Forum Discussion

mmace1's avatar
mmace1
Impactful Individual
1 year ago

Creating a *useful* Power BI Data Dictionary for Viewers?

My perception is Data Dictionaries usually fail (not just for Power BI, in general with tech). Maybe because

  • Too complex and/or out of date for end users
  • Too much hassle for developers to update (plus end users aren't using it anyway...viscious cycle)

I see different ways of auto-ish creating a data dictionary in Power BI, but while they could dazzle, they don't seem useful.

  • In model view, populating the Descriptions - nice, clear spot, lives direclty in the report.
  • Descriptions are only visible to builders though, not end-viewers. So to expose them:
    • XMLA Endpoints (if you have Fabric).
    • Using the new-ish built in views. These two stand out:
      • info.view.measures() for measure definitions
      • info.view.columns() for column information

But even those descriptions don't seem that useful to an end user.

  • Column descriptions could be useful: If the visual the viewer sees, uses the exact column name
  • Measures descriptions and definitions coudl be useful: If the visual the viewer sees, uses the exact same measure name (which usually they don't - the model measure likely has a verbose name, while the visual employes a shorter, possibly context-specific name)

So maybe, one really needs a data dictionary that references the actual visuals the viewer sees. So how to do that:

  • A text box within the report is simplest: Easy to enter, doesn't make a report on Live Connection switch to a composite direct query. Can't have slicers though.
  • Home > Enter Data: That creates a proper table one could use slicers on. But more of a pain to update than a text box, and does mean a live connection report has to swtich to a composite direct query model
  • A linked Excel file: Great in most ways, but a bummer that it lives outside the report
  • Images pasted in from an Excel file that lives somwhere

 

I have no good conclusion, thus asking for input.

Anyone had luck, with a sustained, useful data dictionary for Power BI report viewers?

5 Replies

  • Create a MVP (minimum viable product)

    Introduce it to your audience.

    Observe them interacting with the report

    Note down all the terms they are struggling with

    Create a data dictionary for these terms

     

    Rinse and repeat - adjust the list according to the changes in your audience.

    • mmace1's avatar
      mmace1
      Impactful Individual

      So sounds like you're advocating a data dictionary made by hand (as am I).

      How would you store / present the data dictionary? 

      • lbendlin's avatar
        lbendlin
        Super User

        A page in your report with a table visual fed from a SharePoint list.