Update CSV/Excel instead of overwrite

[Applicable88]

Hello,

I have a excel/csv file which got overwritten everyday with new daily data. Sometimes it can also be overwritten with hourly time lag.

This file is shared via onedrive or another file share.

Is it possible to update the newwest rows and data like append the "new" rows (everytime different amount of rows), without overwrite the whole previous loaded database?

Thank you very much in advance. 

Best. 

[jennratten · Accepted solution]

Hello - this scenario could be easily handled with Power Automate (low/no code).  You can use one of the ready-made templates to move a copy of the file to a different location each day and use Power BI to combine the files from the new location. 

I have included a link to just one of the Power Automate templates available.  There are many others that you can use if your source and destination are different that OneDrive/Sharepoint.

Copy files between OneDrive for Business and SharePoint

https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/en-US/templates/details/958c5ff20efb407e8f22c0568fe1298e/copy-fi... 

More flow templates:

https://us.flow.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/ 

Power Query - Combine Files from Folder

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/import-data-from-a-folder-with-multiple-files-power-query... 

[jennratten · Accepted solution]

Yes, that is correct.  It is pretty easy to add a date stamp to the end of the file name using Power Automate.

You can create a variable that holds the value of today's date and append that to the end of the file name when it is saved:

[AlexisOlson · Accepted solution]

Similar questions get asked frequently (see links below) but the answer is that this is not something that Power BI is designed to do. Power BI is intended to read and visualize data, not be a repository for storing your data. A database is a more appropriate tool for that.

Update Power BI historical data daily

Store and "freeze" column data prior refresh

Maintain historical Data

[jennratten · Accepted solution]

Hello - this scenario could be easily handled with Power Automate (low/no code).  You can use one of the ready-made templates to move a copy of the file to a different location each day and use Power BI to combine the files from the new location. 

I have included a link to just one of the Power Automate templates available.  There are many others that you can use if your source and destination are different that OneDrive/Sharepoint.

Copy files between OneDrive for Business and SharePoint

https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/en-US/templates/details/958c5ff20efb407e8f22c0568fe1298e/copy-fi... 

More flow templates:

https://us.flow.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/ 

Power Query - Combine Files from Folder

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/import-data-from-a-folder-with-multiple-files-power-query... 

[Applicable88]

Hello @jennratten , would that mean, whenever PowerAutomate copy that file into a new location it needs to rename the file as well, so Powerbi can distinguish the files instead of overwriting the same file over and over?

[jennratten · Accepted solution]

Yes, that is correct.  It is pretty easy to add a date stamp to the end of the file name using Power Automate.

You can create a variable that holds the value of today's date and append that to the end of the file name when it is saved: