Create a report in powerbi service through APIs in React

[navinrangar]

We have a React app.

What I actually want to do is to send JSON to power-bi service, and on the basis of that json data, powerbi service should create a visual/graphical report for me.

I want this whole process to be automated

What I have done so far is-

1. I have created a push dataset using powerbi REST APIs mentioned in this doc.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/push-datasets/datasets-post-dataset-in-group

1. Additionally have created a table inside that dataset through this REST API in the following doc.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/push-datasets/datasets-post-rows-in-group#code-t...

Now, what I want is to create a visual report/graph from this table inside this dataset.

There are APIs to clone an existing report. There are APIs to update/delete a report. But I could not find any APIs that can be used to create a report from JSON or from an existing dataset.

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MORE-

Additionally in regard to creating a report what i have found is just this page in the whole powerbi docs.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/javascript/api/overview/powerbi/create-edit-report-embed-view?tabs...

This could be helpful as i also want to embed the created report in my React app at the end.

however I tried it in my react app, and couldn't make it work.

Is this even possible to create a powerbi visual report (not a paginated report) with the help of REST APIs, or they can only be created manually?

Please lead my way!

@ibarrau @djurecicK2 have reframed the question. please take a look, now it might be making more sense.

[djurecicK2]

Hi @navinrangar ,

 Thanks for the clarification. Sorry, I don't know of a way to do what you are looking for. I think the report has to be created manually.

As you have seen from the documentation, the REST API does not support creating a report

I see what you mean about 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/javascript/api/overview/powerbi/create-edit-report-embed-view?tabs...

but have never attempted that or used that API.

The closest thing I can think of is using a .pbit file, but I don't think that is what you are looking for.

Didn't mean to come off as sarcastic before, but wanted to convey that not many people at least that I know of have done much with that embedded API.

[navinrangar]

is it possible to create a report from a dataset with the help of API?

[navinrangar]

Thanks for the clarifying as well as so much helpful. Communities really need people like. Thanks again.

[djurecicK2]

Good luck to you! If you do come up with a solution, I would interested to hear about it.

[ibarrau]

Hi. Power Bi Desktop can get data from API. There is a Web connector that can specify many things of the get request. Just be sure to write it with good practices like the following post: https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2016/08/16/using-the-relativepath-and-query-options-with-web-contents-i...

If the API only works in local network you will need a gateway, if it's open to the internet then you don't.

When you finish and publish to the Service you are done for step one.

The step two would be embedding on a web site. You can do it in two ways. The easy requires a power bi licences and it's just adding an iframe with a link. You can just open the report on Servce and click File -> Embed Report -Web Portal. That will give you a link to add in an iframe. The hard and best way would be using Power Bi Embedded (special license for this). This last method will let you control the login and modify many things with javascript. (There are tools on azure market that already solve this if you want an app for reports besides power bi service like: https://azuremarketplace.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/apps/pidata.pi-soft-pibi?tab=Overview&exp=u... )

I hope that helps,

[navinrangar]

@ibarrau thanks.

i wanted to know if there is any way through we can create a POWER BI SERVICE (not pbi desktop) report inside an existing dataset just by calling a REST API.

IN POWERBI SERVICE - 

..as there is API to delete a report

DELETE https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/reports/{reportId}

...also there is API to clone a report - 

POST https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/reports/{reportId}/Clone

IS THERE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO CREATE A REPORT EVEN AN EMPTY REPORT??

eg. POST https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/group/32jk32/dataset/kj3343/report/create

[djurecicK2]

Hi @navinrangar ,

 Take a look at these links to get started:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/power-bi-embedded/

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/developer/embedded/embed-customer-app

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/developer/embedded/embed-organization-app

[navinrangar]

Thankyou for your response.

I have already gone through these docs.

My question is- "can i create a report in an existing dataset in any of my workspace by using REST APIs"

e.g. axios.post('https://api.powerbi.com/myorg/v1.0/groups/23jdkkd/datasets/dkdfj343kjklj/report/create 

like above? is there a way to create even a blank report?

[djurecicK2]

@navinrangar  No, you cannot create a report via the API.

[navinrangar]

Thankyou for clearance.

however they have mention something about creating a report here.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/javascript/api/overview/powerbi/create-edit-report-embed-view?tabs...

what is this in regard then?

[ibarrau]

Hi. Just to be clear. You can't do that with Power Bi Rest API. The link you have sent it's a different thing. That's an API or library that can only be used for PowerBi Embedded or Premium (dedicated capacity license). It's used for creating web apps embeding reports.

You can try that one without license as developer environement purpose, however if you think this will be a recurrent script of a process, that would be production and you need the dedicated capacity license.

I hope that helps,

[navinrangar]

Hi @ibarrau while going through the powerBi javascript client API docs, i came across this code snippet to create a report with the help of powerbi embedded.

but It's not very clearly written. In case you are familiar with it, could you please help me know where have they actually imported powerbi object in the last line of the code.

link to the same- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/javascript/api/overview/powerbi/create-edit-report-embed-view?tabs...

[ibarrau]

Hi. I'm sorry but I'm only familiarized with the rest api. The things that embedded let you do like that I haven't tried them. The only way to know if you can create a report from a pushed dataset will be trying. 

Maybe this website with many operations of embedded can help writting code.

https://playground.powerbi.com

I hope that helps,

[navinrangar]

Thanks for being so genuinely helpful. 

One last question is there any way we can create a visual report from an existing dataset without doing it manually? 

I mean we can delete or update a report without doing it manually, we do it with APIs. I think there must be a way to also create a visual report without doing it manually?

[navinrangar]

Thankyou @ibarrau 

So far I have created a push dataset, created a table inside that, and have inserted rows in that table through REST APIs. So the dataset is ready. 

Now could you please tell me if it is possible to create a report from a push dataset using REST APIs?

[djurecicK2]

I admit I'm not familiar with that- why not give it a try and let us know? 😀

I think most people think of this when discussing the Power BI API:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/

Let us know how it goes!

[navinrangar]

Yeah. Thanks.

Actually, what i just found in powerbi REST docs is 'push dataset' thing. 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/push-datasets/datasets-post-dataset#code-try-0

it says, 'we can create a dataset using powerbi' and it's working. and that's the half work done.

Now could you please tell me if it is possible to create a report from a push dataset using REST APIs?

Thanks a lot for being so helpful.