In this Power Bi tutorial, we will learn how to use Power BI desktop and we will cover the below points:
- What is Power BI Desktop
- Power bi desktop download and installation
- What is the Power Bi service
- Power bi desktop vs Power bi service
- Power bi desktop features and benefits
- Power bi desktop components
- Power bi desktop dark mode
What is Power BI?
- The Power Bi is a collection of apps, connectors, and software services that work together to turn the unrelated sources of data into visually immersive, coherent, and interactive insights.
- This data may be an Excel spreadsheet or cloud-based and on-premises hybrid data warehouses.
- By using Power Bi you can easily connect to your data sources, visualization and you can share that with anyone you want.
Read: What is Microsoft Power BI?
What is Power BI Desktop?
- The Power Bi Desktop is a free application, which you can install on your local computer.
- By using Power bi desktop we can connect to, transform and visualize data.
- And also we can use the Power Bi desktop, connect to multiple sources of data and combine them into a data model ( which is often called modeling).
- By using the data model, we can build visual and collection of visuals, which you can share as reports with other people in your organization.
- People who work on business intelligence projects, use Power BI desktop to create reports and use power bi service to share their reports.
Read: How to create Power BI report from SharePoint list + Excel
Power bi desktop download and installation
Here we will see how to download and install power bi desktop
- To download the Power Bi Desktop for free, click here.
- Then Click on See Download or language options.
- Then select language and click on Download.
- Then under File name Select the PBIDesktopSetup_x64.exe and then click on Next
- Once Power Bi desktop get downloaded, open that exe file.
- Then select a language, click on Next.
- Then click on Next.
- Then check the I accept the term and license. Click on Next.
- Choose the path in your local system to install the power bi desktop.
- Click on install. Then click on Finish and it will install in your local computer.
- After that you can open your Power bi desktop.
Now in your desktop, you can see the Power BI Desktop. In this way you can install the power bi desktop in your local computer
Read: How to Create a Dashboard in Power Bi?
What is the Power Bi service
- The power bi is a collection of connectors, apps, and software services, that works together to help you share create and consume business insight.
- In that way, power bi serves you and your business most effectively.
- The power bi service also called Power bi online, is the software as a service (Saas) part of power bi. You can access the power bi service by clicking here.
- In power bi service dashboard and report are connect to datasets, which brings all the data together in one place.
Read: Power bi calculated column vs measure
Power bi desktop vs Power bi service
Here we will see the difference between power bi desktop vs power bi service.
| Power Bi Desktop | Power BI Service |
|---|---|
| Power Bi desktop can manage many data sources | Whereas power bi service can manage some data sources |
| In Power bi desktop, the Power Query is used for ingesting, transforming, and load data into internal tables of power bi. | There is no power query editor present in power bi service to transform data. |
| Shaping and modeling of data is done in power bi desktop by using power query and power bi analysis service engine respectively | The Apps and workspace is present in power bi service. In a workspace, the power bi administrator can add things like row level security. And the app is a distributed read-only version of the content from the power bi service workspace. |
| We can create a measure in power bi desktop by using power bi DAX. | In power bi service we can share the report with people inside and outside the organization |
| In power bi desktop we can create a calculated column. | By using power bi service you can create the dataflows. |
| In power bi desktop we can create row-level security | In power bi service we can manage row level security. |
| For power bi desktop there is no gateway connection feature present | In power bi service, by using gateway we can create a connection between the Power bi online and the data source located in the power bi desktop. |
| The power bi desktop is complete report creation and data analysis tool, which you can install on your local computer for free. | Power Bi service is cloud-based service |
| By using Query editor, you can connect to many different sources of data and combine them into a data model, which is often called modeling | In power bi service you can connect data source, but modeling is limited |
Read: How to Embed Power BI Report in SharePoint Online
Power bi Desktop Features and Benefits
Here we will see different types of unique features and benefits of power bi desktop
Features
Let’s see the different types of features in power bi desktop.
- Get Data in power bi desktop
- The first step to start with power bi desktop, by connecting to data.
- There are different types of data sources, you can connect to from power bi desktop.
- Some of the latest data sources in power bi Desktop are:
- Power Bi Dataset
- Excel
- Power bi Dataflows
- SQL server
- Analysis service
- Azure
- CSV
- Web and many more.
- To connect to the data source, click on Get Data present in the ribbon and select the data source in power bi desktop.
- For example by using Excel data source, we will upload the Sales Excel sheet. Under common data source -> Click on Excel. Then upload the excel file.
2. Transform and clean data, create a model
- By using the Power Query editor in the power bi desktop, you can clean and transform data.
- In Power Query editor, you can make changes to your data, such as changing a data type, removing columns, or combining data from different sources
- After uploading data from the data sources to the power bi desktop, you can come through two options: either you load the data, don’t want to make change with data, or Transform the data.
- Let’s take the above example in which we have connected the power bi desktop with the data source.
- On the Navigator page, select the Table and click on the Transform data.
- Then, the power query editor page will open where you can change the data.
- In each step of transforming data such as transforming a data type, deleting a column, and renaming a table.
- After the data transformation in the power query editor is over, click on close and apply. Data will load into the power bi desktop.
- If you have already loaded the data in your power bi desktop, later you want to transform the data. In power bi desktop, click on the Home tab, present in the ribbon -> Transform data.
3. Create Visuals
- After loading the data model in the Power Bi desktop, you can drag the fields onto the report canvas to create a visual.
- A visual in power bi is a graphic representation of the data in your model.
- There are different types of visual you can create in power bi desktop such as
- Stacked column chart
- bar chart
- line chart
- area chart and many more.
- By taking the above excel data, I created a stacked column chart visual, by adding fields from the field pane to the field format section under visualization.
4. Create Report
- When you create a collection of visuals that shows the various aspects of the data you have used to create your model in power bi desktop.
- In one power bi desktop, a collection of visuals is called a report and a report can have one or more pages.
- In power bi desktop, we can create complex and visually rich reports, by using data from multiple sources. That report you can share with others in your organization.
5. Share report
- After the power bi report is ready to share with others, you can publish the report to the power bi service.
- Then in the power bi service, you can share the report with people in your organization, who has the power bi license.
- To publish the report in power bi desktop to power bi service, go to the home tab in the ribbon, then click on publish.
Read: Microsoft Power bi report vs dashboard
Benefits
Let’s see the the benefits of power bi desktop.
- Extract business intelligence rapidly: In power bi desktop, you can transform the data into rich visuals, thus extract the business intelligence for enhancing decision making.
- Publish report securely: On the power bi desktop, you can publish the report to the power bi service. And you can set up automatic data refresh and publish reports securely, which allows users to access the latest information.
- Your data can be access easily: The power bi integrates with Microsoft technology like SharePoint and SQL database. And also power bi integrates with the non-Microsoft solution as well. The power bi connects with a 60 common software solution such as Spark, Hadoop, SAP, Google Analytics, etc.
- Innovation is constant: In power bi, new functions and features are updating every month.
- No memory or speed constraints: With power bi embed, shifting an existing power bi system, to a powerful cloud environment. There aren’t any memory or speed constraints in power bi, ensuring that the data can quickly be retrieved and analyzed.
- Drag and Drop functionality: You can create the report in power bi desktop through the drag and drop functionality, which is very easy.
- Balanced simplicity and performance: In power bi desktop, the DAX scripting language and in the memory analysis technology represent that there is a balance between simplicity and performance.
- Integrates smoothly with the existing application: The power bi integrates with your existing business environment and allowing you to adopt analytics and report capabilities.
- Low cost and fast turnarounds: In power bi, by analyzing recent data, businesses can make decisions on the growing and underperforming market. And business analysis is done internally, so that money can be saved.
- Power bi reports can be viewed across multiple platforms and devices: The power bi reports can be accessed from your mobile devices as well as from your laptop, as long as you have an internet connection.
Read: Display COVID-19 Power bi report in PowerApps
Power bi desktop components
Let’s discuss the main components of power bi desktop. There are 3 different main components in power bi these are:
- Power Query
- Power pivot
- Power view
Power Query
- The power query is the tool it allows the data to get in power bi desktop and clean it if required.
- Once you get the data, by using the power query editor you can transform the data such as transforming a data type, deleting a column, and renaming a table.
- By using the power query tool you can extract many data sources.
- With power query, you can read data from databases such as SQL Server, Oracle, My SQL, and many other databases.
- Click on the get data present in the home tab in power bi desktop. Then select a data source( i am selecting Excel).
- On the navigator page click on transform data and you will navigate to power query editor, here you can transform data.
Power pivot
- A power pivot is a tool, by which we create the data model. A data model is a feature used to connect multiple data sources using a relationship.
- The power pivot tools provide highly compressed data storage and extremely fast aggregation and calculation.
- Power pivot also uses the DAX for building measures and calculated columns.
Power view
- A power view is a tool where you can visualize the data by using different types of visualization.
- The power view in power bi is an interactive data visualization that connects to the data source and fetches the metadata to be used for data analysis
- Power view in Power Bi gives you the ability to filter data for each data visualization element or for the entire report.
- The power view reports in Power Bi are interactive, and also user can highlight part of the data.
Power bi desktop dark mode
The dark mode in power bi desktop is not available, it is only available for mobile devices. But you can set the dark theme for power bi desktop.
To set the dark theme follow the below steps:
- Open your power bi desktop
- Then click on view present in the ribbon
- In the theme section, click on the dropdown. Then select Innovate theme.
In below screen-shot you can see the dark mode theme in power bi desktop.
You may like the following Power BI tutorials:
- Power bi row level security tutorial
- Power BI Funnel Chart
- Power BI waterfall chart
- Microsoft Power BI Stacked Column Chart
- Power Bi Schedule Refresh
In this Power bi tutorial we learned about how to use Power BI desktop.
- What is Power bi and Power BI Desktop
- Power bi desktop download and installation
- What is the Power Bi service
- Power bi desktop vs Power bi service
- Power bi desktop features and benefits
- Power bi desktop components
- Power bi desktop dark mode
After working for more than 15 years in Microsoft technologies like SharePoint, Office 365, and Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI), I thought will share my SharePoint expertise knowledge with the world. Our audiences are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. For my expertise knowledge and SharePoint tutorials, Microsoft has been awarded a Microsoft SharePoint MVP (9 times). I have also worked in companies like HP, TCS, KPIT, etc.