Kyle Hale on 09 Jan 2015 04:21:48
In Power BI Designer, I loaded two datasets. One had 8 fields, the second has 11. This created all kinds of developer unfriendly problems that should be easily solved.
1) Can't collapse datasets. All datasets are fully expanded always.
2) Because of this and the initial fixed size of the field list, the last field in the second dataset was not visible even when using the internal scrollbar for fields.
3) I finally figured out I could stretch the field list's internal section with the horizontal divider between it and the report layout section. During stretching, the last field became visible, but as soon as I released the mouse button, it disappeared again. I had to finally stretch it so that the scrollbar itself disappeared and all fields were visible.
4) But now the report layout section is miniscule and can barely show any single aspect (Values, Axis, etc.).
5) And if I add a third dataset (thereby completely precluding the possibility of containing all the fields on my desktop without scrolling), the last field of the last dataset is completely unreachable.
So anyway, definitely need to fix the scrolling / field visibility. I'd recommend if possible making it dockable / detachable from the main window. Also perhaps a search bar at the top to filter the fields I want.
Anyway, field selection needs a bit of UI love.
- Comments (5)
RE: Power BI Designer - UI Improvement for Field Selection
Within Dataset view, “Field Search” area should be dockable, that can allow users for more viewing space.
RE: Power BI Designer - UI Improvement for Field Selection
It would also be great to indent the fields from the table names. With everything left justified it's really hard to pick out the fields from the tables.
RE: Power BI Designer - UI Improvement for Field Selection
Also, its much better to have the description of the fields in mouse over and / or via Q&A. So that users will know exactly what they are looking into without the need of going through a separate Data Dictionary. Which will reduce lot of confusions in Business users and will greatly enhance their confidence in the report that they are looking into. Which will also improve the intuitive way of asking questions to build their own report and / or in Q&A
RE: Power BI Designer - UI Improvement for Field Selection
Its better to have the description for Fields also (Just not for the query alone). So that the separate Data Dictionary is not required to be maintained and that can also be shown in the reports through mouse over so that user will also get the benefit.
RE: Power BI Designer - UI Improvement for Field Selection
I find the UI needs a lot of work, it's way to slow and navigation is not very intuitive. Why must I cancel a Save when I didn't do anything? The scrollbar for fields is horrible, it is so skinny you can't hardly grab it and there is no differentiating background track color for the slider and being it's so skinny you can't (easily) click inside the track to scroll down.