Forum Discussion
Extract Visual.ts file from pbiviz file
Hi,
If I share a custom visual's pbiviz file which I have developed with someone, can he see the source code or decode it in someway (for e.g the visual.ts and other files).
Is there a way to protect your code?
Regards,
Husain
When you package a Power BI Custom Visuals the TypeScript source like visual.ts is first compiled to JavaScript en then minified (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minification_(programming)) and stored with all the metadata in one big JSON file, which is zipped and ready to distribute.
So yes, everybody that is using your custom visual has the option to 'read' the code you have written. Due to the minification it is not that easy, but not impossible. All CVs are client side scripts and are interpertered by a browser in the client space. And therfor there is no way to protect your code.
-JP
3 Replies
When you package a Power BI Custom Visuals the TypeScript source like visual.ts is first compiled to JavaScript en then minified (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minification_(programming)) and stored with all the metadata in one big JSON file, which is zipped and ready to distribute.
So yes, everybody that is using your custom visual has the option to 'read' the code you have written. Due to the minification it is not that easy, but not impossible. All CVs are client side scripts and are interpertered by a browser in the client space. And therfor there is no way to protect your code.
-JP
- Hmm, perhaps not. If you rename a pbiviz file to zip, you can open it up and the ts file is in the resources directory.
