How to: Getting started with Microsoft Power BI in Qlik application automation

[PradeepUrala]

This article gives an overview of the available blocks in the Microsoft Power BI connector in Qlik Application Automation. The Microsoft Power BI connector is built to enable Qlik SaaS users to utilize user, group, dataset, and app management capabilities in the automation.

Authentication

Authentication to Microsoft Power BI happens using oAuth2 making use of the authorization code flow or 3-legged-OAuth. Users will be redirected to the Microsoft Power BI login page where they provide consent to Qlik Application Automation.

Working with the Microsoft Power BI blocks

All the Blocks for Microsoft Power BI make use of the REST APIs. The following entity types have easy-to-use blocks for all available operations.

1. Apps
2. Groups (workspaces)
3. Dashboards
4. Datasets
5. Admin

Furthermore, it is possible to work with other entities like Goals, Gateways, Imports, Pipelines, etc., Using the Raw API blocks. Below is a basic example of how to use the Raw API blocks.

This example demonstrates how to add a row to an existing table in a dataset. Firstly, drag and drop the 'Raw API Request' block. The HTTP method and path of the API call are defined as per the API documentation.

Here we are trying to add a row to the table 'Product' and the payload is structured based on the API documentation. The 'rows' JSON list is specific to the tables on the dataset. In this example, we have defined the 'Product' table with only 2 columns (ProductID, Name).