HELP Reformatting M to avoid using Web.BrowserContents() and Html.Table() functions

[MWinter225]

I'm trying to create a report that uses various web data to track PBI known issues and reported issues. After creating a report using the "add table using examples" feature that allows you to scrape the webpage from a list of your examples, I tried to set up refresh on the service and got an error that both Web.BrowserContents() and Html.Table() are unsupported functions. I created a support ticket and they told me just not to use those functions and maybe they'll fix it if they get enough voes here : https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi/suggestions/9312540-make-functions-refreshable-when...

The site that is giving me problems is https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Issues/idb-p/Issues . When I tried to workaround this issue by expanding the columns and drilling through all the html I found out that the rows do not align and couldn't figure out a way to get them all to align. Open to any tips on that!

I want to know if there is a way to reformat the following M Query to avoid using those two functions.

Tagging @ImkeF because I know you're an M Master. 

let
    Source = Web.BrowserContents("https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Issues/idb-p/Issues"),
    #"Extracted Table From Html" = Html.Table(Source, {{"Issue", ".lia-message-subject"}, {"Date", ".DateTime"}, {"Kudos", ".lia-message-kudos"}}, [RowSelector="[id*=""messageview""]"])
in
    #"Extracted Table From Html"

Link to Report

Any thoughts? 

Matt

[MarkLaf · Accepted solution]

You could just use Web.Contents on the RSS feed: https://community.powerbi.com/oxcrx34285/rss/board?board.id=Issues

I'm guessing you it's important you get the kudos count, though?

[MWinter225]

@MarkLaf It's nice to have the Kudos but I think I gain more with the RSS feed having the direct links to the individual issues! Thanks!

[ImkeF]

The answer you've gotten from the support ticket doesn't look correct to me: You are using functions from the new "From Web"-experience which is a preview feature. Once it's generally available it should work in the service as well. So you just have to be patient here 😉

Although it's possible to retrieve the data you're after manually, I don't have the time currently to do it unfortunatly.

The issue referred to in the ticket relates to using custom functions in the service, which you didn't, as you've used native functions.

[AlexR]

It seems that the feature was made GA in the September update of Power BI Desktop (here), however the refresh in the service is still failing.

Where can we find out if this feature is still in preview in the service?

Thank you!

Alex

[MWinter225]

@ImkeF That makes a lot of sense. Thanks! I'm hoping it doesn't stay a preview feature as long as downloading a report from the service has!