Forum Discussion
PowerBI DataSet from Excel (Live Connection) data model
Hello,
I am fairly new to all this although have been a developer for many years.
My scenario is I have a SharePoint (Teams folder) Excel spreadsheet with 2 key tables.
I managed to create a PowerBI DataSet that refreshes. I now understand this is using a Live Connection (SSAS) model which limits my ability to add Calculated columns, manage relationships etc.
How do I achieve this type of outcome such that I can present a richer data model to PowerBI.
I thought a DataFlow would be what I needed here. But it seems I cannot import my DataSet into a DataFlow which seems very odd, I must be missing something here?
I think I understand all this is by design and with a SSAS/Live Connection model you should do all modelling in the source system and but for Excel, how to I manage these relationships and use the power of DAX/PowerBI to create a proper model all linked to live Excel table data?
Use Case
1. Import 2 or more (Excel) tables from a single spreadsheet hosted in SharePoint/Teams
2. Created a calculated column or join/merge 2 columns from different tables
3. Have this Excel data refresh via the PowerBI Data Service on a regular basis (1hr is fine)
4. Use this joined data in a PowerBI Report
Any help much appreciated!
8 Replies
Hi powerdell ,
If I understand correctly, you would like to connect to multiple excel files store in Teams or Sharepoint site and want to create a calculated column which extract data from different tables. At the same time, you want to refresh the report every hour. Am I right? When you import files from SharePoint Online, it ensures the work you’re doing in Excel stays in sync with the Power BI service. It is no required to make additional schedule refresh for it. You can review the following official documentation to get more details...
Refresh a dataset created from an Excel workbook on OneDrive or SharePoint Online
And about how to connect to the excel file in sharepoint and create calculated column, you can refer the following links.
Connect the excel file in Sharepoint:
LOADING EXCEL FILES FROM SHAREPOINT
Create calculated column:
Tutorial: Create calculated columns in Power BI Desktop
Combine Columns:
How to combine two columns from two different table into a new tablePower BI combine columns from two tables
If the above one can't help you get the desired result, please provide some sample data in your excel files(exclude sensitive data) with Text format and your expected result with backend logic and special examples. It would be helpful to find out the solution. You can refer the following links to share the required info:
How to provide sample data in the Power BI Forum
How to Get Your Question Answered Quickly
And it is better if you can share asimplified pbix file. You can refer the following link to upload the file to the community.
How to upload PBI in Community
Best Regards
I just wanted to update for anybody reading this, it is not possible.
Yes that is right, it is not possible to create a spreadsheet hosted in O365, use it as a live data source in PowerBI AND create a calculated column or do any data modelling (apart from create a Measure).
The only way it seems is to create a PowerBI gateway, host the document on... yea exactly, completely impractical.
If anybody from Microsoft or the PowerBI team is reading please do consider implementing this feature, to me it seems fairly basic and not that technically challenging to accomplish. The fact it is possible if I hosted the file on a fileserver and used an Application Gateway and refresh schedule is a pretty clear indication this should be implemented for SharePoint/O365 hosted files.Hi powerdell ,
Thanks for your sharing. For the feture which you referred, you can submit a new idea on the ideas site. It is a place for customers provide feedback about Microsoft Office products . What's more, if feedback is high voted there by other customers, it will be promising that Microsoft Product Team will take it into consideration when designing the next version in the future.
Best Regards
Thank you for this, your summary is correct although only a single spreadsheet (with multiple tables).
However the proposed solution does not work (for me). I already have a PowerBI DataSet linked to my SharePoint hosted spreadsheet. All good here.
But when I open this in PBID I cannot add Calculated Columns (or do any modelling).
My guess from looking at the tooltip on the table here is that in the background the Power BI platform is using a SQL Analysis Services database to interface/sync changes from my underlying SharePoint Excel spreadsheet/DataSet, hence why I am change the model. But surely I can use this data set in a dataflow? Nope, no option when creating a DataFlow to use a PowerBI DataSet as a source. I don't understand.
All options greyed out, how do I add a calculated column to my Excel based PowerBI DataSet?So I still don't think there is any way to perform this use case in a simple way: Host a spreadsheet in SharePoint, sync it into a PowerBI DataSet and use it in a PowerBI report with a calculated column?
Hi powerdell ,
Thanks for your reply. According to your description and screenshot, you are trying to connect to the dataset in Power BI Desktop. If so, you can't create any calculated column, calculated table or make any transformation in Power Query Editor. Only report level measure can be created... You can watch the following video for more details...
Report level measures with Power BI live connections
As you referred, the data source of dataset is SQL Analysis Services database. Which connection mode is using? Import or live connection? If it is import, you can refer the following link to download the pbix file if you have the proper permission. You can open the pbix file in Power BI Desktop and modify it(create calculated column etc.) after get it.
Download a report from the Power BI service to Power BI Desktop
Lastly, for creating dataflow, you can review the following official documentation to know the supported data sources of dataflow. And it doesn't support the dataset... By the way, why you need to create a dataflow? What's the aim? Later we can check if there is any workaround can provide you.
Best Regards
Ok I do not want an Import because it needs to refresh when the data changes in the spreadsheet. So to simplify the use case again:
1. Have refreshing/live connection to a SharePoint hosted Excel file
2. Create calculated column
3. Use in PowerBI Report
Seems incredible that this is not possible?I was considering Data Flows because I cannot see how to do this using PowerBI DataSet.
