The Algebra Teacher Powers to B.I.

  This is the last Power BI update for 2020 and it has quite a lot of nice features. If you like to read about the updates to the Power BI program, then below I give a summary of the features I enjoyed the most from this month.  If you are someone who wants to consume the updates in a nice video format then I've got you covered here  December 2020 Digest Video This month has quite a few updates and here are the two I enjoy the most from the desktop program.   Small Multiples (Preview) Now for the area, line, and bar/column chart you can split them into small multiples.   This means that your one visual will be split into multiple visuals based on a field of your choosing.   If your field has 8 unique values, then you will see your original visual split into 8 different visuals that highlight that one unique value.   I like to think of this as using a slicer, but you actually slice on all the selections to see all the visuals at once.   Com...

  While doing Power Apps training with Pragmatic Works, I usually have a common request after students learn they can delete records.   Someone will usually state they like the usability of the delete function, but are scared to put a delete button on the screen.   Their concern is someone will hit it by mistake and then the record will be gone forever.    There are a few ways to fix this issue .   The method I showcase here will show how you can activate a pop-up screen that overlays your original screen.   This method is not just useful for delete confirmations, but anytime you want to show extra information on your screen without being taken to a new screen.   To achieve our solution today we will need to meet the following objectives:   Create the pop-up screen and all of its components, then GROUP them together Use the function UpdateContext to temporarily create a variable to hold a piece of information, which in our case will be tru...

  Power BI can connect to a plethora of different data sources.   Did you know Power BI can also make loading multiple files at one time a cinch?   There is an option from the Get Data icon for “Folder”.   Wait, a folder is not a data source, is it?   Well, all the files in that folder are for sure data sources. So what makes the “Folder” option something you need to know about?   Do you get new files with the same column structure sent to you on a set time frame and then have to go and append them to your existing file?   Have you ever found yourself appending multiple files over and over that have the same column structure?   If you answered yes to any of those last 2 questions, then you are going to fall in love with the “Folder” data source. Simply put, the “Folder” option allows you to bring in all of your files at once into Power BI.   You will then make all of your transforms on one sample file and Power BI will automate the proces...

Since joining Pragmatic Works in March, starting over in a new career after devoting 15 years to teaching middle school,  I've done something each week that I had never done before. Something scary and something brand new: I blogged. Sitting down to write is not something that comes naturally to this former Algebra teacher. However, as my journey through Microsoft's Power Platform has taught me, what may seem foreign one day can soon turn familiar, especially if you feel supported. I've shared my journey with you from the beginning, tips and tricks, and monthly Power BI updates. But today, as I sit down once again to write, it's not data or power queries that are on my mind. It's gratefulness; yes, even in the midst of a global pandemic- the true power of support can cut through all the fears of trying something new.  Oh, how I have been blessed to have been hired by Pragmatic Works, where the POWER of support is truly the heart and soul of the company.   Not onl...