Create copy data activity from copy assistant

[JoshT]

I've had a Fabric data pipeline for a couple of years where I create copy data activities for files periodically released to us that vary in schema, and have a large number of columns. For this reason, we would use the copy assistant to pick up the schema from each file so we don't have to manually map large numbers of columns. It appears that the copy assistant now outputs a copy job activity, which does not allow us to use variables in the file path and is much more limited in features regardless. Is there any way to force it to output to the traditional copy data activity? I can't see anything that will allow me to do this

[V-yubandi-msft]

H @JoshT ,

Just checking in to see if you were able to share your feedback on the Fabric Ideas or Feedback forum as suggested earlier. Please let us know if you have submitted it or if you need any further assistance.

Regards,
Yugandhar

[JoshT]

Thanks for checking. I've decided not to waste my time on the ideas forum as I've reported plenty of bugs on there and they're never picked up and nothing ever changes. I've reported bugs to service support and they've told me that clear undesirable behaviours are in fact intended by the product, so I hope you'll understand that I have no faith that the Fabric team will implement the proper development practices the rest of us are subject to. In this case I was hoping that I had missed something that would make it work, but the confirmation that the Fabric team actually decided to withdraw functionality for no good reason means I don't need any further support.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Thanks for sharing your feedback and for explaining your experience. I understand your concerns.

If you have any other questions in the future or run into something else you’d like to discuss, please feel free to reach out here in the community.

[GilbertQ]

Hi @JoshT 

Could you please give an example of what copy data activities you are using as well as the expected app but you are seeing so we can help you further.

[JoshT]

apologies I thought this was clear - I'm using data pipelines in Fabric. The copy assistant tool used to output the copy data activity, now it outputs the copy job activity, which is not fit for purpose and I can't see a way of forcing it to output the copy data activity

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @JoshT ,

For scenarios involving dynamic or metadata-driven ingestion, the traditional Copy Data activity remains the preferred choice. At present, the new Copy Assistant defaults to generating a Copy Job activity, and there isn’t an option to make it create the classic Copy Data activity.

As an alternative, you can manually add a Copy Data activity to your pipeline and use a parameterized dataset to manage dynamic file paths and schema changes.

Regards,

Yugandhar.

[JoshT]

Ok, thanks for confirming. Just another case of Microsoft introducing breaking changes into its platform without any consultation with customers whatsoever. This has turned a five minute process into a 2 hour one, with a lot more risk of error. Clearly they don't care about customer experience or maintaing a consistent product. Maybe someone on the product team needs reminding that people generally don't want to needlessly spend extra time correcting design failures, particularly on a platform that is solved as a means of saving time.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @JoshT ,
I understand that this situation is frustrating for you. If this is significantly impacting your workflow, it would be worth submitting it on the Fabric Ideas portal or the feedback forum. The product team does review and prioritize feedback there, and detailed use cases like yours can help highlight the impact.
Community Feedback - Microsoft Fabric Community
Ideas - Microsoft Fabric Community

Regards,
Yugandhar.

[JoshT]

Current docs on the subject are out of date and refer to the older UI experience:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/data-factory/copy-data-activity