluid, the gap between the client and server fades away. Fluid components behave similarly across client and server environments, enabling a consistent user experience regardless of the platform they are using. This interoperability ensures that your work flows smoothly across different environments, whether you’re working on a desktop app, a web app, or even a mobile app.
Wrapping up
As we have seen, Microsoft Fluid is an exciting new development construct allowing developers to build apps seamlessly. It has been open-sourced and is the foundation of the new Microsoft Loop solution as the underlying technology. By enabling live, dynamic collaboration across various platforms and apps, Fluid and now Microsoft Loop components are setting new standards for team collaboration and dynamic content. As Microsoft continues to refine and expand Microsoft 365, it’s clear that innovative frameworks like Fluid will continue to be the cornerstone of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
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