Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Microsoft Updates Power BI Report URL Filter, Report Server Update

    Written by

    Todd R. Weiss
    Published August 21, 2018
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Microsoft’s Power BI application has been given a number of feature updates aimed at improving enterprise business intelligence reporting and improving the performance of Power BI for users.

      In separate announcements, Power BI Report URL filter enhancements now make it easier for users to define more complex report-level filters as query string parameters directly in report URLs, while the August update for Power BI Server includes a list of long-awaited improvements, including report theming, conditional formatting improvements and report page tooltips. Tooltips is a Power BI feature that allows users to add more contextual information and detail to data points on a visual, according to Microsoft

      The Power BI Report URL improvements were outlined in an Aug. 17 post on The Power BI Blog by Kay Unkroth, a Microsoft senior program manager.

      “Power BI Report URL filters follow the OData syntax to be consistent with the filtering methods in other Power BI areas (such as, filter statements in Power BI cmdlets), but not all OData filter capabilities are supported in Report URL filters,” wrote Unkroth. “Report URL filters can come in handy if you want to create shortcuts to pre-filtered reports.”

      OData, a .NET Framework serialization library that supports the Open Data Protocol (OData), is a set of programming interfaces that support advanced serialization and deserialization scenarios in applications and processes.

      For Windows users, that could mean creating desktop shortcuts for quick access to the information they care about most, he wrote. “You could also add the URLs to the Favorites list of your Web browser or use them as custom URLs with dashboard tiles to view the filtered report directly from a tile.”

      More details can be found in the following article in the product documentation, Filter a report using query string parameters in the URL.

      Power BI Report Server Update

      The Power BI Server updates for August introduce many features that are designed to help users get their work done efficiently, wrote Amanda Cofsky, a Microsoft program manager, in an Aug. 16 post on The Power BI Blog.

      The all-new report theming feature will allow users to quickly color their entire report to match a theme or corporate branding, wrote Cofsky. “When you import a theme, all your charts will automatically update to use the theme colors, and you’ll have access to the theme colors from the color palette.”

      Also new is the addition of a button control to Power BI to trigger specific actions. Aimed at giving users an app-like experience with interactive elements in their reports, a button can be inserted from the ribbon, by picking on of several icons or by selecting a blank button. Once on a page, users can choose to add text, change the icon, add a fill color or give the button an outline.

      “You have lots of control around the look of the icon and text including size, color, and alignment,” she wrote. “Once you pick your default look for your button, you can then use the dropdown to change how it looks on hover or when it is being clicked on.”

      Improved default sort capabilities for visuals have also been added in the latest version, wrote Cofsky. “One of our goals is to make it fast and easy for you to create beautiful, well formatted reports. We’ve improved our default visual sort, so you won’t need to change it nearly as frequently.”

      Log axis improvements have also been included for Cartesian charts, allowing users to gain the ability to select log scale for the numeric axis of any Cartesian chart, including combo chart, when using data that is completely positive or completely negative. “Reference lines should also observe the log scale and will cause the scale to resize to accommodate them,” she wrote.

      New data label options have been added for funnel chart creation, giving users more control for data labels. Users can now pick if each bar shows the actual value, the percentage of the first bar, the percentage of the previous bar or the actual value and one of the two percentage options, wrote Cofsky.

      The latest version of Power BI Server now also features support for standard tooltips for both table and matrix visuals, based on requests and interest from users.

      “You’ll be able to turn tooltips on for table and matrix using the new tooltip card,” she wrote. Tooltips are off by default, “so you don’t need to worry about your reports changing without you knowing.”

      Once the tooltip card is turned on, users will get the standard Power BI tooltip for their visuals. At the same time, Microsoft added an on/off toggle for all visuals that support tooltips. The toggle has been added to the tooltip card where users control their report page tooltips.

      Formatting pane improvements have also been included, such as the inclusion of a lighter gray color used inside cards so the entire pane doesn’t blend together, new animations and hover effects give the pane a more polished look, according to Microsoft.

      New analytics and modeling capabilities are also featured in the latest version of Power BI Server. 

      Todd R. Weiss
      Todd R. Weiss
      Todd R. Weiss is a seasoned technology journalist with over 15 years of experience covering enterprise IT. Since 2014, he has been a senior writer at eWEEK.com, specializing in mobile technology, smartphones, tablets, laptops, cloud computing, and enterprise software. Previously, he was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008, reporting on a wide range of IT topics. Throughout his career, Weiss has written extensively about innovations in mobile tech, cloud platforms, security, and enterprise software, providing insightful analysis to help IT professionals and businesses navigate the evolving technology landscape. His work has appeared in numerous leading publications, offering expert commentary and in-depth analysis on emerging trends and best practices in IT.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×