topic Re: How is fast iteration coding done with a PBI Custom Visual? in Developer

How is fast iteration coding done with a PBI Custom Visual?

Cubist — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 06:03:39 GMT

Say you have developed a custom visual, how can you make an update and see the results quickly?

The approach below seems too slow for practical rapid interation and development.

The only way I know how to update a visual is:

Open the visual's code file (visual.ts), make some changes, save the code file
Open pbiviz.json
Make up a fake guid, use it to replace the existing guid, then save pbiviz.json
From the commmand line run "pbiviz package"
In PBI Desktop delete the visual, which causes auto deletion of everything in the designer, and of course also causes auto deletion of any data bindings or property settings.
In PBI Desktop import the visual again.
Create again the auto deleted visual instances, bindings, and properties needed to test the updated visual.

For reference, the people in the linked posts below also seem to have struggled with the update process after a code change is made.

I hope code change iterations are not really this cumbersome!

Thank you -

1/27/2017 Modified Power BI custom visual and generated new pbiviz file, but not seeing changes
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Developer/Modified-Power-BI-custom-visual-and-generated-new-pbiviz-file/m-p/120201#M4152

12/23/2016 Tweaking custom visual: change doesn't save
http://community.powerbi.com/t5/Developer/Tweaking-an-existing-Custom-Visual-the-change-is-successful-but/m-p/107019#M3739

4/28/2018 Problems updating Custom Visuals in Power BI Desktop
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Developer/Problems-updating-Custom-Visuals-in-Power-BI-Desktop/td-p/31810

Re: How is fast iteration coding done with a PBI Custom Visual?

v-chuncz-msft — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 11:22:12 GMT

@Cubist,

Thanks for your feedback. You may submit an idea or leave a comment on GitHub.

Re: How is fast iteration coding done with a PBI Custom Visual?

Cubist — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 05:39:54 GMT

Hi Sam (@v-chuncz-msft),

Can you please clarify which one of these is implied by your response?

The steps in my original post are currently the only way to iterate through code change cycles for custom visuals.
You don't actually know one way or another, but wanted to post a token reply to boost your stats.

I don't mean to be cynical, but to be frank (1) seems hard to believe. Consider that in everyday web development, when a code change is merely typed, the change can be automatically saved, compiled, and refreshed for display within a few seconds.

Thank you -

Re: How is fast iteration coding done with a PBI Custom Visual?

v-chuncz-msft — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 09:59:45 GMT

@Cubist,

I'm not one of the developers. I mean the way I know to update an exising custom visual is to run command pbiviz package by using the PowerBI command line tools (recommended). For custom visuals that are not developed by new tools, you may try to rename the .pbiviz file to a .zip file, and change .css and .js file accordingly.

Re: How is fast iteration coding done with a PBI Custom Visual?

Cubist — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 21:11:55 GMT

So I take it your answer is choice #2.

What I don't understand is, if you aren't a developer, why post replies to a developer question on a developer forum?

It may boost your stats to fire off a generic post saying, hey, why don't you make a feature suggestion?

However for everyone else it just wastes time and has no benefit.

If you recall, no one asked for a new feature.

Re: How is fast iteration coding done with a PBI Custom Visual?

v-chuncz-msft — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:06:30 GMT

@Cubist,

I wanted to provide timely response. Though there are currently a few limitations, we can see the progress regularly, so stay tuned.