Customizing Power BI & Data Connection

Building blocks of Power BI:

The basic building blocks in Power BI are:

• Visualizations
• Datasets
• Reports
• Dashboards
• Tiles

Visualizations:

• A visualization is a representation of data in a visual format. It could be a line chart, a

bar graph, a colour 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.

Datasets:

• A Dataset is a collection of data that Power Bl 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.
 • Dataset can also be a combination of many different sources, which can be filtered
using Power Bl 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 Mail Chimp,
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.

Reports:

• 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 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 gap minder data to create the report below that
looks at the GDP, population, and life expectancy by global regions.
 • Reports let us create and structure visualizations on pages based on the way the we
want to tell the story.

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.
Interface of Power BI Desktop:

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. Page Tab - Located along the bottom of the page, this area is where you would
select or add a report page.
4. Visualization Pane - Where you can change visualizations, customize colors or
axes, apply filters, drag fields, and more.
5. Field Pane - Where query elements and filters can be dragged onto the Report
view or dragged to the Filters area of the Visualizations pane.

Types Of Data Sources:

Power BI supports a wide variety of data sources and visualization types, allowing users to
connect to and visualize their data in meaningful ways. Here are some examples of data
sources available in Power Bl:
1. Excel spreadsheets
2. SQL Server databases
3. Oracle databases
4. MySQL databases
5. PostgreSQL databases
6. Salesforces
7. Share Point Lists
8. Dynamic 365
 9. Google Analytics
10. CSV Files
Loading data from multiple sources:

• Import data from multiple sources: Power BI Desktop allows you to import data from
various sources such as Excel, CSV, SQL Server, Azure, SharePoint, and many more.
You can simply go to the "Home" tab, click on "Get Data" and select the data source
you want to import.
• Combine data from multiple sources: You can use Power BI Desktop to combine data
from multiple sources using various techniques. One way to do this is by using the
"Merge Queries" feature, which allows you to join two or more queries based on a
common field. Another way to combine data is by using the "Append Queries"
feature, which allows you to stack multiple queries on top of each other.
• Direct Query: If you have data stored in different databases, you can use Direct
Query to connect to these databases and retrieve data in real-time. With direct
Query, you can create relationships between tables across different databases and
build reports that show data from all sources.
• Power Query: Power Query is a data transformation and cleansing tool that allows
you to combine, shape, and transform data from multiple sources. With Power
Query, you can clean and prepare data before importing it into Power Bl. You can
also use Power Query to create custom columns, filter data, and pivot data.
• APIs: Power BI also provides APIs that allow you to connect to various sources,
including web services, cloud-based applications, and other data sources. You can
use the APIs to retrieve data from these sources and integrate it into your Power Bl
reports.

By using these techniques, you can easily load data from multiple sources in Power BI and
create comprehensive reports that provide insights into your business data.

Data type and the type of default chart on drag drop.

When you drag and drop a field onto the report canvas in Power BI, the default chart type
that is displayed depends on the data type of the field. Here are the default chart types for
each data type:
1. Numeric data type (e.g. decimal, integer): The default chart type is a column
chart.
2. Date/Time data type: The default chart type is a line chart.
3. Text data type (e.g. string): The default chart type is a table.
4. Boolean data type: The default chart type is a clustered column chart.
5. Geographic data type (e.g., address, city): The default chart type is a map.
Note that these are the default chart types and you can always change the chart type to suit
your needs by selecting a different chart type from the Visualizations pane in Power BI.

The default chart type that is created when you drag and drop a field onto the report canvas
in Power BI depends on the type of data in that field. Here are the general rules:
1. If the field contains numerical data, such as sales figures or quantities, Power BI
will default to creating a column chart.
2. If the field contains categorical data, such as product categories or regions,
Power BI will default to creating a bar chart.
3. If the field contains date or time data, such as order dates or appointment times,
Power BI will default to creating a line chart.
4. If the field contains geographical data, such as country or state names, Power BI
will default to creating a map visualization.

Keep in mind that these are just general rules and Power BI's behavior can be customized
based on your specific needs. You can always change the chart type later if the default chart
is not suitable for your data.

Geo location Map integration

• Geo location map integration in Power BI refers to the ability to display geographical
data on a map visual within a Power BI report. This feature allows users to create
visually compelling and informative reports by integrating geographical data with
other data sources.
• Power BI provides built-in support for geo location map integration, allowing users
to easily create maps that display data based on geographic locations, such as
customer locations or sales by region. Users can drag and drop location data fields
onto the map visualization, and Power BI automatically displays the locations on the
map.
• Users can also customize the map by changing the map type, zoom level, and map
theme, as well as adding additional layers to the map, such as boundary lines or
point data. This feature allows users to create highly customized and interactive
maps within their reports, providing a more engaging and informative experience for
viewers
• Power BI has built-in support for integrating geo location maps into reports. You can
use these maps to display geographical data, such as sales by region or customer
locations.
To integrate a geo location map into a Power BI report, follow these steps:

1. Click on the "Map" visualization icon in the Visualizations pane.

2. Drag and drop the geographical data fields onto the "Location" field well in the
"Fields" pane. The location fields can include address, city, state, postal code,
country, and latitude/longitude coordinates.
3. Drag and drop any other data fields you want to display onto the "Values" field well
in the "Fields" pane. For example, if you want to display sales data by region, drag
and drop the sales field onto the "Values" field well.
4. The map will automatically display the locations based on the data you have
provided. You can customize the map by changing the map type, zoom level, and
map theme using the options in the "Format" pane.
5. You can also add additional layers to the map, such as boundary lines, point data, or
custom images, by using the "Layers" option in the "Visualizations" pane.
6. With these steps, you can easily integrate geo location maps into your Power BI
reports to provide a visual representation of your geographical data.