Source Control for DevOps (not VS)

[sasdfasdfsad]

We use DevOps and normally we use Visual Studio for all our source control integration.

HOWEVER, VS serves zero purpose for Power BI file work.

Is there a light weight source control tool that integrates with DevOps?  Really just something that will work like Windows Explorer but show me check in status and let me add comments or revert versions.

Opening all of Visual Studio just to checkin a PBI file is... a bit much.

[Ritaf1983 · Accepted solution]

Hi @sasdfasdfsad 

If you’re looking for a lightweight alternative to Visual Studio for managing source control with Azure DevOps, here are some options that might work well for managing Power BI files without the need for a full IDE:

Azure DevOps Git Extension for Windows Explorer
This extension integrates Git commands for Azure DevOps directly into Windows Explorer, allowing you to manage source control without opening Visual Studio. You can check in and out, see file statuses, add comments, and revert changes directly within your file explorer.
Overview on using Azure Repos with Git: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/get-started?view=azure-devops

Git for Windows + Git GUI Tools
If you prefer working with a Git client, Git for Windows provides command-line tools for Git, and there are several GUI options that work well with Azure DevOps:

Git Extensions offers a user-friendly interface for managing commits, branches, and pull requests visually. This can be helpful for tracking Power BI files in a structured way.
Git Extensions Documentation: https://gitextensions.github.io/

Sourcetree by Atlassian provides a visual experience for Git and supports Azure DevOps integration. It’s lightweight and ideal if you want to avoid command-line operations.
What is Sourcetree? https://support.atlassian.com/sourcetree/docs/what-is-sourcetree/

Azure DevOps Web Interface

For straightforward tasks like checking in Power BI files, the Azure DevOps web portal allows you to manage files directly from your browser. You can add comments, view commit history, and revert changes without additional software. This might be the simplest solution if you only need basic source control features.
Getting started with Azure Repos: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/get-started?view=azure-devops

ALM Toolkit for Power BI
While not a source control tool itself, the ALM Toolkit is useful if you’re managing Power BI data models. It can compare and version-control changes in Power BI models, making it easier to track and manage updates alongside Git repositories.
ALM Toolkit Overview: https://www.sqlbi.com/tools/alm-toolkit/

Each of these options provides flexibility and ease for managing Power BI files without the need to open Visual Studio. Depending on your needs, you can choose the approach that best fits your workflow.

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

[Greg_Deckler]

@sasdfasdfsad A lot of people use PBIT files and SharePoint. You could also save as a Project file (PBIP and it is a Preview feature and just use GitHub perhaps.