Scribd
Upload
13 views

Powerbi Intro 3

Uploaded by

Naresh Chandra Reddy Paturi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
13 views

Powerbi Intro 3

Uploaded by

Naresh Chandra Reddy Paturi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

CHAPTER 1.

INTRODUCTION TO POWER BI

1.6 Building blocks of Power BI


The basic building blocks in Power BI are:
• Visualizations
• Datasets
• Reports
• Dashboards
• Tiles

1.6.1 Visualizations
A visualization is a representation of data in a visual format. It could be a line
chart, a bar graph, a color coded map or any visual way to present the data.

Visualizations can be a simple number representing a significant calculation or


it could be more complex like multiple charts showing the proportion of users
participating in a survey. The main idea of visualisation is to show the data in
a way that tells the story that is lying underneath it. Like the saying goes: a
picture says a thousand words.

1.6.2 Datasets
A dataset is a collection of data that Power BI uses to create its visualizations.
You can have a simple dataset that’s based on a single table from a Microsoft
Excel workbook, similar to what’s shown in the following image.

8
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO POWER BI

Dataset can also be a combination of many different sources, which can be


filtered using Power BI and combined into one to use.
For example: One data source contains countries and locations in the form of
latitude and longitude. Another data source contains demographics of these
countries like population and GDP. Power BI can combine these two data sources
into one dataset which can be used for visualizations.
An important feature of Power BI is the ability to connect to various data sources
using its connectors. Whether the data you want is in Excel or a Microsoft SQL
Server database, in Azure or Oracle, or in a service like Facebook, Salesforce, or
MailChimp, Power BI has built-in data connectors that let you easily connect to
that data, filter it if necessary, and bring it into your dataset.
After you have a dataset, you can begin creating visualizations that show different
portions of it in different ways, and gain insights based on what you see. That
is where reports come in.

1.6.3 Reports
In Power BI, a Report is a collection of visualizations that appear together on
one or more pages. A report in Power BI is a collection of items that are related
to each other. We will be working with the gapminder data to create the report
below that looks at the GDP, population and life expectancy by global regions.

9
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO POWER BI

Reports let us create and structure visualizations on pages based on the way the
we want to tell the story.

1.6.4 Dashboards
A Power BI dashboard is a collection of visuals from a single page that you
can share with others. Often it is a selected group of visuals that provide quick
insight into the data or story you are trying to present.
A dashboard must fit on a single page, often called a canvas (the canvas is the
blank backdrop in Power BI Desktop or the service, where you put visualizations).
Think of it like the canvas that an artist or painter uses — a workspace where
you create, combine, and rework interesting and compelling visuals. You can
share dashboards with other users or groups, who can then interact with your
dashboards when they’re in the Power BI service or on their mobile device.

1.7 Power BI Services


1.7.1 Overview of Power BI Desktop
Power BI Desktop is a free application for PCs that lets you gather, transform,
and visualize your data. In this module, you’ll learn how to find and collect data
from different sources and how to clean or transform it. You’ll also learn tricks
to make data-gathering easier. Power BI Desktop and the Power BI Service work
together. You can create your reports and dashboards in Power BI Desktop, and
then publish them to the Power BI Service for others to consume.

10
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO POWER BI

1. Ribbon - Displays common tasks that are associated with reports and
visualizations.
2. Report view, or canvas - Where visualizations are created and arranged.
You can switch between Report, Data, and Model views by selecting
the icons in the left column.
3. Pages tab - Located along the bottom of the page, this area is where you
would select or add a report page.
4. Visualizations pane - Where you can change visualizations, customize
colors or axes, apply filters, drag fields, and more.
5. Fields pane - Where query elements and filters can be dragged onto the
Report view or dragged to the Filters area of the Visualizations pane.
Working in Power BI desktop and creating visuals will be the focus of todays
session.

1.7.2 Power BI Service


Power BI Service is the online component of Power BI where you can publish
your dashboards and reports. You can also view other dashboard and reports
that have been shared with you. Monash staff members have access to this, all
you need to do is log in with you Monash account at Power BI service.1 We will
cover this in more detail later in the workshop. One thing to be aware of is that
once the report is published, the report and underlying data will be stored on
Microsoft servers and is not private. Be aware of any privacy or confidentiality
issues with your data and we suggest using another approach or tool if cannot
anonymise your data.
1 https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/landing/signin/

11

You might also like