PowerBI.tips

Tag: External Tools

  • Exploring the Power of Semantic Link

    Exploring the Power of Semantic Link

    Semantic link is one of the most promising technologies coming from the Microsoft Power BI and Fabric team. Semantic link has the potential to automate so many redundant tasks and tedious work. Automating and using code enables BI developers to free up time for more value-added work. Join Stephanie Bruno and Mike Carlo as they do a thorough demo of using Semantic Link.

    Semantic link is a powerful tool that allows direct access and manipulation of data within semantic models using code and notebooks. It offers automation, streamlined data extraction, and centralized data management within models. Throughout this workshop, we’ll delve into the diverse functionalities of semantic link and its potential benefits for data scientists, analysts, engineers, and fabric admins.

    This demo covers a range of topics, including:

    • Accessing and visualizing a Power BI report within a notebook
    • Exploring the list of reports in a workspace
    • Retrieving insights about tables and columns in a semantic model
    • Listing and comprehending measures within a semantic model
    • Visualizing and understanding table relationships
    • Utilizing semantic link for data access and manipulation

    Live Demos and Practical Demonstrations

    Our expert presenter, Stephanie Bruno, will lead live demonstrations and hands-on exercises to illustrate the practical applications of semantic link. The demos will encompass:

    • Creating a new notebook and connecting it to a workspace
    • Retrieving and visualizing reports within the notebook
    • Exploring tables, columns, and measures within a semantic model
    • Understanding and visualizing table relationships
    • Accessing and manipulating data using semantic link
    • Employing DAX magic to write and evaluate DAX expressions

    Throughout the workshop, we’ll showcase how semantic link empowers data scientists to access and utilize measures without the need to reconstruct complex logic. Additionally, we’ll highlight the seamless integration of semantic link with Python, facilitating efficient data manipulation and analysis.

    More where that came from

    If you like this type of training and content, join us over at Training.tips for 60+ hours of additional training.

  • Business Ops: New and Updated External Tools

    Business Ops: New and Updated External Tools

    Howdy, folks!

    This past weekend, I was a man on a mission. There were two pressing reasons for a new release of Business Ops:

    1. The authors of many popular External Tools released updates recently, so we needed to ship a new version of Business Ops with those updates included
    2. Last week, Michael Kovalsky (ElegantBI.com) released a brand new External Tool called Report Analyzer (which we can already tell will be an instant classic), so we wanted to get it out there and into the hands of report developers ASAP

    So, I toiled away most of the day on Sunday, cramming as much value as I could into the next version. And along the way, I learned some important new software development skills, including how to:

    • Extract the contents of an MSI installer file
    • Encode an image in base64
    • Roll back your latest commits when you accidentally push to Main instead of a Dev branch (sorry, Mike! ?)

    TL;DR: Here’s the skinny on Business Ops 2.0.3

    New External Tool:

    Updated External Tools:

    Click here to download Business Ops 2.0.3

    Have a great week, everyone!

    James

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  • Copy Power BI Desktop Server:Port Connection String to Clipboard

    Copy Power BI Desktop Server:Port Connection String to Clipboard

    Howdy, folks!

    A few months ago, I was writing and running various PowerShell scripts to manipulate the connected data models in my Power BI Desktop files. During model development, I was constantly having to open DAX Studio to copy the Server:Port connection string, and thinking, “there’s got to be a faster way to do this.”

    So, I developed and released a simple External Tool for Power BI Desktop, which copies the Server:Port connection string for the currently-connected data model directly to the clipboard.

    I’m a strong believer in modular design, so when I build something, I try to make it do one thing, and do it well. I believe this External Tool for Power BI Desktop is a great example of that philosophy in action.

    This external tool is now in the Business Ops tool from PowerBI.tips.

    Enjoy!

    James

    If you like the content from PowerBI.Tips please follow us on all the social outlets. Stay up to date on all the latest features and free tutorials.  Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  Or follow us on the social channels, Twitter and LinkedIn where we will post all the announcements for new tutorials and content.

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  • Hot Swap Report Connections – External Tools

    Hot Swap Report Connections – External Tools

    Latest Version Download:

    Download the latest version of Hot Swap Connections using Business Ops 

    Hot Swap Connections

    Splitting models from reports has great advantages, but can make it harder to edit. When editing a model it is useful to see how you it will effect the reports. Using live connections would mean republishing the model back to the cloud and then refreshing the connection for every change you wish to test. In addition, you would probably want to make test workspaces to not overwrite a live production model while developing.

    Now there is an external tool that can help solve these issues. The tool has two functions. The first will allow you to switch from a live connection to directly connecting to an open Power BI report. This will allow “Local Development” so that it can be done on your machine without needing to republish. Changes can be seen instantly and time spent on testing can be dramatically decreased.
    The second will removed any connections to allow to reconnect to a shared dataset or AAS model.

    Instructions to Install

    Please install using the official installer here:
    https://powerbi.tips/2020/08/one-tool-to-install-them-all/

    Using the Hot Swap Connections Tool

    After installing the tool, click external tools the Hot Swap Connections to launch.

    Connect Tab

    This tool will remove any live connections from the selected report and connect it directly to the Power BI report it was launched from. This will only remove live connections so you cannot accidentally delete entire models.

    You can choose between Overwrite and connect or Copy and connect. Selecting Overwrite will directly edit that file by removing the connections and replacing with a live connection to the current file. Selecting copy will leave your file intact and create a copy in the same directory with the suffix defined in the settings tab.
    It will then open the report that is connected to the model file.

    Steps:

    • Open your Model file
    • Select the Connect tab
    • Run Hot Swap Connections
    • Choose to Overwrite or Copy
    • Select Report file to connect

    Remove Tab

    This tool will remove any live connections from the selected report and open the file. This is useful when you have made local edits and want to connect it back to a dataset or analysis services model. This will only remove live connections so you cannot accidentally delete entire models.

    You can choose between Overwrite and remove live connections or Copy and remove live connections. Selecting Overwrite will directly edit that file by removing the connections. Selecting copy will leave your file intact and create a copy in the same directory with the suffix defined in the settings tab.
    It will then open the report that has no connections.

    Steps:

    • Open any Power BI report
    • Select the Remove tab
    • Run Remove Connections
    • Choose to Overwrite or Copy
    • Select Report file to remove connections

    The script will leave all visualizations and report features intact. But, all connections will be removed. When you open the report again in power bi desktop, all visuals will appear broken:

    This is because you have removed all data from the report. Select a new data source to connect the report to. If the new source matches the names of the columns and measures used in the visuals, they will all repopulate.

    Settings Tab

    When selecting Copy and connect or Copy and remove live connections, the tool will create a copy of your report first so you do not directly edit you report file. It will place the copy in the same directory as the original and add a suffix as defined in the settings tab.

    Watch the webinar below

    Steve and Mike talk through the external tool and see it in action!