Activity: Format and configure visualizations

Introduction

By now, you should be familiar with the methodology of selecting the appropriate visualization to
satisfy a business need and all the available formatting and configuration options Microsoft Power BI
provides. In this activity, you must apply your knowledge of visualizing and analyzing data to format
and configure visualizations.

Scenario

Lucas completed his exploration of Power BI's formatting capabilities. He's now ready to refine the
Sales Categorical Analysis report, aiming to boost its visual appeal and clarity for users. His next step
is implementing these ideas, transforming data into compelling visuals that speak clearly to the
audience.

Instructions

Step 1: Report Setup

Sales Categorical Analysis

PBIX File

1. Download the Sales Categorical Analysis report and launch it in Power BI Desktop.

2. Navigate to the View button of the ribbon and select Selection to view and identify the
components of the report. The four visualizations are:

Column chart Table chart Text box Shape

Sales Amount by Category Sales Amount by Color Sales Categorical Analysis Green divider

3. Select the X button to the right of the Selection pane to close it.
Step 2: Exact color formatting

Your next task is to adjust the Text box title to have the same green color as the line divider (Shape).
To be precise with color formatting, you need to use the color's hexadecimal code (hex code).
Therefore, to ensure two separate items have matching colors, you must provide the visualization
with the hex code of the specified color.

1. To identify the hex code of the divider line, select it, navigate to the Format pane, and select
Style, followed by Border. The color of the line is displayed here.

2. Select Color, and then More colors.

3. You can find the hex code and RGB code of the color in this window. Select Ctrl+C to copy the
#437A2C code.

4. Now, select the Text box visualization.

Tip: If you have trouble selecting a specific item due to overlapping visualizations, you can always
enable the Selection pane and select it from there.
5. The Text box visualization displays its settings on a hovering toolbar. Select the title text and then
the down arrow to the right of the A symbol on the toolbar to adjust its color.

6. The same palette window displays. Select More colors to view the color code window.
7. Color code #000000 appears, which is the hex code for the color black. Press Ctrl+V to paste the
#437A2C code in the Hex field to make the selected text the correct shade of green.

8. Press the Esc button or click anywhere on the canvas to exit the formatting windows and view the
result. The title now has the same green color as the line shape.
Tip: When formatting visualizations, having the maximum screen size possible to determine the best
result is crucial. So, it is advisable to close all unnecessary panes. You can hit the top arrow on the
bottom right of the top ribbon to hide it and the double right arrows on the Data pane as you won't
need these during formatting.

Step 3: Formatting Sales Amount by Color (visual settings)

Table charts are used to view multiple data fields in a tabular format. The existing table visual
contains only a single attribute field with a single metric. As a result, you can use a more suitable
visualization. An attribute field split into its values with a corresponding metric is a categorical
analysis. As you already know, column and pie charts are the optimal visualizations for this type of
analysis. In this step, you'll replace the table visualization with a pie chart and format the new chart.
 1. Since you already have a column chart and there are not many category attributes, a pie
chart is a more appropriate visualization to add variety to the report. To change the Table
visualization to a pie chart, select it and select the Pie chart icon in the Visualizations pane.

2. The Table chart has now changed to a Pie chart.

3. One of the most common formatting practices in pie charts is integrating the legend with the
detail labels, making it easier to read. Select the Pie chart and navigate to the Format visual pane to
do this. Next, navigate to the Visual settings and locate Detail labels.
4. In the Label contents field, select Category, percent of total to include just these two on the data
label.

5. Expand Values to adjust the font. Choose a font size of 14.

6. The legend is no longer needed, so you can scroll up to locate the Legend options and toggle it Off.

Step 4: Formatting Sales Amount by Color (general settings)

1. Select the Pie chart and navigate to the General settings. The General settings are shared
among all visualizations.

2. Expand the Title options and adjust the Font size to 20.

3. Next, select the middle icon of the Horizontal alignment options to center the title of the
visual.
4. Scroll down to the Divider settings and toggle it to On.

5. Select Solid from the Style field.

Step 5: Formatting Sales Amount by Category

One of the tasks given to Lucas is to modify the scale of the Y-axis, as the difference between the
Sales Amount of the categories results in some columns not standing out. To alter the axis scale, you
can change it to a logarithmic scale instead of arithmetic.

1. To do so, navigate to the Format visual pane and then to the Visual tab, as this is a column-chart-
specific setting. Now, expand the Y-axis settings.
2. In the Range section, toggle Logarithmic scale to On to view the results.

3. Finally, let's change the visualization's title to resemble the title in the Pie chart. To do this, you can
follow the same steps as you did for the pie chart. But, because the General settings of the
visualizations are shared, there is an easier way to do so.

4. Select the Pie chart and then the Format Painter icon to the left of the Home tab on the ribbon.
5. This will modify your cursor in a brush, applying the formatting options of the selected visual to
the next visualization you select. Select the Column chart to apply the same formatting options.
Observe how it immediately copies all the general options of the Pie chart to the Column chart.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully formatted and configured a report's visualizations. As a Power
BI analyst, mastering the handling of formatting options will help you build compelling reports.
Activity: Conditional formatting

Introduction

Previously, you’ve navigated through all main formatting and configuration options in Microsoft
Power BI. In this activity, you will apply your knowledge of conditional formatting to enhance your
visualizations’ appearance further.

Case study

Lucas has completed formatting the visualizations of the report. He is now ready to apply conditional
formatting to enhance their dynamic format.

Instructions

Step 1: Gradient conditional formatting

1. Open the Sales Categorical Analysis report configured in the previous activity.

Note: As you discovered in previous lessons, conditional formatting in Power BI does not only
happen in table and matrix visualizations. You can now apply it to various aspects of visuals, like their
columns or slice colors. 2. To apply conditional formatting to the column chart visualization, select it
and navigate to the Format visual options of the Visualizations pane.

3. Locate the Columns option and expand it.

4. To the right of the Default field, a function symbol displays, indicating that you can conditionally
format the column color based on specified criteria.

5. Select it to navigate to the conditional formatting window.

6. In this window, three main Format style options appear. For this example, select the Gradient
format style. In this formatting style, a field is chosen to color the columns based on their values.
7. Select Sales Amount by searching for it and select Sum in the Summarization field, as you’re
basing the column color on the exact field being analyzed.

8. Select the Add a middle color box to add a third color in the gradient format.

9. Select OK to apply the conditional formatting results.

10. The columns are now colored based on the sum of sales amount value for each one.

Step 2: Field value conditional formatting

Applying a color attribute in a visualization is always tricky. Lucas considers that if the pie chart’s
slices’ colors are representing the product color being analyzed, it will be much easier for the users to
understand the context of the visualization. Luckily, you can easily accomplish this with conditional
formatting.

1. To accomplish this result, you need to store the hex codes of the product colors in the
dataset. For this reason, a ColorHexCode column has been created in the Product table.
Navigate to the Table view and scroll to the last column in the Product table to view it.
2. This DAX code connects each product color of the Product table to its respective hex code, stored
in text format. This way, any coloring of the slices can be configured accurately and modified easily in
case of future changes.

3. Navigate to the Report view and select the Pie chart to adjust the field value conditional
formatting.

4. Select the Format visual options in the Visualizations pane to apply conditional formatting to the
Pie chart visualization.

5. Locate the Slices option and expand it. Unfortunately, conditional formatting is unavailable for a
Pie chart, so another visualization needs to be selected. Note: This step demonstrates the
importance of navigating through a visualization’s available settings before choosing the appropriate
visualization. Lucas had to make a last-minute alteration to the visualization here.

6. Select the Treemap visualization icon to transform the Pie chart into a Treemap.

7. Navigate to its Colors settings. The Advanced controls symbol gives you the option to apply
conditional formatting.

8. Select it to open the conditional formatting window. Select Field value as the Format style and
locate the ColorHexCode column to be used.

9. Select OK to view the results.

10. Note that by selecting the Conditional formatting symbol, represented by a function symbol
again, you can modify the formatting criteria. You can also select the Eraser symbol to its right to
remove the conditional formatting.

11. The conditional formatting for both visuals has now been adjusted.

Tip: Even though pie charts do not have conditional formatting available for their slices, the Treemap
Conditional formatting has successfully assigned each category its respective color. That means that
if you set the visualization back to a Pie chart, the slices will keep their respective color! Be careful, as
this is no longer dynamically adjusted, so any new category slices won’t have the ColorHexCode color
automatically assigned to them, and the steps above will have to be re-applied.
Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully applied conditional formatting to your visualizations. This
allows you to configure your visualizations’ appearance further with dynamic criteria, making them
even more compelling to end users.

Activity: Configure the report page

Introduction

Previously, you've navigated through all main formatting and configuration options in Microsoft
Power BI. In this activity, you must apply your knowledge of report page settings, modifying the
appearance and configuration of the report's page.

Case study

Lucas has crafted a Sales Categorical Analysis report that provides valuable insights into sales
performance by product category and color. His next task is to upgrade the report's appearance and
functionality. He needs to adjust the report's page settings, fine-tune the canvas, apply a background,
and streamline the filter pane and filter cards.

Instructions

Step 1: Report launch and set-up

Sales Categorical Analysis

PBIX File

1. Download and launch the Sales Categorical Analysis report in Power BI Desktop.

2. Click on any empty space in the canvas.

 3. Locate the Format Report page button and select it.

Tip: Although both are accessible from the same button, you can differentiate between the Report
page settings and Visualizations settings button by the icon's background. While the Visualizations
settings display a brush on top of a chart, the Report page settings display a brush on top of a blank
page. You can shift between selecting a visualization and a blank canvas space to view their
differences.

4. Navigate to the Format page settings, where you can configure the general settings of the report
page if you haven't already.
Step 2: Page information and Canvas Settings

1. For the first configurations, expand the Page information settings.

2. In this section, you can adjust the report page name. Rename it to Product Category & Color to
provide an appropriate name to the page. Note: The Report page name is immediately modified on
the report's navigation bar at the bottom of the report canvas page.
3. The following two options in the Name settings, Allow use as tooltip and Allow Q&A, enable the
report to be used as a tooltip in other visualizations and to appear in a Q&A visualization's result. You
do not need either of these for now, so you can keep them as Off.

4. For the next configuration, expand the Canvas settings.

5. Here, you can identify the aspect ratio of the report page. The 16:9 Type default provides 720 px
(pixels) of height and 1280 px (pixels) of width, which can't be modified.

6. Select any other ratio setting to apply a different aspect ratio or use Custom to make
modifications. The Custom setting lets you adjust the report page size to your needs.

7. Modify Width to 1300 px to make the page slightly wider.

Step 3: Canvas background and Wallpaper

1. For this example, expand the Canvas background setting and select Browse in the Image
field.
2. Next, select the downloaded AdventureWorksLogo image. Select 85% Transparency to make it
slightly more visible.

3. The default Normal value in Image fit adjusts the image according to its original pixel size. To fit it
to the canvas, select Fit.

Note: Canvas background and Wallpaper are similar settings. Canvas background applies a color or
image to the canvas background, identified by the dotted black lines. Wallpaper applies a color or
image to the whole background as a wallpaper, filling the screen with the selected color or image.

Step 4: Filters pane and filter cards

 1. You can configure the Filter pane and its components in the final options of the report page
settings. Expand the Filters pane settings and the Filters pane itself by selecting the arrow on
top of it.

2. Select Georgia for Font and 13 for font size to adjust the Filters pane's font settings.

3. In the Border setting, you can toggle the border to Off, making the Filters pane appear connected
to the Report page.
4. Finally, navigate to the Filter cards settings and expand it. Note that this section has a State setting
with Default and Applied options. This means you can configure the filter cards to appear differently
depending on the filter you've selected. Note: Applied state is when a filter is selected, while the
Default state is when there is no filter selected.

5. Select Applied state. Then, navigate to Background settings and select a light green color as the
background color. Note that nothing changes on the Filters pane, as no filter is applied.
6. Select the Country-Region filter on the Filters pane, and apply any filter, for example, Australia.
Observe that immediately when the filter is applied, the background of the filter card will become
green, highlighting that there is a filter selected on the report.

Conclusion

The updates to Page Information, Canvas Background, and the highlighted Filters cards are set to
elevate the user experience. This careful curation ensures that the report is informative and
engaging, enabling users to interact with the data effortlessly and extract the insights they need.
Activity: Use a custom visual

Introduction

Previously, you covered various techniques for formatting and configuring visualizations in Microsoft
Power BI, including visually adjusting and conditionally formatting. You also explored how to modify
the settings of the report page. In this activity, you'll be able to apply your knowledge of formatting
and configuring visualizations to apply custom visualizations.

Scenario

The Sales Categorical Analysis report offers an easy-to-use country filter at the page level. However,
the stakeholders at Adventure Works are looking for a more engaging and interactive experience.
They have tasked Lucas with the challenge of incorporating a visually compelling slicer that not only
allows users to filter countries easily but also enhances the dashboard's overall visual appeal. Lucas
decides to search for a custom slicer that will visually highlight the report.

Instructions

Step 1: Launch Microsoft AppSource

Sales Categorical Analysis

PBIX File

1. Download and launch the Sales Categorical Analysis.pbix report.

2. To add custom visualizations to the report, you need to access the Microsoft AppSource. Select the
ellipsis (…) symbol at the end of available visualizations to do this. Then, select Get more visuals to
launch the AppSource.
Step 2: Familiarization with the AppSource

1. All available custom visualizations on this page are ready to be implemented in your reports.
Adventure Works' admins can even suggest specific visualizations from the Organizational
visuals options.

2. For now, no visualization has been added here.

3. Use either the All or AppSource visuals tabs to navigate to the Filter by dropdown menu and
expand its options.

4. This menu offers a filter on all visual categories available in the AppSource. Select Other to identify
an appropriate slicer for the report.
Step 3: Custom visualization selection

1. On the Other page of the AppSource, various visualizations and slicers appear.

2. Identify the Chiclet Slicer in the list. Note: The blue tick on the right of the visualizations
indicates that this visualization is Microsoft certified. This means that Microsoft has approved
its functionality and performance, and the visualization is safe to use in the report.

3. Select it to note its details. On this page, you can view a description of the visualization, with some
details and images related to its use.

4. Select Add to add it to the report.

Step 4: Custom visualization selection

1. The added custom visualization displays directly below the default visualizations in the
Visualizations pane. Select it to add it to the report.

2. Locate the Country-Region column in the Data pane and add it to the Category field of the
visualization.
Tip: Make sure Filters on this page is not filtering a single country on the filter pane, as this would
limit the slicer's options to just one.

3. Drag the edges of the two report slicers so that they align above the charts.

Step 5: Custom visualization configuration

1. Select the custom visualizations and navigate to its configuration settings. Custom
visualizations have their own set of Visual formatting options configured by their
developers.
2. On this custom visualization, select Chiclets to modify the slicer's options. Adjust the font size to
14 pt to make the options more visible.

3. Also, toggle the Header option to off to hide the Country-region column name from the chart, as it
is unnecessary.
4. Finally, in the General settings, expand the Effects and turn off the Background, as it overlapped
the background.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully integrated a custom visual slicer into your Power BI report.
This allows you to present data in a more interactive and visually engaging manner. As a Data Analyst,
mastering the implementation of advanced visual elements will help you create reports that not only
tell a story with data but also captivate your audience's attention, leading to more impactful data-
driven decisions.
Activity: Using the Play Axis visualization

Time series analysis

PBIX File

Introduction

In this reading, you'll explore how to perform time series analysis in Microsoft Power BI, emphasizing
the importance of suitable visualization types like line charts, area charts, and scatter charts.

Additionally, you'll delve into the use of the Play Axis visualization, available through Microsoft
AppSource, to create compelling and dynamic representations of time trends and patterns in data.

Scenario

As Adventure Works' fiscal year-end approaches, the sales team shifts their focus towards evaluating
year-long results. A decision is made to put together a report that highlights the team's
achievements over the past year.

You take on the task of creating a time-series analysis report, delving into the sales data accumulated
throughout the year. However, you decide to add a surprising twist - incorporating a Play-axis visual.

This dynamic feature not only enhances interactivity but also promises to grab everyone's attention
and provide a unique perspective on the year's sales performance.

For this example, you are developing a sales report. You decide to use two visuals, a Scatter chart
and Line chart, for the purpose of time series analysis and then enhance those visuals with
animation so the sales team can see how the sales data changes over time.

Instructions

Step 1: Add a Line chart visual to the report

1. Download and open the Times series analysis PBIX file in Power BI Desktop.

2. Locate the Visualizations pane on the right of the Power BI interface.

3. Select the Line chart icon to add the chart to your report canvas.
1. In the Fields pane, identify the Sales Amount field in the Sales table.

2. Drag Sales Amount into the Y-Axis well of the Line chart. The Y-axis on the Line chart
updates with this information.

1. Next, locate and drag the Date field from the Date table into the X-Axis area of the Line
chart. The date is now represented on the X-axis, allowing you to visualize how sales
amounts have changed over time.
 1. Finally, add Category from the Product table to the Legend area to break down sales by
category over time.

Step 2: Add a Scatter chart visual to the report

1. In the Visualizations pane, locate and select the Scatter chart icon.
1. Drag Order Quantity from the Sales table into the X-Axis well to determine the value of each
point in the Scatter chart.

1. Drag the Date field from the Date table into the Values well. This sets the horizontal axis to
represent time, showing how the Order quantity data points are distributed over this period.
 1. Finally, drag Sales Amount from the Sales table into the Y-Axis well.

Step 3: Import the animation custom visual

1. In the Visualizations pane, select the ellipses (...) which represent the Get more visuals
choice. Selecting the ellipses will allow you to explore additional visuals that are not included
by default in Power BI.
1. A Power BI visuals window opens with a Search bar in the top right. Type Play Axis into the
Search bar. The search result, Play Axis (Dynamic Slicer) will appear in the window. Select
this result.

1. The details of the Play Axis (Dynamic Slicer) option are now displayed. Select the Add button
on the left of the window to import this option and add it to your available visuals.
 1. A confirmation message appears indicating that the visual was successfully imported.

Step 4: Resize and reposition the visual

1. The Visualizations pane now contains a new icon for the Play Axis visual. Select this icon to
add the Play Axis visual to the report page.
 1. In the Fields pane, locate and drag the Date field from the Date table to the Field well of the
Play Axis visual.

2. The Play Axis visual now contains a new set of controls. These are animation controls, which
allow you to control how the Play Axis interacts with your data.

Step 5: Customizing the Visual

1. Select and drag the corners of the Play Axis visual to adjust its size. Select and drag its Title
bar to reposition it on the page.
1. You can use the choices in Animation Settings to control how the animation behaves.
Animation Settings is in the Visual tab of the Format visual pane on the right of the Power BI
window. Here, you can adjust settings such as whether it starts automatically or loops
continuously, and control the speed of the animation.

1. The Format visual pane also contains a Colors section. Here, you can make changes to the
appearance of the Play Axis visual, such as adjusting the color of individual control buttons.
 1. The final section in the Format visual pane, is titled Enable Caption On. This allows you to
turn the caption next to the visual on or off and adjust its formatting, like font size and color.

Step 6: Using the Play Axis

1. Select the Play button on the Play Axis visual. This will start the animation, demonstrating
how your data changes over time.
 1. You can use the control buttons on the Play Axis to pause, restart, or step through the
animation.

Conclusion

In this step-by-step guide, you learned how to integrate animation into your Power BI visuals to
explore data evolution over time. By adding animation elements, such as Play Axis, you learned that
you could enhance your reports and enable stakeholders to gain deeper insights into time-
dependent data patterns. Whether you're analyzing quarterly sales trends, stock market fluctuations,
or any time-based dataset, Power BI's time series capabilities and animation tools can transform your
data analysis into a visually compelling and informative experience.

Export and printing reports

Introduction

For the business users that use the Microsoft Power BI report information, the ability to export and
print reports effectively is crucial. Power BI offers robust functionalities that not only enhance report
presentation but also ensure data integrity during export. This reading explores the nuances of
exporting and printing reports in Power BI, covering report pagination, which directly enhances the
presentation aspect of the report before exporting. In this reading, you'll also focus on the Analyze in
Excel feature in Power BI Service.

Scenario

Lucas, a business analyst at Adventure Works, faces a new challenge. He needs to include a detailed
table chart showcasing all product information related to sales amounts in the Sales Categorical
Analysis report. This table must be placed on a separate page within the report, highlighting the
importance of pagination in Power BI. Lucas's task involves not only structuring the report efficiently
but also ensuring that it is export-friendly for stakeholders who prefer analysis in familiar Excel
environments.

Report pagination

Pagination in Power BI refers to dividing a report into multiple pages. This approach is essential for
managing large datasets and complex visualizations, ensuring that information is presented in a clear,
organized, and digestible manner. Some key takeaways from implementing pagination in your reports
are:

 Enhanced readability: By splitting content across pages, pagination makes reports more
readable and easier to navigate, especially when dealing with extensive data.

 Improved performance: Pagination can lead to faster report loading times, as each page
requires less data to be processed and rendered at once.

 Focused analysis: Pagination allows for segmenting data into logical sections, helping users
focus on specific aspects of the data without being overwhelmed by information overload.

 Customizable presentation: Pagination provides flexibility in report design, enabling the

creation of tailored pages that address specific analysis or presentation needs.

 User-friendly navigation: Pagination facilitates a smoother user experience with the ability
to quickly jump to relevant sections, enhancing overall interaction with the report.

Creating additional report pages

1. To create additional pages in the report, Lucas selects the + (New page) button on the bottom-left
of Power BI.

2. On this new page, Lucas recreates the report page settings to have a similar design to the original
page, applying the same slicers enabling users' filtering in the dataset, and creates a table chart with
Category, Product, Color, Sum of Order Quantity and Sum of Sales Amount.

The report's information is now effectively split into two separate pages, keeping the report readable
while having even more information and providing an enhanced user interface. The next task is to
enable users to export the report's data.

Power BI exporting capabilities

Exporting reports in Power BI refers to the process of converting and saving Power BI reports into
different file formats for sharing, presentation, or further analysis. Exporting is primarily done in
Power BI Service, ensuring users can share their insights and findings with a broader audience,
including those who may not have direct access to Power BI.

Exporting reports is crucial for several reasons:

 It facilitates broader dissemination of insights beyond the Power BI environment.

 It allows stakeholders to interact with data in formats they are more comfortable with.

 Exporting enhances collaboration, enabling the sharing of insights in commonly used formats
across various departments or teams.

Exporting formats

To export a report, having navigated to the report in Power BI Service, Lucas selects the Export
button on the report's options to access the exporting formats. He can then export reports in three
primary formats: PowerPoint, PDF, and Excel. Each format serves different purposes and caters to
various business needs.

Let's dive into the main benefits of its format, along with an example of how the Sales Categorical
Report gets exported into the specific format.

 PowerPoint is ideal for presentations and meetings, allowing for a narrative style of data
storytelling.

 PDF provides a static, universally accessible format suitable for documentation or email
distribution.

 Excel offers a dynamic and interactive way for advanced data analysis, leveraging Excel's
powerful analytical tools. This exporting format is crucial for users, as it allows them to
access the data in a tabular format and interact with them. Let's explore the two options
Power BI offers for exporting data in Excel format.

Analyze in Excel

With this option Lucas can download the underlying dataset of a Power BI report into Excel. Once in
Excel, Lucas can leverage its robust analytical tools, including pivot tables, to conduct deeper, more
customized analyses. This feature is particularly valuable for users more comfortable with Excel's
interface and functionalities, enabling them to explore and interact with the data in a familiar
environment.

Export data (from visualizations settings)

This functionality enables Lucas to download the data from specific visualizations, such as table
charts, into Excel or CSV format. It's particularly useful when users need to work with the exact data
displayed in a visualization. The data is exported in the same format as in the report, offering a direct
and efficient method to access and use the data for further analysis or reporting outside of Power BI.

Conclusion

In this reading, you covered the essentials of report pagination, export, and printing in Power BI,
focusing on the versatility of exporting to PowerPoint, PDF, and Excel. The Analyze in Excel and
Export Data features were highlighted, illustrating how Power BI facilitates comprehensive data
analysis and sharing. These functionalities are crucial for efficient and effective data management,
ensuring that insights derived from Power BI are accessible and actionable in various formats.

The previous section was written with Lucas and his scenario in mind, the remaining sections are
geared towards the learner. This should be written the same as the first section.

Activity: Exporting and Importing Themes

Introduction

In data analysis, the way information is presented can significantly impact audience engagement and
comprehension. The visual appeal and consistency of reports are just as crucial as the data itself.
When presenting multiple reports in a meeting or when various teams from the same organization
are showcasing their findings, it's vital to adhere to a unified style guideline. This ensures that all
reports not only look aesthetically pleasing but also support accessibility, making them easier to
understand and follow.

Scenario

Imagine you are a data analyst at Adventure Works, tasked with ensuring that all reports across the
company maintain a consistent brand identity. You've developed a custom theme that aligns
perfectly with the company's branding guidelines. To achieve this uniformity, you need to export this
theme and guide your colleagues in other departments on how to import it into their reports.

Your task is to follow the instructions, export the theme and then import and apply this theme to
another report.

Instructions

Step 1: Open the Power BI file in Power BI Desktop

1. Download the Activity-Theme-Export.PBIX file.

2. Open the file in Microsoft Power BI Desktop.

Activity-Theme-Export

PBIX File

 You'll find that this report includes several visuals, and all of them have a custom accessibility
theme applied to them.
Step 2: Open the Themes menu

1. Go to the View ribbon and select the Themes dropdown. This will open the Themes menu.

2. Scroll to the bottom of this menu and select Save current theme.

Step 3: Save the theme

1. A new popup window appears where you can select the location on your computer to save
this theme.

2. Give it a name, for example, CustomTheme, and select Save.

Step 4: Open the new report file

 Download the Activity-Theme-Export.PBIX file.

 Open the file in Power BI Desktop.

Activity-Theme-Import

PBIX File

 You'll find that this report includes several visuals.

Step 5: Import the theme

1. Go to the View ribbon and select the Themes dropdown. This will open the Themes menu.

2. Scroll to the bottom of this menu and select Browse for themes.

Step 6: Apply the theme

1. A new popup window appears where you can select the previously saved theme named
CustomTheme.

2. Select it and then select Open.

Step 7: Confirm the import

  If the theme is successfully imported, it will prompt a new dialog stating that it is now ready
to use. Select Got it.

Step 8: Check everything

 Now the new theme has been imported and applied and the look of your report has been
changed.

Conclusion

The process of exporting and importing themes in Power BI is crucial for maintaining consistent
branding and ensuring a cohesive, professional presentation of data across an organization. By
following these simple steps, you have learned how to export a theme in Power BI and then import
and apply it to all your reports, thereby maintaining accessibility and consistent brand guidelines.

In-depth: Creating reports

Introduction

In the world of Microsoft Power BI, the ability to effectively present data is just as crucial as the
analysis itself. Let’s recap the essentials of dynamic visual storytelling, from the intricate
customization of reports to the strategic use of custom visuals that make data exploration an
interactive journey.

By completing this lesson, you’ve prepared for the data sources section of the PL-300 exam. If you’d
like to delve deeper into the topics you’ve covered in the Microsoft Power BI Analyst Professional
Certificate program, you can revisit the content in previous courses.

Designing an accessible report

Configuring and formatting visualizations

Visualizations are the heart of communication in Power BI. You can revisit how to tailor charts and
graphs to convey meaning at a glance in Designing an accessible report, found in week 2 of the Data
Analysis and Visualization with Power BI course. The lesson also covers how to adjust sizes, colors,
and labels to transform raw data into a story—one that speaks clearly to its audience. This lesson
built upon the skills necessary to arrange and present data not just accurately but compellingly.

Conditional formatting

Conditional formatting pushes the boundaries of data storytelling by incorporating visual cues that
highlight trends and exceptions. It's not just about making the data presentable and visually
appealing but about directing the viewer's attention to key metrics and variances. Applying
conditional formatting is an important skill in crafting reports that are not only informative but also
intuitive. This material is covered in week 2 of Data Analysis and Visualization with Power BI, in the
lesson Designing an accessible report.

Interactive report

Slicing and filtering

The art of slicing and filtering, as covered in the Interactive report lesson, is like having a conversation
with data. It allows for an interactive experience where the user can query the data model and
receive tailored answers. Learning to apply these tools effectively means reports can become
personalized experiences, responding dynamically to the user's needs.

Using custom visuals

The use of custom visuals opens a world of possibilities for data representation. Moving beyond the
standard charts and graphs, custom visuals allow analysts to represent complex data in more
digestible and innovative ways. This lesson explores the process of selecting and integrating these
visuals into your reports, providing a richer user experience and a more impactful presentation of
data.

Sharing with Stakeholders

Configure the report page

A well-configured report page is like a stage for your data's performance. It's where all elements of
your report come together to play their roles. In week 3 of Data Analysis and Visualization with
Power the lesson Sharing with stakeholders focuses on the various aspects of report configuration,
including page layout and properties, along with filter pane and filter cards optimization, to ensure
that the performance is seamless and the audience is engaged.

Conclusion

The mastery of Power BI extends beyond mere data manipulation to include the art of data
presentation. Through this series, we've equipped you with the skills to transform raw data into a
polished, interactive, and visually dynamic report. As you prepare for Power BI roles and
certifications, remember that these skills are fundamental to enriching your data storytelling
capabilities.

Additional Resources: Creating reports

Introduction

You’ve reviewed the basics of creating reports. You should now understand how to use the
appropriate visualizations, effectively formatting and configuring them to tell a data story in your
reports.

As you progress through your career path as a data analyst, you must continue to review additional
resources on creating reports so you can apply this knowledge in real-world settings. Below are a few
useful resources you can explore to enhance your knowledge of creating reports.

Formatting tips and tricks

This resource offers insights into enhancing reports with strategic formatting techniques. It covers
changing the color of a single data point to highlight key information and maintaining color
consistency across visual changes. For learners looking to emphasize specific data points or to
maintain visual coherency, this article provides practical steps to apply these techniques in Microsoft
Power BI reports.

Conditional formatting techniques

This comprehensive guide covers the application of conditional formatting in Power BI, showing how
to customize cell colors, including gradients, and represent data with bars or icons. It elaborates on
formatting by color scale and rules, providing a means to encode numerical significance or
categorization visually. This article can serve as a tutorial for applying advanced conditional
formatting to enhance data tables' readability and insights.

Paginated reports design tips

Having covered the fundamentals of paginated reports, this article provides tactical guidance on
building paginated reports’ layout and design. You will find this useful for understanding how to
place and arrange report items effectively and using tools like snaplines, layout buttons, and
keyboard shortcuts to refine the design. Moreover, it offers advice on managing white space and
using rectangles and cells for better control of content layout.

Microsoft AppSource

This link directly links you to a browser version of the Microsoft AppSource found in Power BI. You
can explore a marketplace full of custom visualizations before implementing them on your own
projects. Each visual comes with ratings and descriptions to help you select the most suitable ones
for your reports.

Conclusion

Utilizing these additional resources can deepen your understanding of creating reports. You'll also
gain practical insights into implementing these concepts in real-world scenarios, empowering you to
apply your knowledge effectively.

Activity: Configure a bookmark

Introduction

Bookmarks in Microsoft Power BI serve as a dynamic tool for enhancing the interactivity and
functionality of reports. This reading introduces you to the concept of bookmarks, exploring how
they can transform the way you present and navigate through your Power BI reports. You will
specifically focus on applying bookmarks to a practical scenario, the Sales Categorical Analysis report,
demonstrating how they can be used to create more engaging and informative data presentations.

Scenario

Lucas at Adventure Works has been given a critical task for an upcoming presentation. The team
requires a quick and efficient way to highlight the 2019 sales data for European countries in the Sales
Categorical Analysis report. This data is vital as it serves as a benchmark for assessing current
performance against the previous year's success in a key market. To facilitate this, Lucas decides to
use Power BI's bookmark feature, creating an Europe 2019 bookmark to instantly access the relevant
sales data with precise filters and configurations.

Bookmarks in Power BI allow users to capture the current state of a report page, including filters,
slicers, and the visibility of visuals, that can be returned to, even when these report configurations
are modified. This enables users to save and later return to specific views or configurations within a
report, facilitating a more dynamic and interactive approach to data presentation.

Bookmarks contain a series of configuration options:

  Update: This is the main button for creating and updating bookmarks. It allows users to
update an existing bookmark with the current state of the report. It ensures the bookmark
reflects the latest changes in filters, visuals, and other settings.

 Data: When this option is enabled, the bookmark saves the current data view, including
filters and slicer selections. This is crucial for preserving a specific data analysis state.

 Display: This controls whether visual settings like the expansion of charts or the visibility of
certain elements are saved. It is useful for maintaining the visual layout of a report page.

 Current Page: Selecting this option ensures the bookmark only applies to the current page of
the report. It is ideal for reports with multiple pages, where each page represents different
data or analysis.

 All Visuals/Selected Visuals: This setting determines whether the bookmark applies to all
visuals on a page or only to those selected by the user. This flexibility allows for more
targeted bookmarks, focusing on specific aspects of a report.

Instructions

You can choose to simply read and consider the following steps or, if you prefer, you can follow along.
If you decide to step through the activity as you read, you will first need to download and open the
Sales Categorical Analysis.pbix file.

Sales Categorical Analysis

PBIX File

Let’s help Lucas as he leverages the versatility of bookmarks to create a snapshot of the report the
users can easily navigate to.

Lucas launches the Sales Categorical Analysis report to configure his task of creating a snapshot of
the report, where the Europe Sales of 2019 are highlighted. To accomplish this, he begins by
selecting the exact configurations and filters the Europe 2019 state should return to, so he selects all
European countries from the Country/Region filter, and the whole year of 2019 on the date slicer.
Step 1: Create the bookmark

The bookmark is now ready to be created. To access the bookmark menu, Lucas navigates to the
View tab, then Bookmarks, to enable the bookmarks pane.

Currently, no bookmarks have been created. Lucas selects Add to add a new bookmark and names it
Europe 2019. To save the current state of the report on the new bookmark, he selects the ellipsis
symbol on the right of the bookmark and then Update. When doing this, he ensures that the Data
option is enabled with a tick, forcing the filters to revert to the bookmark state.
Step 2: Deselect filters

The current version of the report, with the filters in that state, is saved in the Europe 2019
bookmark. Deselect all filters from the report so Lucas can test how users can seamlessly return to
the bookmark filters.

Step 3: Create a button

To enable users to access the bookmark, a button must be created. Lucas navigates to the Insert tab
of the ribbon, selects Buttons, and then Blank. This adds a no-icon button box on the report, that can
be assigned specific actions in Power BI.
Lucas selects this new button to access its settings and enters the text Europe 2019 in the Style
section of the button settings.

Lucas scrolls down to the Action settings to assign an action when the button is selected. He turns
the toggle to On and on the Type section, and selects Bookmarks.

Lucas then selects Europe 2019 as the bookmark in the Bookmarks box below. The button is now
ready to be used.

Step 4: Examine the results

On the keyboard, Lucas olds down the Ctrl key and selects the button to witness the result. No
matter what filters were applied to the report before the selection, the button transforms the report
into the Europe 2019 state the bookmark was updated with.

Tip: Ctrl + select is used in Power BI Desktop so that report builders can easily access the button’s
settings with simple selecting. For the business users in Power BI Service, the buttons require just a
select with the press of the Ctrl button.

Conclusion

The incorporation of the Europe 2019 bookmark in the Sales Categorical Analysis report exemplifies
how Power BI's features can significantly enhance data presentations. By enabling instant access to
specific information, you not only improve the efficiency of the presentation but also provide a clear
benchmark for comparison. This approach demonstrates the power of Power BI in making complex
data more accessible and actionable, a crucial aspect of today's data-driven business needs.

Activity: Create custom tooltips

Introduction

Tooltips in Microsoft Power BI are an essential feature for enhancing data interactivity and providing
additional context in reports. They offer a quick glimpse of detailed information when users hover
over elements in a visualization. In this reading, you will learn about the creation of custom tooltips,
a powerful way to tailor the information displayed in these hover-over boxes. This capability elevates
the user experience by offering more depth and clarity in data analysis.
Scenario

Lucas, a data analyst with Adventure Works, has been assigned a new task of enhancing the Sales
Categorical Analysis report for the Adventure Works sales team. The sales team needs an efficient
way to access the distribution of order quantities for each country directly from the column chart
visualization. This is to check the count of orders for each product category in each country. Lucas is
set to explore the capabilities of custom tooltips in Power BI, aiming to integrate detailed order
quantity information by category, which will provide immediate insights without navigating away
from the chart.

What are tooltips in Power BI?

Tooltips in Power BI are small information boxes that appear when users hover over elements within
a report, such as charts or graphs. They provide additional context or detailed data related to the
element being examined. This feature is integral to enhancing the data exploration experience in
Power BI, offering immediate insights without cluttering the visual.

Benefits of tooltips in Power BI

Let’s explore exactly what tooltips can offer you in Microsoft Power BI.

 Contextual information: Tooltips deliver relevant details about specific data points, helping
users understand the data better without navigating away from the current view. Tooltips
offer a way of adding context to the visualizations, when additional information cannot fit on
the chart.

 Enhanced data exploration: Tooltips enable users to delve deeper into the data, revealing
underlying details that are not immediately visible in the main visualization.

 Customization opportunities: Power BI allows for the customization of tooltips, enabling the
display of specific fields, measures, and even visualizations tailored to the report’s needs.

 Interactive experience: Tooltips contribute to an interactive and engaging user experience,

making data exploration more intuitive and insightful.
The use of tooltips in Power BI reports is a simple yet powerful way to enrich data visualizations,
offering a deeper understanding of the data immediately.

Instructions

You can choose to simply read and consider the following steps or, if you prefer, you can follow along.
If you decide to step through the activity as you read, you will first need to download and open the
Sales Categorical Analysis.pbix file.

Sales Categorical Analysis

PBIX File

Let’s follow along with Lucas as he tackles the task of adding order quantity per country information
on the Sales Amount by Category visualization.

Step 1: Launch the report

Lucas launches the Sales Categorical Analysis report. No custom tooltips have been configured on
the report yet, meaning that all visualizations contain the default tooltips. Lucas can hover above any
column in the column chart to identify the default tooltip of the visualization.

Step 2: Create a custom tooltip

The column used in the visualization appears on the default tooltip. To make the tooltip custom with
more information added to it, Lucas navigates to the Tooltips field on the Visualizations pane and
starts adding columns. He will need the Order Quantity number, so he adds it on the field box, using
the Sum aggregation.
Now, when Lucas hovers over a chart’s column, the order quantity will appear for the specified
category.

Step 3: Add a field

For the distribution of the order quantity per country, let’s try adding the Country-Region field from
the dataset to the Tooltips field box. Selecting the arrow to the right of the field on the tooltip, the
field is aggregated by either First or Last country, or a Count of country values. This happens because
tooltips can only show a single value of a field aggregated and not a list.
This makes showing the distribution of the number of orders per country impossible using custom
tooltips. Hovering over a column with the First Country-Region selected as the tooltip field will
display just France, as this is the first country alphabetically in the current filter context.

Step 4: Create a custom tooltip page

To accomplish the requested result, a custom tooltip page must be created. Lucas selects the +
symbol to create a new blank page. Navigating to the report page settings, he renames the page to
Orders by Country and enables Allow use as a tooltip on the Page information settings.
This will immediately make the page size smaller. Then, Lucas adds a pie chart in the page, using
Country-Region as the Legend, with Order Quantity as the Values. This is the information you
wanted to be depicted in the tooltip.

Tip: This page will only be used indirectly as a tooltip page, so users do not necessarily need access
to it directly. A good practice would be to right-click on the page’s name and select hide, so users are
unable to access it.
Step 5: Check the work completed

Lucas navigates back to the Product Category & Color report page. He selects the column chart and
locates the Tooltips section in the visualization’s general settings.

Lucas selects the Report page on the Type field box and selects the newly created Orders by Country
in the Page field box.
This is all you need to create a custom tooltip page. You can hover over a column in the chart to look
at the outcome.

The order country distribution is immediately available to users when hovering over the column
chart, effectively applying all filters from slicers and the column chart.

Conclusion

By successfully integrating a custom tooltip page into the Sales Categorical Analysis report, Lucas has
significantly enhanced the report's functionality and user experience. The sales team at Adventure
Works can now effortlessly access detailed order quantity distributions for each product category
and country, directly from the column chart. This improvement not only saves time but also provides
a deeper level of insight immediately, demonstrating the powerful impact of customized tooltips in
enriching data interaction and analysis in Power BI.

Conditional formatting for buttons

Introduction

This article introduces conditional formatting in Microsoft Power BI. The technique and its process
are demonstrated by creating a button in a report that changes function and destination according to
user selection.

Scenario

Adventure Works requests a new Power BI report for the sales team, focusing on sales specifically in
Germany and Australia. The report must contain a slicer allowing users to select between countries.
Based on the user’s selection, a button in the report changes its text to Germany or Australia and
navigates the user to the respective country's sales page, providing a customized data view.

ConditionalFormattingForButtons

PBIX File

Conditional formatting

Conditional formatting in Power BI refers to dynamically changing the appearance of visuals, text, or
elements based on certain conditions or user inputs. It allows elements like tables, charts, and
buttons to adapt visually in real-time as data or selections change. This feature is particularly useful
in enhancing the interactivity and user-friendliness of reports, enabling data presentation to be more
engaging and informative. Applying conditional formatting to buttons involves utilizing data-driven
expressions to modify button properties, such as text and navigation, based on slicer selections or
other user interactions.

Let’s review an example where Lucas uses conditional formatting to add dynamic navigation to a
report.

The aim of this reading is to give you an example of how to add conditional formatting for buttons.
This is an example of the steps you would take if you had access to a Power BI report.

In this example, you can read and explore the process of adding conditional formatting to buttons.

Instructions

Lucas launches a simple report containing three pages. The first is the Navigation page, where users
can make selections that dynamically affect their navigation within the report. This page has a slicer
with the options Germany and Australia and a blank button.
On the next two pages is a single table with Sum of Sales Amount per Category and Country-Region.
Both pages contain a Filter that limits the dataset to only the Country that the respective page name
displays.
Lucas must configure the button to dynamically change its text and navigate users to the page for the
country they selected using the slicer. Let’s explore how this can be accomplished.

Step 1: Configure the button

1. For the report to act based on user selection, you need to create a field that will save this
information. This can be done using the following DAX SELECTEDVALUE function on the
Customer table:

SelectCountry = SELECTEDVALUE(Customer[Country-Region])

1. After entering the formula in the formula bar, press Enter. Your new measure, SelectCountry,
will now appear in the Fields pane. This function grabs the Country-Region values selected
 by users in a report. This is how the SELECTEDVALUE function can be used to use the
selection on the Country-Region field.

Step 2: Style the button

1. Select on the button on the Navigation page to select it. In the Format pane, locate the Style
section.

1. Within the Text sub-menu, select on the fx icon next to the Text field.
1. In the conditional formatting window, set the format style to Field value.

1. From the What field should we base this on dropdown, select the SelectCountry measure
and select OK.
 1. Your button will now dynamically display the selected country. Whenever a user selects a
Country-Region on the report, the button displays the selected field.

Step 3: Configuring the report navigation

1. With the button still selected, in the Format pane, expand the Action sub-menu. Toggle the
state of the Action switch to ON.
1. Set the Type to Page navigation. This step is crucial as it defines the button's functionality to
navigate between pages.

1. Select on the fx icon next to the Destination dropdown.

1. In the Destination window, set the format style to Field value.

2. From the What field should we base this on dropdown, select the SelectCountry measure
and select OK.

1. To ensure this works, just apply the measure leveraging the SelectedValue on the field box.
The button now navigates the user to the page that shares the same name with the slicer
selection!
Tip: The dynamic navigation is case-sensitive. This means that even a misplaced lowercase letter
instead of a capital may break the navigation, as the following examples shows:

Conclusion

In this reading, you’ve discovered how conditional formatting in Power BI can dynamically alter the
text and destination of a button based on user selections. This technique can be applied to enhance
the interactivity of a report, allowing users to navigate data seamlessly. This skill is crucial for creating
more responsive and user-friendly Power BI reports that provide tailored insights.

Activity: Apply sorting

Introduction

Sorting is a fundamental feature in Microsoft Power BI that significantly enhances data analysis
through organizing data in a meaningful order. This reading explores various sorting techniques
within Microsoft Power BI, emphasizing their importance in data visualization and interpretation. You
will cover basic visualization sorting, the advanced technique of sorting by another column, and
delve into sorting settings and behaviors.

Scenario

Lucas is faced with a new challenge in the Sales Categorical Analysis report. The management team
has requested adjustments to how the data is sorted in several key visualizations on the Details page
of the report. They want the report to better reflect current sales priorities and trends. Lucas's task is
to utilize various sorting techniques in Power BI to reorganize the data in these visuals.

What is sorting in Power BI?

Sorting in Power BI refers to the process of arranging data in a specified order within visuals. It is a
crucial feature that helps to organize data in ascending or descending order, based on numerical
values, alphabetical order, or other specific criteria. By default, numerical data is sorted by value,
while textual data is organized alphabetically, both in ascending and descending order according to
the business needs.

You can choose to simply read and consider the following steps or, if you prefer, you can follow along.
If you decide to step through the activity as you read, you will first need to download and open the
Sales Categorical Analysis.pbix file.

Sales Categorical Analysis

PBIX File

Let’s explore how you can help Lucas to leverage sorting techniques to enhance the story-telling
power of the Sales Categorical Report, on the two visualizations of the Details page.

Instructions

Step 1: Adjust table visualization sorting

Let’s begin by adjusting the sorting of the table visualization.

To access the sorting method used on any visualization, select it and navigate to the ellipsis symbol in
the top-right of the screen. Selecting this symbol makes the visualization’s settings appear, where the
sorting options can be found. The table is currently sorted by Product in ascending order.

Select Color and Descending to check how the table is modified.

The table is now sorted by Color in descending order, with Yellow products appearing first. In tables,
you can add a second sorting method by holding the shift key down and selected another
column. For example, hold down shift and select the Sales column. Two down arrows appear on the
table, meaning that the table is now sorted in descending order, first by color, and then by sales
value.

Step 2: Sort by another column

For a more complex example, let’s consider the line chart. The line chart is sorted in ascending order
by Sales amount, which has mixed the months of the X-axis in an unchronological sequence, making
the chart difficult to understand.

Select the ellipsis symbol on the visualization and sort the axis by MonthName.
The visualization is now sorted by MonthName which is a text field, so it is in alphabetical and not
chronological order. To solve this problem, you will need to sort the month names by another
column. To do this, locate the MonthName field in the Data pane, and select the Column tools tab in
the ribbon.

From there, select Sort by Column to sort month names by another field. Select MonthNumber, as
this would solve the sequence issue.

The MonthName column is now always sorted by the MonthNumber column, and the line chart is
now correctly displaying the months in order.
Sorting retention and behavior

But what happens to the sorting methods used when the report is published in Power BI Service? In
Power BI Service, the reports are published with the author’s filters and sorting methods. If you
make any sorting changes on top of the author’s default settings, these modifications are saved on
your instance of the report. If you leave and later return to the report, your sorting adjustments are
retained. To revert to the original settings applied by the report designer, use the Reset to default
option.

Conclusion

Concluding our exploration of sorting in Power BI, you learned how this feature is pivotal for
organizing and interpreting data effectively. From basic visualization sorting to advanced techniques
like sorting by another column, and understanding sorting settings and behaviors, these tools
empower users to present data logically and meaningfully. The ability to retain sorting changes,
coupled with options like Reset to default and personalization through bookmarks, further
demonstrates the versatility of Microsoft Power BI.

What is published with a report?

Introduction

Microsoft Power BI is a flexible business intelligence system with various parts, including Power BI
Desktop for data import, preparation, report creation, and visualization. Additionally, it allows for the
sharing of reports after they are created. In this reading, you’ll explore an overview of Power BI
reports and discover what is shared during publication.

Power BI reports

In Power BI, you create reports to visualize and share insights. Since Power BI Desktop can't be
installed on various devices like mobiles and tablets, you need a place to host your reports for
sharing, as Power BI users work with data from many different sources and devices.

Power BI provides two hosting options:

1. Power BI service, a cloud-based hosting

2. Power BI report server on-premises hosting.

Power BI Service reports and analytics

Power BI service, offered by Microsoft and integrated with Azure and Office 365, is a cloud-based
platform for hosting reports. There are several reasons why you might publish your report to Power
BI service.

Some of the reasons include the following:

 You need to create business dashboards.

 You want to share your reports and dashboards with various people within and outside your
organization.

 You want to manage your assets and create audience-specific workspaces and apps.

However, Power BI service is more than just a platform for hosting and sharing reports; it also offers
various analytical tools and features. Which are:

 Dataflows

 Shared dataset

 Datamart

 Data lineage

 Sensitivity labels

 Deployment pipelines

 Workspaces
  Apps

What is published to Power BI service?

When you publish a Power BI file from the desktop to the Power BI service, you publish the following
components:

 The data tables and columns

 The data model and schema design

 Any reports and visualizations you have created in Report view.

 All DAX measures you have created in the data model.

You’ll also publish other components like:

 The reports and any semantic model (datasets) you have in the Power BI desktop will be
published to Power BI service with the same name.

 If your Power BI desktop file has sensitivity labels, the reports published to Power BI service
will inherit the labels.

 If your Power BI report has a DirectQuery connection with an on-premises SQL Server
database, you must install and configure a data gateway to access the reports from Power BI
service.

When you publish a visualization to the Power BI service with a specific theme, it will retain that
theme. Power BI also lets you keep this original theme or switch to the dashboard's theme when
pinning a visual element as a tile to the dashboard.

Replacing the existing file published from Power BI desktop

If you edit a report in Power BI Desktop after publishing it to Power BI service, you must publish it
again to update both the report and its datasets in the service.

However, take note of the following when replacing an existing file:

 You cannot publish two models with the same name.

 If you rename or delete a column or DAX measure in your Power BI desktop file, the
visualization will be broken based on these changes.

 When you make changes to a Power BI file and republish it, a message indicates the number
of reports, dashboards, and workspaces impacted by the change and asks you to confirm
that you want to replace the current model with a modified one.

Conclusion

Power BI service is a cloud platform for publishing, sharing, and managing Power BI content. It allows
you to upload datasets, data models, DAX calculations, and report visualizations from desktop files.
Besides publishing and sharing, Power BI service also supports creating dataflows, datamarts,
deployment pipelines, and other development assets.

Activity: Using the Q&A feature for reports

Introduction
In business intelligence and data analytics, the ability to effortlessly query and interpret data is
paramount. Microsoft Power BI Desktop offers a feature that transforms the way users interact with
the data, the Q&A feature. The users can create quick visuals by asking questions through natural
language queries and user-defined terms for intuitive data exploration.

Scenario

Adventure Works operates worldwide, managing a vast product portfolio with regional sales teams.
The company faces critical decisions each day, such as product prioritization, inventory management,
and sales strategy adjustments which need real time sales data. The sales team is comprised of
individuals from diverse backgrounds and not all of them are data experts. They need to swiftly
access insights from the data without creating complex reports and querying databases. Power BI’s
Q&A feature steps in to assist users to query data using natural language.

Instructions

In this activity, you will create visuals by using Q&A visualization in Power BI Desktop.

Step 1: Download Adventure Works Sales Excel workbook

Adventure Works Data

XLSX File

 Download the Adventure Works Sales.xlsx workbook and load the sheet to the Power BI data
model. The sheet contains four data tables: Sales, Products, Salesperson, and Region. Make
sure the dimension tables are related to the fact table via one-to-many relationships and
single cross filter direction. When you load the data, Power BI automatically detects the
relationships based on the key columns.

Step 2: Create Q&A visual

 1. The data model contains sales information by salesperson, region, and products. This will
help you write the questions. Select the Q&A visual from the Visualizations pane.

2. A Q&A box appears on the Report canvas. The box provides suggestions, or you can write your
own question in the text box.

3. For instance, if you write “Show me the total sales by salesperson as bar chart”, a bar chart is
created.
 4. When you write your question, Power BI provides autocomplete suggestions to guide you in
completing questions though natural language. You can also configure the suggestions by teaching
Power BI about synonyms and adjectives.

5. Next, you can convert the results of your question to a standard visual. Select the icon beside the
text box, Turn this Q&A results into a standard visual.
6. Now you can format the visual as per your design needs.

Step 3: Configure Q&A

1. You can add synonyms for the fields in your dataset. For example, the Region table contains a
Country column. A user might ask the question Show me the total sales by geography. You
can add geography as a synonym for Country.

2. Create a new Q&A visual and write show me the total sales by geography.

Note: Geography is underlined with red and below the visual asks you to define geography.
3. Select the gear icon on the top right of Q&A visual.

4. This opens a Q&A setup window. Select Synonyms from the left bar and scroll down to the Region
table. In the Country section select Add and write geography.
Note: Geography is now underlined with blue, meaning Power BI recognizes the term.

5. You can convert the results to a visual and format it as you would typically do. Likewise, you can
add synonyms for other fields as per your business requirements.
6. You can also configure the Q&A feature to define relationships and teach it to better understand
the specific terms relevant to your business.

Step 4: Save your project

 Save your Power BI project to your local machine, make sure to provide an appropriate path
so that you can retrieve the file for later use.

Conclusion

Power BI’s Q&A feature provides the freedom of creating visuals on the fly. Both report users and
analyst can benefit from this feature. You can train the Q&A for the specific terms, synonyms, and
review questions that are specific to your analytical and business needs.

Activity: Add the Q&A feature to a dashboard

Introduction

In this reading, you will explore how the Q&A feature aids in the process of creating visualizations in
Microsoft Power BI. It marks a significant leap by enabling business users to craft their own detailed
visualizations using straightforward language. This advancement bridges the gap between complex
data analysis and non-technical users limiting the dependency on technical report builders to deal
with all required tasks from stakeholders.

Scenario

Lucas, a data analyst with Adventure Works, is tasked with creating a new visualization to be added
to the Sales Categorical Analysis dashboard. The requested visualization is a funnel chart that shows
the total sum of sales by country-region with all blank country values excluded. You will explore how
funnel chart visualization settings can be created in Power BI Desktop, as well as using the Q&A
feature in Power BI Service. You will then perform a side-to-side comparison of creating this chart
manually in Power BI Desktop against creating it using the Q&A feature in Power BI Service.

Q&A feature
The Q&A feature in Power BI is designed to allow users to generate visualizations through natural
language queries. This functionality is integrated into dashboards and reports, ensuring easy access
for all levels of users. It offers intelligent suggestions and guidance, aiding users in formulating their
queries more effectively. This feature makes the data visualization process more user-friendly and
interactive.

Some of the benefits of the Q&A feature include:

 Ease of use: It simplifies complex data analysis, making it accessible to non-technical users.

 Efficiency: It speeds up the process of generating visualizations, aiding quick decision-

making.

 Empowerment: It enables business users to independently explore and interpret data,

fostering a proactive approach to data analysis.

Let’s compare the two methods to create a Q&A visualization in Power BI Desktop and in a
dashboard.

Instructions: Creation of visualization in Power BI Desktop

To follow this activity, download and open the file Sales Categorical Analysis report.

Sales Categorical Analysis

PBIX File

Step 1: Select the chart to create the visualization

For the first method, let’s create the required visualization with Power BI Desktop. In a blank page,
select the funnel chart to add it to the report page.
Step 2: Add the values

Select Country-Region as the visualization’s category, and Sales Amount to apply the Sum of Sales
Amount calculation as the values.

There are dataset rows with no Country-region value, which is why the visualization shows (blank)
values.

Step 3: Clean the data

To clean the data, navigate to the Filter pane, and on Filters on this visual, remove the (blank)
values.

Step 4: Save and publish the report

The requested visualization is ready, so you can now save the report, publish it on the designated
workspace and pin it on the requested dashboard to provide users access to it.

Now, let’s explore the second method; how a business user can create this visualization without
having experience with Microsoft Power BI, using the Q&A feature.

Instructions

Follow these steps to explore the creation of visualizations with the Q&A feature in a dashboard.

Step 1: Access the Q&A feature

Navigating to the Sales Categorical Analysis dashboard on Power BI Service, let’s use the Q&A
feature to create the same visualization.

Below the dashboard’s ribbon, locate the Ask a question about your data field. This is where users
can access the Q&A feature. You can select it to navigate to the Q&A feature window. In the Q&A
feature, there are several suggestions to get started with creating visualizations, and a text box
where you can start typing. Let’s start creating the visualization step-by-step.
Step 2: Enter the calculation

Start mentioning the calculation by entering “Sum of Sales Amount”. A simple card visualization
highlighting the total of sales amount will appear.

Step 3: Enter the chart type

Next, type the chart you want to use. In this case “funnel chart”. A funnel chart with a single row will
appear on-screen.
Step 4: Detail the context

Let’s give the calculation some context. Type “by Country-Region” on the end of your text to use this
field as a category.

Step 5: Remove any blank values

The last step is to remove the blank values. You can do this directly from the Filter pane on the right,
as you did in Power BI Desktop, but let’s explore how it can be done with natural language.
Simply type “without blank” on the end of your text. The natural language processor will
immediately associate “without” with a filter, so the visualization is now ready!

You can now select Pin visual in the top right of the screen to add it on the dashboard.
Select the existing dashboard being used and select Pin.

The new visualization is now added on the dashboard, using nothing but natural language to create
it!
Conclusion

Microsoft Power BI's Q&A feature represents a significant stride in data visualization and analysis. By
enabling business users to use natural language for creating complex visualizations, it simplifies data
analysis, making it more accessible and efficient. With tools like this, the barrier between technical
expertise and insightful data interpretation is greatly reduced, opening new possibilities for data
exploration and business intelligence.

In-depth: Enhance Reports for usability and storytelling

Introduction

By completing this lesson, you’ve prepared for the data sources section of the PL-300 exam. If you’d
like to delve deeper into the topics you’ve covered in the Microsoft Power BI Analyst Professional
Certificate program, you can revisit the content in previous courses.

In our journey through Microsoft Power BI, you learned about many advanced features that make
reports more interactive and user-friendly. Now, you'll take a break to review and better understand
these complex tools like page navigation, bookmarks, custom tooltips, and others. These are key for
making Power BI reports that are both informative and easy to use.

Navigation and Accessibility

Page Navigation, Bookmarks, Buttons, and Sorting in Reports in Data analysis and visualization with
Power BI, demonstrated that bookmarks and buttons can make a report interactive, making it easy
for users to go through different data stories. You also learned how important sorting is in reports to
show data clearly and effectively.
Navigation and Filtering

In the section on Report Navigation and Filtering, you explored Configuring a Bookmark for a Report
in Power BI, focusing on how bookmarks can make reports more interactive. You learned how to
create and use bookmarks in Power BI. These bookmarks let users go back to specific report states
quickly, without having to reset filters and selections. This makes bookmarks very useful for
presenting data in a more engaging way.

Custom tooltips

In the session about adding a Custom Tooltip to a report in Power BI, you learned how to make
reports more informative and visually appealing. You found out how to add these tooltips to your
visualizations, giving more context or even showing a separate report page, but keeping the design
neat and simple. This skill helps make each data point in your report more meaningful and
interesting.

Multiple visualizations

The Interaction of multiple visualizations in a report was covered in Report Navigation and Filtering,
where you learned how different visualizations in a report work together. By understanding how to
use the Filter, Highlight, and None options, you discovered new methods to show related data. This
allows viewers to interact with the report and find important insights.

Sorting

In the section called Interactive Report, details of configuring sorting for a visualization were
explored. You found that sorting, which seems easy, has some clever tricks. You learned about basic
sorting in visualizations, sorting two columns in table visualizations, and sorting one column using
another field. This helps you arrange your data in a way that's easy for your audience to understand.

Syncing Slicers

The Syncing Slicers Across Report Pages lesson on using slicers across different report pages focused
on making your reports flow smoothly. You learned how this feature keeps the user experience
consistent on all pages, making sure your reports tell a story in a clear and connected way.

Report organization

When it comes to Naming, Grouping, and Layering Visuals in Power BI you concentrated on how to
organize our reports. You covered how to name, group, and layer visuals in Power BI. These are key
practices for keeping your reports clear and easy to read. Understanding this is important for anyone
wanting to create well-organized reports where everything is arranged purposefully.

Reports for mobile devices

Visual Clarity in Reports was where you learned important tips for making reports that work well on
mobile devices. You gave you practical advice on using the Mobile Layout View in Power BI to make
sure your reports are easy to read and effective on smaller screens, without looking cluttered or out
of place.

Power BI natural language processing

And lastly, in Data analysis and visualization with Power BI, you explored the Q&A feature in Power
BI, which uses natural language processing to make data exploration interactive. You learned about
this feature again, when exploring how it works and how to add it to your dashboards. You also
learned how to make this tool more efficient, allowing users to interact with your dataset using
simple language.

Conclusion

As you complete this recap, recognize that learning Power BI is about both understanding data and
presenting it in a way that's easy to understand, interesting, and informative. The advanced features
and skills you've learned are more than just tools; they help you tell stories with data in a way that
connects with and teaches your audience. By exploring topics in-depth and mastering your learning,
you’ll equip yourself to succeed not only with the PL-300 exam but also in your career as a data
analyst.

Additional resources: Enhance reports for usability and storytelling

Introduction

In this lesson, you reviewed the basics of enhancing reports for usability and storytelling. You should
now understand how to utilize the versatile toolbox Power BI provides to enhance your reporting
capabilities.

As you progress through your career path as a Power BI developer, you must continue to review
more resources on the topic of enhancing reports for usability and storytelling so you can apply this
knowledge in real-world settings.

Below are some useful resources you can explore to enhance your knowledge of enhancing reports
for usability and storytelling.

What is Data Storytelling and Data Storytelling Examples | Microsoft Power BI

This Microsoft guide is a great help for anyone wanting to improve their data storytelling in Power BI.
It teaches you how to turn basic reports into interesting stories using data. It's especially useful if you
want to make your data presentations more powerful and engaging.

Create page and bookmark navigators - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

This guide is for those who already know basic bookmarking in Power BI and want to learn more
advanced techniques. It helps you understand how to make interactive and easy-to-use reports,
improving how users experience your reports and making complicated data easier to understand.

Create modern visual tooltips (preview) - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Additional resource building on existing knowledge of tooltips, this resource offers an in-depth
exploration of modern tooltip creation in Power BI. It guides learners through the process of
designing informative and visually appealing tooltips, which are crucial for adding context and
enhancing the clarity of reports.

Get started with the Power BI mobile app for Android and iOS

This Microsoft Learn Power BI source is for those who already know about tooltips in Power BI. It
gives a detailed look at how to create modern tooltips. It teaches you how to design tooltips that are
not only informative but also visually attractive, helping to add context and make reports clearer.

Conclusion
Utilizing these additional resources can deepen your understanding of enhancing reports for usability
and storytelling. You'll also gain practical insights into implementing these concepts in real-world
scenarios, empowering you to apply your knowledge effectively.

Activity: Anomaly detection

Introduction

As a data analyst, you play a key role in your company's decisions. Your daily job involves analyzing
complex data to find important insights that affect the business. Anomalies in data are crucial, as
they offer chances to learn and make improvements. Anomaly detection in Power BI is a key tool in
this process.

Anomaly detection

Anomaly detection in Power BI is a feature that helps you spot unusual patterns in a dataset. These
unusual patterns, or anomalies, stand out from most of the data. The feature uses advanced
algorithms to understand normal trends in historical data. It then highlights any unusual deviations,
pointing out potential areas that might need attention. This tool offers various benefits that improve
data analysis and decision-making. Let’s explore some of the key benefits that anomaly detection
provides:

 Early Warning System: Anomaly detection acts as an early warning system, letting you know
about sudden changes in data. This helps businesses react quickly to problems, like noticing
a drop in product quality or an increase in customer complaints, before they get worse.

 Enhanced Business Insights: Identifying anomalies can also help you find important insights
that you might miss. For instance, noticing a sharp rise in sales after a marketing campaign
can show you which strategies are working well, helping you make better business decisions.

 Time-Efficient Analysis: Manually searching datasets for unusual data is slow and can lead to
mistakes. Anomaly detection automates this, quickly finding irregularities in the data, which
saves time and effort.

 Improved Data Quality: Anomalies can point out errors or inconsistencies in data. Finding
these anomalies helps keep the data accurate and high-quality, making sure analyses and
reports are based on trustworthy information.

While anomaly detection in Power BI is a powerful feature, it does have some limitations. These
limitations are:

 No Support for Live Connection: Anomaly detection in Power BI can't be used with live data.
This means if your data, like stock market feeds or live transaction data, is updating in real-
time, you can't use anomaly detection on it directly.

 DirectQuery Connectivity Not Supported: Power BI's anomaly detection can't be used with
DirectQuery. DirectQuery lets you access large datasets directly without importing them into
Power BI. But, anomaly detection needs data to be imported, so it's not ideal for very large
datasets where importing is impractical or takes too long.

 Lack of Drill-Down Capability: Anomaly detection doesn't allow you to drill down into details
directly from the anomaly point in the visual. This means if you find an anomaly, you can't
 immediately look into more specific or detailed data about it. This limitation can be a
problem when you need to understand the small details of an anomaly for analysis.

 Limited Customization: The anomaly detection tool in Power BI is a set model that you can't
change much. You can tweak its sensitivity and how it looks, but you can't alter the basic
statistical model or pick different methods for detecting anomalies.

Instructions

1. Download Sales.pbix and open the report file in Power BI Desktop.

Sales

PBIX File

1. In the Visualizations pane, find and select the Line Chart icon. Line charts are an effective
way to visualize data trends over time, making them ideal for spotting anomalies in time-
series data.
1. Drag and drop the fields Purchase Date for X-Axis and Sales Amount for Y-Axis. This
determines what data is displayed on your chart and how it's organized, which is key for
identifying trends and, subsequently, anomalies.

1. Select the line chart to focus the Power BI interface on your chart, preparing it for further
analysis.

2. On the right-hand side, locate and select the Analytics icon on the visualizations pane. This
pane contains advanced analytical features, including the option for anomaly detection.
1. Upon toggling Find Anomalies to an ON status, Power BI applies its built-in algorithms to
identify anomalies based on the data in your chart.

1. To access formatting options, expand the Anomaly sub-menu. This area allows you to
customize how anomalies are displayed, which is important for making them stand out.
1. In the Anomaly section, Set the color to #E56E1D, marker type to Square, and marker size to
6. These adjustments not only enhance the visual appeal but also draw attention to potential
areas of interest or concern in your data.

1. In addition to finding anomalies, Power BI lets you automatically understand them. Hover
over an anomaly and select it. Power BI then analyzes your data to find possible reasons for
the anomaly. It provides an explanation in natural language and lists associated factors,
ranked by their relevance to the anomaly.
 1. In the Find Anomalies Options section, add the Country field to get more detailed
explanations. Setting up explanations this way helps you use your data better by letting you
look at it from various perspectives, giving a fuller understanding of the detected anomalies.

Conclusion

Data analysis is a continuous process. Tools like Power BI's anomaly detection enhance your skills.
Make the most of them, know their limits, and let your curiosity and creativity guide you. Each
anomaly or unusual data point is a chance to investigate, ask questions, and learn more.
Activity: Grouping data

Introduction

So far in this lesson, you have explored the grouping and binning features in Microsoft Power BI. You
learned how to configure them in a report and reviewed how their application can improve the
impact and appearance of the visuals used. This activity is designed to give you an opportunity to put
some of this learning into practice. You will apply grouping to the data in a Power BI report to create
a new level of information for your colleagues.

Scenario

As one of the data analysts in Adventure Works, you’ve been asked to prepare a report for the sales
team, which includes information about the number of orders that have been shipped, cancelled, or
are currently in the processing stage. The team leader has requested that the sales report should
distinguish the shipped orders separately. They have also requested the orders showing a status of
cancelled and under processing orders together. As a result, the final report will present this
combined total.

Instructions

Step 1: Download and open the Power BI file

Activity-Grouping-Data

PBIX File

1. Download the Activity-Grouping-Data.pbix Power BI report.

 2. Open it in the Power BI Editor. The report page contains a clustered bar chart that visualizes
orders categorized by their fulfillment status - shipped, cancelled, and processing.

Step 2: Begin the create group process

 The team leader of the sales team has requested that the visual should clearly show the
status of the orders. They want the shipping orders to be distinguished separately and those
orders which were cancelled, or which are being processed shown together. To achieve this
in the chart, the new data grouping must be based on the order status. Right-click on the
order status field in the Legend and select New group.

Step 3: Select data fields to add to the group

  Press and hold the control key on your keyboard and then select the Cancelled and
Processing entries under the Ungrouped values heading. If properly selected, their
background will be slightly dimmed.

Step 4: Add the data fields to the group

 Select the Group button. The two fields that you selected in the previous step will now
appear on the right-hand side of the Groups dialog in the Groups and members section.
Step 5: Apply the choices and create the group

 Select the Ok button to finish creating the group.

Step 6: Confirm the results

 The clustered bar chart on the report page should now update. Because of the grouping
applied to the data field it now displays shipped orders separately alongside a grouping of
orders that were either cancelled or in the processing stage.
Conclusion

It is important for any business that the visuals created in Power BI reports are clear and
comprehensible. They should also present the insights gained through data analysis in the most
effective way. By completing this activity you have applied techniques demonstrated in this lesson
and have used grouping to create a report which contains the specific information requested by both
the team and the team manager. Your experience of how to group data based on field values will be
a useful skill for creating clear visuals and improving your data analysis in Power BI.

Activity: Binning data

Introduction

In this lesson, you learned about the grouping and binning features in Microsoft Power BI and
explored the benefits of applying them in a Power BI report. This activity is designed to give you the
opportunity to implement binning and experience how it can improve the appearance and impact of
the data in a visualization.

Scenario

As a data analyst in Adventure Works, you’ve been asked to fine-tune a report you created for the
sales team which covers the orders shipped during the months of February, March, and April. The
team leader wants to have a breakdown of the number of orders shipped within different order
value ranges. You decide that creating bins, with intervals of 5000, will provide the information and
insight the team leader requires.

The final visual in the report will have a clear and organized layout that managers can easily obtain
insights from.
Instructions

Step 1: Download and open the Power BI file

Activity-Binning-Data

PBIX File

1. Download the Power BI report Activity-Binning-Data.pbix.

2. Open it in the Power BI Editor. The report page contains a clustered bar chart that visualizes
the shipped order quantities for the different sales regions of Asia, Europe and North
America.
Step 2: Define the bin

1. The sales team leader wants to have a breakdown of the number of orders shipped within
value ranges. You’ve decided that creating bins with intervals of 5000 will achieve this. Since
you are creating the bins based on the total sales amounts, right-click on the Order Total
field on the data pane and select New group.

2. In the Group dialog, enter 5000 in the Bin size text field.
3. Select Ok.

Step 3: Apply the bin to the clustered bar chart

1. Confirm that there is now a new field named Order total (bins) in the data pane on the
right.
2. Drag this new field into the Legend field well. The chart visual will immediately update. The order
quantities are now displayed in the different order value ranges.

Conclusion

In this activity, you worked through the steps to bin data in a Power BI report. By binning the data on
value intervals, you have provided new insights to the sales team who use the report.

Your experience with this feature will not only be useful for the Microsoft PL-300 exam. It will be an
important skill throughout your career as a data analyst for creating clear visuals with more insights
and improving your data analysis process in Power BI.
Activity: Using the Analyze feature

Introduction

As you have already learned, the Analyze feature in Microsoft Power BI is a powerful tool that can
help analysts identify trends and patterns in data. This activity is designed to allow you to review
what you have learned about the Analyze feature and to put it into practice by analyzing sales data in
a Power BI Report.

Scenario

One of your recent tasks as a data analyst in Adventure Works was to compile a sales report
containing data spanning the months of February, March, and April. The Power BI report that you
presented to the stakeholders showed a slight increase in sales in April compared to the previous
month. They have queried this increase and would like to understand the contributing factors that
drove the sales numbers higher in April. They also want to identify the product category that had the
most substantial effect on the overall sales increase.

To address these inquiries, you can leverage Power BI's integrated Analyze feature. This hands-on
activity will guide you through the process of utilizing this tool to uncover the insights needed to
obtain the information requested by the stakeholders.

Instructions

Step 1: Download the Power BI report file

 Download the Power BI file Activity-Analyze-Data.pbix and open it in the Power BI desktop.
Currently, there are no visuals on the report page, but the dataset is loaded.

Activity-Analyze-Data

PBIX File
Step 2: Add a chart visual showing the sales data to the report page

1. Add a Line chart visual to the report page. Resize the visual so that it expands to fill the
page.

2. With the Line chart selected, include Month from the Order Date Hierarchy and the Order total
field. Add Month to the X-axis field well and add Order total to the Y-axis field well.
Step 3: Open the Analyze feature

1. Now it’s time to use the Analyze feature in Power BI to gain further insights. Hover the
mouse on the data point for April and right click on it to open the shortcut menu. Select
Analyze from the initial menu, and then Explain the increase.

2. Confirm that the Analyze window containing useful information on the data point opens to the
right.
Step 4: Address the stakeholder queries

1. Locate the largest increase in sales by scrolling down to the section that displays this
information. You can use the information generated here to identify the factors that played a
vital role in the sales increase in April and identify the products and region which contributed
most to this sales surge.

2. For instance, based on the result of this analysis, you have learned that the Product Subcategories
such as Mountain, Adventure and Cyclocross bikes experienced the most significant surge in sales.
Furthermore, when examining Product Regions, you found that Europe and Asia did well and showed
the most substantial sales growth.
These are valuable conclusions and provide answers to the questions asked by the stakeholders.

Conclusion

By completing this activity you have discovered how the Analyze feature can offer insights on trends
in the information displayed in a Power BI report. Using this powerful feature, you will be equipped
to provide immediate, data-driven responses to stakeholders, offering them enhanced clarity on the
dataset, which in turn will inform more strategic decision-making for future plans.

In-depth: Identify patterns and trends

Introduction

By completing this lesson, you’ve prepared for the data sources section of the PL-300 exam. If you’d
like to delve deeper into the topics you’ve covered in the Microsoft Power BI Analyst Professional
Certificate program, you can revisit the content in previous courses.
The process of identifying patterns and trends in data analysis is a cornerstone of modern decision-
making and strategy development. It involves a detailed examination of datasets to discern
irregularities, anomalies, and potential forecasts. This analysis is crucial in a multitude of fields,
including business, research, and technology.

Outliers and anomalies

Week 1 of the Data analysis and visualization with Power BI course explored how to deal with
outliers and anomalies during report creation. An outlier is a data point that significantly deviates
from other data points in a dataset, often due to a different underlying mechanism or error, and can
typically be explained or rationalized within the context of the data. In contrast, an anomaly refers to
irregularities or unexpected occurrences within the data that are often not easily explained. These
anomalies may signal important insights or the need for further investigation. In the lesson Specialist
Visualizations, you learned about Scatter charts, which can be used to visualize outliers and
anomalies. You also learned more about outliers and anomalies, including how to detect them.

Identifying patterns and trends

As part of identifying patterns and trends, in the Data analysis and visualization with Power BI
course , data grouping and data binning are two powerful techniques in Power BI that you used to
enhance your data analysis by organizing and simplifying complex datasets. Data grouping in Power
BI allows users to categorize data into clusters based on shared characteristics, making it easier to
analyze trends and patterns within specific segments. This is particularly useful in identifying
correlations or behaviors within subsets of data. Data binning involves dividing data, especially
continuous variables, into a series of intervals or 'bins'. This method is beneficial for understanding
the distribution of data and identifying patterns that might not be apparent in a raw, unorganized
dataset. By applying binning, analysts can transform detailed, granular data into a more digestible
and interpretable form.

In the lesson Working with AI Visuals, AI visuals – Key Influencer, Decomposition Tree and
Forecasting were explored in detail. In Power BI, AI visuals like Key Influencers and Decomposition
Trees offer advanced and intuitive ways to explore and analyze data. The Key Influencers visual helps
to identify the factors that most significantly affect a chosen metric. This allows users to understand
the drivers behind their data. Decomposition Trees, enable users to break down a metric into its
contributing factors in a dynamic and interactive way, providing a deeper dive into the components
that make up the overall figures.

Additionally, Power BI's forecasting feature utilizes AI to predict future trends based on historical
data. This predictive capability allows for proactive decision-making by anticipating future outcomes
and trends, making these AI-driven tools useful for sophisticated and insightful data analysis.

In this lesson, you learned how to analyze data points in a hands-on activity. The Working with AI
visuals lesson also covered how to use this analyze feature in Power BI to unlock new insights.

Conclusion

Power BI's capabilities in detecting outliers and anomalies, alongside data grouping and binning,
provide a solid foundation for accurate data analysis. In addition, AI visuals like Key Influencers, and
Decomposition Trees, as well as the forecasting feature, enable a deep and predictive understanding
of data, which is essential for informed decision-making.

Additional Resources: Identify patterns and trends

Introduction

Well done on finishing another valuable lesson where you've gained insights into key data analysis
concepts in Microsoft Power BI. This includes understanding outliers and anomalies, mastering data
grouping and binning, utilizing the Analyze feature, exploring AI visuals, forecasting, and engaging in
practical activities for a deeper knowledge of these topics.

Here are some extra resources that you can consult to deepen and enhance your understanding of
these topics.

Outliers and Anomalies

In a Power BI - Anomaly detection tutorial, Microsoft Learn provides a tutorial that explains how to
use the anomaly detection capability of Power BI Desktop to identify anomalies, format them, and
also view and configure explanations. It also provides tips on how to use the Anomaly Detection
algorithm and how to control the fields that are used for analysis.

Data Grouping and Binning

Another Microsoft Learn article, data Grouping and Binning in Power BI explains how to Group and
Bin data in Power BI Desktop to create a new column that summarizes data based on specific criteria,
or to show data distributed in specific intervals. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to apply
the grouping and binning techniques of data in your own datasets.

Analyze Feature in Power BI

The article Analyze in Power BI provides a comprehensive guide to using the Analyze feature in
Power BI Desktop to explain data fluctuations and generate insights.

Forecasting

Learn more about Power BI’s forecasting capability in this article from Microsoft Learn, Use the
Analytics pane in Power BI Desktop. It explains how to use the Analytics Pane in Power BI Desktop to
add dynamic Reference Lines to visuals and provide a focus for important trends or insights. It covers
how to apply Forecasting to a Line chart visual using the Forecast feature in the Analytics pane. It
also provides tips on how to customize the Forecast settings and how to interpret the forecast
results.

Conclusion

Exploring this additional material will deepen your understanding of how to identify patterns and
trends in data using a range of Microsoft Power BI tools. They build on the knowledge you’ve gained
in this lesson and help you feel confident in applying what you’ve learned in a practical way.