Prompt

[Johann_32]

Hello,

in many of our Power BI reports and its connected datasets, we would have the requirement to not always have a full load of the data.

Instead, we would need a feature like it is known e.g. in SAP BW, called "Prompt" (often used in Analysis for Office), where the end user of the report is able to input a specific value that he needs for this time when viewing the report. The user is restricting the amount of data to be loaded with this.

Example:

The value that the user enters in the prompt is like pre-filtering the data that is then going to be loaded from the source.

The benefit would be to not always have a full load, instead only load the data that is needed from the source into the dataset.

Of course, this is most beneficial in scenarios where mass data is used.

Direct Query is not an option, as it would put too much stress on the source, we are always using Import Data mode.

I am not asking for such a feature for a specific case with a specific source, instead the source could be a Oracle database, a Rest API, or anything else that is system-based and not a local file.

The parameters and how to work with them in Power BI are known to me, and they kind of fulfill like 30% of the requirement. With them you can restrict the amount of data that is going to be loaded from the source, but it is not possible for an end user to change parameters while using the report (at least I dont know how to). 

The idea would be that the user has a button to click on in the initial opening of the report and then a big list of values appears from which the user chooses from (can be thousands of entries). Only when the user confirms after choosing the value, the data is loaded form the source into the dataset.

Anything possible like that?

Thank you!

Best Regards,

Johann

[dovile_kr]

Hi, have you found a solution?

[Johann_32]

Hello,

no.. there is a feature like this available when connecting with Power BI to a BW source directly, but not to any other source.

Edit SAP variables in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

[HughLa]

Hi Johann

There is no feature like this in Power BI itself. But you should probably be able to do this through an embedded Power Apps app and Flow to kick off a data refresh with the desired parameters?

Good luck!

Hugh

[Johann_32]

Hi!

Thanks for your answer.

Understand.. but this would mean that in our case, where we are only using Dataflows as a source in Power BI, this Power App would need to be connected to the Dataflows, and not to the dataset of the Report.

And now this would make it complicated for us, because dataflows are IT-managed in our company and Power BI Report Designers only have Viewing access on those dataflows. Also, if a Power App would change the parameters of a Dataflow, that would also mean the parameter is changed for every consumer of the dataflow?

Thanks!

Johann