Well, it’s Friday, time to take a little break and play the Dice Game! The Power BI community is creative and is always developing amazing ideas. This is another incredible example that you can play right in Power BI! The brain child of this game is Kerry Kolosko, an Analyst out of of Australia.
Play the game
Below is a sample of the game. Again, fully built in PowerBI. Check out give it a good old roll of the dice!
The Magic in the Game
There are animations moving elements all on the report canvas. Rounded buttons to click on. All sorts of neat visual elements. These creative elements are capable via a custom visual, HTML Content. The HTML Content visual is maintained by Daniel Patrick-Marsh.
Daniel’s work on custom visual development is top notch. So if you are super impressed with this report go download this visual from App Source.
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Power BI Version Control is a free, fully-packaged solution that lets users apply version control, local editing, and manage PBIX or PBIT files. The solution runs entirely on Power Apps (Power Platform) and SharePoint. Power BI Version Control can give business users or smaller organizations the ability to easily implement and utilize version control for their Power BI projects.
Note: updating the app version will require you to re-import the SharePoint connection and folders.
In most version control systems, branching is a method to make edits to code in a safe and reliable way. Typically, users “branch”, or copy, the code to their local machine to make edits. They can then “merge” the code back to the master code, adding comments of what has changed and who changed it. Each change is saved as a different version, with the ability to go back to any version. Small, frequent changes are helpful, making it easy to undo any errors. This type of version control requires that every file be saved in a plain text format, so the differences between two versions of the same file can be easily identified, cherry-picked, merged, etc.
However, unlike pure source code, Power BI reports are packaged into PBIX or PBIT files, which cannot be compared against each other in the way we just described. This makes it much harder for multiple users to work on the same set of files simultaneously. While it is possible to use Azure DevOps, GitHub, etc. as a version control solution for Power BI reports, it’s difficult to setup and use (especially for non-technical business users). The Power BI Version Control solution bridges that gap by harnessing SharePoint’s built-in file versioning and the user-friendly UI/UX of Power Apps.
Why use Power BI Version Control?
Single shared location for reports (no emailing files!)
Keeping all of your Power BI report files in SharePoint means that you’ll always know where to find them, and that they’ll always be the latest versions of those files.
Keep all versions of the report (no adding numbers to file names!)
We often want to keep files from the past in case we need to roll back changes. Instead of adding version numbers or initials to the file names (like Sales_Report_v2.5_Final(1)(1).pbix), SharePoint will keep all versions of your report files automatically. Additionally, by using this Power BI version control method, it is possible to roll back to any of these versions whenever needed.
Ability to check out files exclusively, like a library – only one person can make changes at a time
When working in teams, you may have multiple people working on a project (see this post on Power BI team members). If you have more than one person who may edit a file, we want to make sure they are not trying to do it at the same time. Power BI Version Control ensures that only one person can check out any given file at once. As a result, nobody else can make edits to a file that you are working on. No more conflicts or working on outdated versions of files!
Ability to check-in files – add comments describing changes made since the last check-in
After making edits, we want to be able to keep comments about what was changed. With each version we are able to add a description of what has changed since the last version.
Work locally – make all changes on copies, so we do not edit our files directly
Another important benefit of Power BI Version Control is that we always work on copies of our reports. We can save and experiment as we work on the files, knowing that we will not accidentally damage a live report. We do all work locally on our machine and separate to our production or live reports. If needed, we can discard all changes and start again.
How to use Power BI Version Control
Power BI Version Control – Installation Instructions (YouTube)
Installing the App
Download the Power BI Version Control app solution file (from the link near the top of this page)
In the list of Solutions, find Power BI Version Control
Click the ellipsis and select edit
The app will now open in edit mode
Add the SharePoint folder by following the following steps:
Open the data sources tab
Select Add data
Type “SharePoint” in the search bar
Select SharePoint (note: be careful not to select “SharePoint Sites”)
Choose the SharePoint connection you selected earlier
In the pane that opens, enter the URL of the SharePoint site. This should be in the format: https://DOMAIN.sharepoint.com/sites/SITENAME
Click Connect
Choose the correct Document Library and click Connect
Select the tree view and navigate to the Settings Screen
Fix any red X marks on the page by updating the settings to match your folder structure (as described in the next section). If you used the default folder and document library names you should not need to update any settings
Setting the connections
There are four numbered blue boxes that may require updating. If you see any red X marks next to any of the following boxes, click on that box and update the required property.
1.
Click this box and make sure Items is selected. Update the text to match the document library name (this is also the name of the data source you imported earlier). Use the IntelliSense (auto-complete) to ensure the correct value is selected. The text should turn green when correct, and the red X should disappear.
2.
Click this box and make sure OnSelect is selected. The formula should read Refresh(‘[Your Document Library]’). Update the text to match the document library name (this is also the name of the data source you imported earlier). Use the IntelliSense so ensure the correct value is selected. The text should turn green when correct, and the red X should disappear.
3.
Click this blue box (not the label) and make sure Text is selected. Update this to the checked out folder name, surrounded by double quotation marks.
Note: if you add a forward slash to the end of the folder name, this will add all checked out folders to the same folder. Otherwise, a sub-folder will be created for each user based on their user ID.
4.
Click this blue box (not the label) and make sure Text is selected. Update this to the published reports folder name, surrounded by double quotation marks (e.g. “Published Reports”).
Check that there are no red X marks. A red error message will also show at the bottom of the screen if there were any errors in setup. Resolve all errors before publishing.
Click File then Save
After the app has saved, click Publish to ensure all changes are deployed
Using the App
Power BI Version Control – User Instructions (YouTube)
We recommend embedding the Power BI Version Control app in a Teams channel. Additionally, the SharePoint site can be added to the Files section in Teams. This will allow all appropriate members to access the Power BI Version Control app and report files in one place.
Check Out
Open the Power BI Version Control app
Click the Check Reports Out button on the Home Screen
The Check Out Screen will list all PBIX and PBIT files in the Published Reports folder. Select the reports you wish to modify in the Check Out Reports column. You will only be able to check out reports that are not already checked out
Click Check Out Reports button
Wait a few moments for the reports to process. It may take longer if using large files
Editing the files
Navigate to the OneDrive folder on your local machine. The selected reports will appear in the synced folder Checked Out Reports (or sub-folder)
You can now open and edit these files. If using live connections, consider using the Hot Swap Connections Tool
If you want to save copies, you can do so in a sub-folder or elsewhere on your local machine. Avoid this when possible. We recommended to make small and frequent updates / check-ins
When ready, make sure only the files that are ready for check-in are saved in Checked Out Reports (or sub-folder). Make sure the names of files have not been altered
If you manually publish reports, publish immediately before closing and checking in
Check In
Once edits are done, Check In the reports from the Checked Out Reports folder to the Published Reports folder. Alternatively, you may wish to discard your work. As a result, this will release the file and ignore any changes you have made. Next, it will delete the file from the Checked Out Reports folder.
Commit changes:
Open the Power BI Version Control app
Click the Check Reports Out button on the Home Screen
This will list all PBIX and PBIT files in the Checked Out Reports folder. Select the reports you wish to Check In in the Check Out Reports column. You will only be able to check in reports that are checked out to you
Make sure to add comments. Include details on changes you made. If using Azure DevOps, Planner, or some other project management tool, include the relevant ticket/task number(s) in your comments whenever possible
Click the Check in reports button
Discard changes:
Navigate to the Check In page by the button on the main page
This will list all PBIX and PBIT files in the Checked Out Reports folder. Next, select the reports with changes that you wish to discard in the Discard Report column. You will only be able to discard reports that are checked out to you
Confirm Discard
Helpful Tips
Also included in the app is a flow called Initial Step: Create Power BI Reports Library with Folders.
Open the flow and select Run
Paste in your SharePoint site where you wish to create the folders, site e.g. https://powerbitips.sharepoint.com/sites/powerbi
Running this will automatically create a library and folders in your desired site. It will use default names, which means you will not need to configure the app in the settings page after connecting to the data source.
Sync Folders
You should sync the Checked Out Reports (or sub-folder) that was created to your local machine’s OneDrive, allowing for local edits. If using sub-folders, you must check out a file once to create the folder.
Ensure to sync only theChecked Out Reports folder (or sub-folder).
You can sync either through SharePoint or through Microsoft Teams.
From SharePoint:
Navigate to the correct SharePoint site
Select Documents and navigate to the Checked Out Reports (or sub-folder)
In the toolbar, select Sync
From Teams:
Open the Teams channel
In the toolbar, select Files and navigate to the Checked Out Reports (or sub-folder)
You can now access the files in this directory from the local machine.
Limitations and Scope
Known issues:
The app will fail if the internal SharePoint name and the Display name do not match. This happens when a SharePoint site is created, and the display name is manually changed later. We are working on a patch for this.
If you have a very large number of reports, the app may not display all of them. We are working on a patch for this.
Design:
This solution is designed to handle thin report files, and not large models. The solution will copy and publish to one single folder, and is not intended to manage environments (e.g. dev / test / prod). It should be connected to a Development environment, we recommend using Power BI Deployment Pipelines to deploy reports from Dev to Test, and from Test to Prod.
The Power BI Version Control app solution performs these main tasks:
Check out and lock editing to a single user
Copy files to a local synced folder for safe editing
Keep version history and enforce developer comments on each check-in
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Power BI took the BI world by storm 5 years ago, there has been a release of the Power BI Desktop almost every single month. The infant that was Power BI has grown into a fully grown behemoth of an enterprise tool. It covers the spectrum of data access and storage options. It has internal and 3rd party tools that provide capabilities that are second to none. Top that off with its flexible licensing and implementation models within organizations and it is no wonder it is in front of the pack. As a result of that pace and growth, the amount of knowledge and skills required to build, manage and implement Power BI has also grown significantly. This has resulted in “Power BI”, meaning a lot of things, to many different people. Today we aim to solve that problem by introducing the Power BI Skills Matrix.
First in a three-part series
This is the first post in a three-part series. It is meant to help people make an honest assessment of their skills. The intent is to enable everyone to be able to clearly articulate their skills to themselves and others. In addition, this content can also be used by hiring managers and recruiters as a litmus test to better engage with individuals around their Power BI technical skills. The second post will focus on techniques for honing skills. The third will focus on methods or behaviors that will help people sell their skills and themselves in an interview
The aim of this series is to bring some clarity around what everyone can, and should, expect from individuals who work with “Power BI”.
Focus Areas
A number of job requirements and focus areas rely heavily on one or more areas of Power BI. Meanwhile, the generalization of the term “Power BI” in conversation and in job descriptions can drive confusion. An interviewer may only be focused on one skill or another. It is good for everyone to understand the entire scope of skills. Then we can collectively understand what might be expected in a particular role. If you have an interest in what those specific role areas might be, check out Steve Campbell’s blog here where he dives into some of those specifics.
During the last 6 months, I’ve been extensively interviewing for Power BI Developer and Data Engineering roles. I’ve had the pleasure to speak with a wide variety of candidates across the United States. We ran them all through the same battery of questions and have discovered some consistent experiences. I believe this series is a great way for me to share my thoughts on what sets apart the great candidates from those I move past in regards to their technical skills.
Rate Yourself
To begin with, you need a litmus test, so we’ll start with a little exercise. Think about your level of expertise in Power BI and rate yourself from 1 to 100. 1 – you just heard about Power BI 100 – You are a Power BI Master
What did you rate yourself?
I’ll describe the general skills that align to each of these ratings. After that, we’ll see if what you have in your mind matches the output of the Skills Matrix. I designed a simple grid of 10 increasingly difficult skills in 5 different areas. Each cell is worth 2 points and there are 50 cells, therefore a total of 100 pts. Each column can have a max point total of 20. The more points in a skill column, the stronger you are in that particular area. This should correspond to specific roles you would be a good fit for. As a result, the more overall experience you have, the higher the overall score.
Each of the skills in a rating will build on the previous level, the skills represented carry forward to all other levels. For instance, if you reach row 5 for Model, you know you already have 10 pts for that column.
There is a little room for interpretation as Enterprise skills in Connect/Transform may be in other tools. Its the core progressions that count the most in terms of expertise.
Power BI Skills Matrix
Power BI Skills Matrix (To see a large version – Right Click and Select Open Image in New Tab)
Now, let’s go through the exercise of rating yourself again. You should be able to clearly see which skills you are strongest in and what your overall knowledge (score) of Power BI would be. Did it match your initial thoughts?
Be honest with yourself and your skills. One of the worst things you can do is over promise your skills on a resume. Because when it comes time to deliver in a technical discussion, you will likely fall short.
The Power BI Skills Matrix above provides a straightforward way for individuals to quickly identify strengths and weaknesses from a technical standpoint. There are a wide variety of jobs that may focus more, or less, on the use of these Power BI areas. The first step in getting into any of them is to accurately understand and describe your current skills. The next post in this series will build on this matrix where we’ll recommend next steps. Focusing on learning and improving areas that you might be weak in is key in setting yourself up for success. I hope the community at large finds this useful, and if you have any recommendations for updating or enhancing our matrix, please feel free to let us know.
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