Summary
The issue at hand involves Power BI data not updating properly when refreshed in the Power BI Service, despite working correctly in Power BI Desktop. This discrepancy occurs after splitting data into rows using a delimiter. The key takeaway is that refreshing data in the Power BI Service does not always update the data as expected, especially after applying transformations like splitting by delimiter.
Root Cause
The root cause of this issue can be attributed to several factors, including:
- Data transformation inconsistencies between Power BI Desktop and the Power BI Service
- Refresh limitations in the Power BI Service that may not fully reapply transformations
- Dependency on manual publishing for updates to be reflected in the Power BI Service
Why This Happens in Real Systems
This issue arises in real systems due to the differences in how Power BI Desktop and the Power BI Service handle data transformations and refreshes. Specifically:
- Power BI Desktop applies transformations directly and allows for immediate preview of changes
- The Power BI Service may require explicit publishing or re-processing of data to reflect changes made in Desktop
Real-World Impact
The real-world impact of this issue includes:
- Delayed insights due to outdated data
- Inconsistent reporting across different platforms (Desktop vs. Service)
- Increased maintenance requirements to manually publish updates
Example or Code (if necessary and relevant)
= Table.SplitColumn(#"Previous Step", "Column Name", Splitter.SplitTextByDelimiter({"delimiter"}, QuoteStyle.Csv), {"New Column 1", "New Column 2", "New Column 3"})How Senior Engineers Fix It
Senior engineers address this issue by:
- Re-evaluating data transformation steps to ensure consistency across platforms
- Implementing robust refresh mechanisms that account for all transformations
- Utilizing Power BI’s built-in features for handling data updates and transformations, such as Power Query Editor
Why Juniors Miss It
Junior engineers might overlook this issue due to:
- Lack of experience with the nuances of Power BI’s data transformation and refresh capabilities
- Insufficient understanding of the differences between Power BI Desktop and the Power BI Service
- Inadequate testing across both platforms to identify discrepancies in data updates