As part of your PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker certification, understanding how to create a simple report from an existing dataset using Power BI service is crucial. Power BI is a powerful toolset that transforms your company’s data into rich visuals for an immerse, easy-to-understand overview of your business. In this article, we will take you through the steps to create a simple report using Power BI service.
Getting Started with Power BI service
Before creating a report, it’s critical to understand what Power BI service is. Power BI Service is a cloud-based service, part of the Power BI platform that works together with Power BI Desktop (a desktop application) and Power BI Mobile (a mobile app). It’s sometimes referred to as “Power BI online” and allows users to collaborate and distribute dashboards and reports, with or without an organizational content pack.
Creating a Simple Report from an Existing Dataset
Let’s get started with creating a report.
Here, we consider that an existing dataset is already available in your Power BI workspace.
Stage 1: Select Your Dataset
Select the dataset from your workspace to generate a report from it. To do so, click on the dataset that you want to use for your report from the left navigation pane.
Stage 2: Create report from the dataset
After selecting the dataset, click on the “Create report” button. This will open a new tab in your browser with an Untitled report canvas.
Stage 3: Making Use of Visualizations, Fields, and Filters
Power BI provides a range of visualizations, fields, and filters. Using these, you can design and structure your report to meet your specific needs. To create a visualization, simply drag the fields onto the report canvas, select the type of visualization you want from the visualization pane, and Power BI will automatically create it for you.
It’s worth noting that the visualizations pane includes many elements like line charts, pie charts, tables, stacked column charts, and many more.
Stage 4: Saving and Naming the Report
Once you have finished creating your report, you can save and name your report for future reference. You can do so by clicking the “File” menu and choosing “Save”; then type a name for your report and press the Enter key.
Stage 5: Publish the Report
After you have saved your report, you can publish it to the Power BI service where other users in your organization can view it. Click on the “File” menu and choose “Publish”. You’ll be asked to select a destination in your workspace.
At this point, you have successfully created a report from an existing dataset using the Power BI service!
Conclusion
Power BI service provides you with a comprehensive set of tools to create detailed and visually appealing reports from existing datasets. With its robust drag-and-drop interface and range of available visualizations, Power BI allows you to generate insightful reports with minimal effort. The key is understanding the available tools and how to use them effectively, which you can achieve through practice and exploration.
Mastering the use of Power BI service to create reports from data sets is an essential part of studying for the PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker exam. Hopefully, this guide gave you the knowledge you need to start practicing and getting comfortable with Power BI service. The more you familiarize yourself with it, the more proficient you’ll become, adding value to your organization and growing your career.
As we always recommend, continue to explore the Power BI service and keep familiarizing yourself with its features and capabilities to get the most from this powerful tool!
Practice Test
True or False: Power BI service is a cloud-based business analytics tool that allows you to visualize your data and share insights across your organization.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power BI service is a cloud-based service that helps create live dashboards, interactive reports, and share insights across the organization.
In Power BI service, after loading data, the system automatically creates a new report for you.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You need to manually create a new report by clicking on the ‘New report’ option in the workspace of Power BI service.
Multiple choice: Which type of datasets can Power BI Service utilize?
- a) Excel
- b) SQL Server
- c) SharePoint
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Power BI Service can connect to various data sources including Excel, SQL Server, and SharePoint among others.
True or False: You can import data into Power BI Service without cleaning and transforming it first.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: You can import data directly, but it’s best practice to clean and transform data for better reports.
Multiple choice: What is the limit for data capacity in Power BI Service free version?
- a) 1GB
- b) 10GB
- c) 100GB
- d) Unlimited
Answer: a) 1GB
Explanation: In the free tier of Power BI Service, the data capacity limit is 1GB.
True or False: You cannot share your Power BI reports and dashboards with others because Power BI Service is a personal tool.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power BI Service is a collaborative platform. You can easily share your reports and dashboards with others in your organization.
Multiple Select: What are the components of a report in Power BI Service?
- a) visuals
- b) tables
- c) slicers
- d) datasets
Answer: a) visuals, b) tables, c) slicers
Explanation: Visuals, tables, and slicers are the building blocks of a report in Power BI Service. Datasets are the data sources used to create a report.
True or False: Visualizations in Power BI Service can include charts, graphs, maps, and other graphical elements.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power BI Service supports a wide range of visualizations including charts, graphs, maps and more.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following is not a role in Power BI Service?
- a) Owner
- b) User
- c) Admin
- d) Ghost User
Answer: d) Ghost User
Explanation: Ghost User is not a recognized role in Power BI Service. The roles are Owner, Admin, or User.
True or False: Power BI Service reports are static and can not be updated in real-time.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power BI Service reports can be updated in real time when connected to a live data source.
Multiple Select: What tasks can you perform with Power BI Service?
- a) Transform data
- b) Build reports
- c) Create dashboards
- d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: Power BI Service allows you to transform data, build reports, and create interactive dashboards.
True or False: You have to code to create a simple report in Power BI Service.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Power BI Service is a no-code, drag-and-drop tool to create reports.
Multiple choice: Which tool in Power BI helps in transferring data from various sources into Power BI environment?
- a) Power Query
- b) Power BI Desktop
- c) Power Pivot
- d) Power Map
Answer: a) Power Query
Explanation: Power Query is a data connection tool that helps to bring data from various sources into the Power BI environment.
True or False: All Power BI reports created on a desktop can be published on Power BI service.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power BI Desktop lets you create detailed reports, and these reports can then be published on Power BI service for sharing and collaboration.
Multiple Choice: What is the maximum size of the dataset that can be loaded into Power BI service for Free user?
- a) 1 GB
- b) 500 MB
- c) 10 GB
- d) 50 GB
Answer: a) 1 GB
Explanation: For free users, the Power BI service has a limit of 1GB for the maximum dataset size.
Interview Questions
What is Power BI Service?
Power BI Service is a cloud-based business analytics service provided by Microsoft that enables users to visualize and report data effectively.
What is the first step in using Power BI Service to create a report from an existing dataset?
The first step is to import the dataset into Power BI service.
How can you import data into Power BI service?
You can import data into Power BI service by using the ‘Get Data’ option and then selecting the source of the data.
How would you designate tables or columns as ‘Do Not Summarize’ in Power BI?
To indicate ‘Do NOT Summarize’ on specific columns, select the column and under ‘Column tools’, in the ‘Properties’ section, set ‘Summarize by’ to ‘Don’t Summarize’.
What function does the Query Editor serve in Power BI?
The Query Editor in Power BI is used to transform and cleanse the data before visualizing it.
How can you create a calculated column in a Power BI Report?
A calculated column can be created in Power BI by using Data view, selecting the table, and then clicking on ‘New Column’ under the Modeling tab.
Can you use external data sources in Power BI service?
Yes, Power BI service can connect to various external data sources including databases, Excel files, and even online services like Salesforce.
In Power BI, what does the term ‘Visualizations’ refer to?
In Power BI, ‘Visualizations’ refer to the graphs, charts, maps, and other visual representation of data.
What are the benefits of publishing a report to the Power BI service?
Publishing a report to the Power BI service allows it to be shared with others, enables scheduled data refreshes and allows access from other devices.
How are DAX formulas used in Power BI reports?
DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) formulas are used in Power BI to calculate values, create calculated columns, measures, and tables.
How can you share your reports in Power BI service?
Reports in Power BI Service can be shared by publishing them and then using the ‘Share’ button to send invitations to others to view the report.
What does ‘slicer’ in Power BI do?
A slicer in Power BI is a type of filter that is used to filter the data on the basis of the selection you make.
How can you schedule data refresh in Power BI service?
Data refresh in Power BI Service can be scheduled in the settings of the dataset by defining the frequency and time of the refresh.
Can you embed Power BI reports on a website?
Yes, Power BI reports can be embedded on a web page or app using the Publish to web feature.
What is the role of Power BI gateways?
Power BI gateways are used to sync external data sources and Power BI Service. They enable you to keep your data fresh by automatically updating the data in Power BI reports.
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