I started Power BI Helper with the intention to help to find issues in Power BI reports faster and easier. This tool over time became better and better. I’m excited now to let you know that the version 2.0 of this product is now available for everyone to use and enjoy. This version comes with these features:
- Connecting to more than one Power BI model. Selection option for the model.
- Showing the connection mode of the Power BI file.
- Showing list of tables that are NOT used in any visualization, and can be hidden from the report.
- Modeling advises
- List of both directional relationships
- List of inactive relationships
- Some minor bug fixes
If you are new to Power BI Helper, read below posts to learn what are existing features of this product:
- Version 0.1: Tables and Columns used in the visualization
- Version 0.2: Search a field or table in visualizations and filters
- Version 0.3: Measure dependency tree
- Version 1.0: Export entire M script
Download
To Download Power BI Helper, click here:
Download Power BI Helper from here.
Connecting to more than one Power BI Model
Power BI Helper, to analyze your model, needs the instance of Power BI Desktop to have the file open. Sometimes you have more than one file open in the Power BI Desktop. Previously, Power BI Helper only connected to the first instance of Desktop. Now in this version, you get a list of Power BI Models available in a drop-down list, you can choose the model, and even if you have multiple Power BI files open, then you just need to switch in the drop-down list.
If you have multiple Power BI files open in the Power BI Desktop;
Here is the view of how you can switch between models:
As you can see in the screenshot above; you can choose the file you want to connect. Also, the port for that Power BI model will be shown in a text box
beside it.
Showing the connection mode of the Power BI file
Power BI files can be created in three types of connection: Import Data(or scheduled Refresh), DirectQuery, and Live Connection. It is very important most of the time to know which connection mode you have used. Power BI Helper will tell you the connection mode of a file.
Showing list of tables that are NOT used in any visualization, and can be hidden from the report
In the very first version of Power BI Helper, we had a feature that showed you tables USED in any visualization. we got lots of feedback that you like to know what are tables NOT USED in any visualizations so you can hide it from your model. we have now this feature available in Power BI Helper.
Modeling advises
In Power BI Helper version 2.0 we introduce a new tab named Modeling advises. This tab intent to give you some best practicce advises for your modeling to help you design better Power BI model. At this stage, Modeling advises is giving you only two information; list of both directional relationships, and inactive relationships. Later on, we will add more features to this tab.
What’s Next?
We are launching a user voice (ideas) web page for Power BI Helper to hear what features you want to add next into Power BI Helper. Please stay tuned. if there is anything you would like in the meantime, please let us know in the comment below.
Reza is author of more than 14 books on Microsoft Business Intelligence, most of these books are published under Power BI category. Among these are books such as Power BI DAX Simplified, Pro Power BI Architecture, Power BI from Rookie to Rock Star, Power Query books series, Row-Level Security in Power BI and etc.
He is an International Speaker in Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft Business Applications Summit, Data Insight Summit, PASS Summit, SQL Saturday and SQL user groups. And He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer.
Reza’s passion is to help you find the best data solution, he is Data enthusiast.
His articles on different aspects of technologies, especially on MS BI, can be found on his blog: https://radacad.com/blog.
Hi Reza, great work again, it’s improving tremendously with every version.
I’m very curious on how you managed to list the available power bi desktop instances… Care to share some thoughts on that?
Thank you
Hi Wouter
Thanks
There are lots of codes behind it. a part that gets the port of the process for SSAS part of Power BI, and another one which gets the process details of Power BI Desktop.
Cheers
Reza
Thanks Reza! Love the Helper. And I look forward to all of your new blogs each month.
A couple of ideas that could make the Helper even better:
1. On the Configure tab, you see a list of the fields used in visualizations. It would be great if you could download that list or at least copy and paste it. Also, inline with what you’ve provided now for tables not used, would it be possible to show Fields not used in visualizations?
2. I would love to be able to see which report pages use which Fields. Now I can see that a field is used somewhere but knowing at least which report page it is used on would be really helpful. Or you could allow a selection by report page to filter the list of used fields.
Hi Rob.
Thanks for your comment.
for your #1 comment; we are looking into exporting these information into a format in the next versions. please stay tuend
for your #2 comment; this is already possible. the third tab in Power BI Helper gives you that information. just search for any field you want and you get all reports that that field or table have been used
Cheers
Reza