April’s update includes a new preview for the Power Automate visual – but that’s not all. The ongoing Previews (Small Multiples and DirectQuery for Power BI datasets and Azure Analysis Services) have been afforded some new features. There are also improvements to the shapes in Power BI Desktop and Microsoft has introduced a new (allegedly easier) way to share reports too.

The full list reads as follows:

Reporting

• Power Automate for Power BI (Preview)
• Small Multiples: padding controls and combo chart support (Preview)
• New and improved shapes
• Invert axis and continuous axis sorting

Modelling

• DirectQuery for Power BI datasets and Azure Analysis Services
• CROSSFILTER supports many-to-many relationships
• Performance improvements to IF and SWITCH functions

Data connectivity

• New Connector: Bloomberg Data and Analytics
• New Connector: SoftOne BI
• Text / CSV By Example now Generally Available
• Automatic Table Detection from Excel files now Generally Available
• Automatic Table Detection from JSON files now Generally Available

Service

• Easy report sharing via links
• Improving the ‘Create on top of published dataset’ experience
• New capabilities in Deployment Pipelines
• Enhancements to Sensitivity Labels:
• Sensitivity labels in Power BI embedded now Generally Available
• Securing the full data journey from Azure to Office
• Admin API to Set and Remove labels in Power BI

Visualisations

• New visuals
• Microsoft Charticulator visual
• Financial Reporting Matrix by Profitbase
• Merged Bar Chart by Nova Silva

Developers

• API v3.6.0 is now available

Other

• Simplifying collection of diagnostic information.

As always, we'll be detailing these updates in our May newsletter. Please remember we have virtual / online training in Power BI which you can find out more about here. If you are not already a subscriber, why not sign up at the bottom of any SumProduct web page? And don't forget to download the latest version of Power BI Desktop here too.