Sort By Column - December 2020 Update resets Feature

[Sean]

After updating to the December 2020 PBI Desktop - Version: 2.88.621.0 64-bit (December 2020)

DATA REFRESH causes ALL columns that are sorted by another to revert to their defaults!

It seems however that if you sort your columns again by others and then save - any subsequent data refresh no longers affects the sorting you've set after the update - only the first data refresh after updating to the Decemeber PBI Desktop resets to default columns. 

Thanks!

Sean

[v-lili6-msft]

HI  @Sean 

i have tested on my side, it works well.

Version: 2.88.621.0 64-bit (December 2020) 

Select Language: English 

I import data from excel and create a visual, then do sort by column and refresh data in power bi desktop, it does not reproduce your issue.

Please try uninstalling and reinstalling again and clear the cache the try it again.

if possible, could you share a simple recorded video aboy it? that will be a great help.

Regards,

Lin

[Sean]

@v-lili6-msft 

The issue only happens with pbix files created with prior editions of the PBI Desktop.

You cannot duplicate this by creating a new file with the Decemeber 2020 PBI Desktop.

The pbix file must be created with a prior version!

Then the first time you do data refresh ALL columns sorted by another revert to the defaults

Here's just one example - Category column sorts as intended before the refresh

But then the 1st time you do data refresh after updating to Dec 2020 PBI Desktop

all columns revert to the default sort order.

Once you set the sort by column in the December edition then data refresh no longer affects it.

The good thing was that I had labeled all my "Sort" Columns as such so they were easy to find and fix.

Thanks!

Sean

[v-lili6-msft]

hi  @Sean 

I roll back my power bi desktop to Version 2.86.902.0 64 (October 2020), then create a report and do sort by column in it. now I update my power bi desktop to 2.88.621.0 64-bit (December 2020), open this pbix file and do refresh, it works well on my side.

Not sure what cause your problem, the good thing was that you find a workaround, and if possible, could you please share a simple sample for us have a test, that will be a great help.

Regards,

Lin

[AntonioPalomas]

I have the same problem. Refresh removes the ordering of the columns.
In my case I lose the order of the month name by the number of the month in the calendar table.

[freder1ck]

December is a huge, busy, intense month for us, and I just was slammed by this bug today. The workaround specified above is to edit each report, reset every sort column (I hope I remember them all) and then republish. Not how I was planning on spending my New Years!

[v-lili6-msft]

hi  

you may try to roll back to an earlier version:

 Previous monthly updates to Power BI Desktop

Regards,

Lin

[Anonymous]

I experienced this as well.  There have been 3 different versions updates dropped in December and I was hopeful that the issue was introduced in one of the later two... unfortunately, I tested with all three and all of the December releases drop the Sort By Column definitions from previously built models.

I make extensive use of this feature and it is going to be a good amount of work to repair this, but I don't want to roll back to November release and lose the new features.

Dale

[brian_haney]

This is how the bug presents itsself in the ALM Object Definitions when doing a Before and After compare.

I have reason to suspect this occurs when going from a PBIX -> PBIT -> PBIX. 

[Griffin_BI]

I experienced the same issue when changing editing the data source and refreshing. The sort by column is lost, which has negative implications for the ordering of categories such as month name (e.g. Apr, May etc.) in chart visualisations. 

[Anonymous]

In update to the December 2020 release dropped on 9-Jan-21.  I tested with this release and this issue is NOT yet addressed.