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Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

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Matt Smith on 28 Feb 2019 17:19:38

When you create a PowerBI report in Power BI Desktop it transparently create \ use a git repository. So you just worked normally, then when you hit publish, it actually push to remote.

Gitignore could be used to exclude data from being published to the repository. PowerBI would have version control which is desperately needed.

This would work well with the whole Microsoft buying Github \ Azure DevOps, both from the perspective of promoting good practices such as code version control and CI\CD - process of developing in development and promoting to UAT\production

It would also allow IT to get visibility of code, allow tests to be run - such as moving DAX calculated columns with M

This would also solve the other ideas:
https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/17523715-report-version-control


https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/7861287-dataset-report-version-control

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/34315045-seamless-version-control-of-queries-data-model-st

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/9677517-source-control

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/9080776-using-git-or-some-other-sccs-to-store-m-queries-n

Administrator on 06 Dec 2023 16:56:47

Released for public preview in June 2023: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/deep-dive-into-power-bi-desktop-developer-mode-preview/

Update 10/17: This is now in our upcoming roadmap and we will share more details in the coming months. Mo

March 2022 update: We are working on this item but no timeline can be shared yet. We appreciate your patience

Comments (82)
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James Bartlett on 05 Aug 2024 15:02:57

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

Why is this marked as completed? Power BI Desktop does not have true Git integration. It still needs a proper Version Control pane just like VS Code, with the ability to clone, pull, branch, commit, push, create PR, etc.

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Lapres Tang on 14 Dec 2023 12:05:15

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

That would be great if the git is truly integrated into Power BI Desktop App. It is not a seamless developer experience to work on separated VS Code to manage source control operations

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Justin Jondle on 11 Jul 2023 20:44:01

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

I think the June 2023 version still doesn't include Git integration. I believe it only adds saving the pbix files as a project, which splits the project into multiple files and folders that are more friendly to source control. You still have to use a separate tool to manage the Git repo.This is the current instructions from Microsoft as of 6/13/2023 (TLDR use VS Code to commit and push to Git):Git integration with Power BI Desktop projects - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

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Lukas Sternbach on 15 Jun 2023 07:43:13

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

Microsoft released this finaly with the June 2023 release for Power BI Desktop (see: Power BI Desktop Developer Mode - Preview): Power BI June 2023 Feature Summary | Microsoft Power BI Blog | Microsoft Power BIJeiiii :-)

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Guillaume Fongarland on 21 Apr 2023 06:53:02

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

Hello,When do you expect to finish this work?This is an urgent need for all developers who use power bi.

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David Curtin on 04 Mar 2023 18:45:18

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

I cannot believe Power BI does not have GIT integration, both being microsoft products but Qliksense does! Common MS!

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Tom Smith on 14 Oct 2022 09:12:06

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

The ability to check out/check in and leave comments from the Power BI desktop application would be very useful. This functionallity is already available in MS word.

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Michael Sauget on 31 Aug 2022 16:36:48

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

Please Microsoft, can you give us a timeline on that feature? PowerBI is losing it's competitive edge over some new tools and blocks it's user from implementing a scalable way to develop BI. ARM templates are already implemented in Azure Data Factory and Synapse, how hard can it be to stop using binary files and turning them into JSON?

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Andy Clapham on 30 Jun 2022 15:02:51

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

Just adding a shout-out for pbi-tools: https://pbi.tools/It seems to be a bit more capable than other pbi serializers, and can round-trip git-friendly text extracts to pbit.I'd love to see MS run with something like this and improve the underlying model to make it even easier and more reliable to diff & merge.However I have a suspicion they'll focus on trying to integrate git into the tool, like power-apps.Fundamentally those people who want git tend to know why they want it, and it's not to save historic versions.

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Eric Swaney on 05 May 2022 16:37:28

RE: Built in Git support in PowerBI Desktop

All of these ideas are good and should have been thought of when Power BI first came out over 10 years ago - definitely needed!

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