Power BI project guides
Power BIHow a Power BI project (PBIP) is laid out, what to keep in Git, and what to do when Power BI Desktop will not open one.
- What is a PBIP project, and what is TMDL?A Power BI project (PBIP) saves a report and its semantic model as plain text files in folders, instead of one
.pbixfile. TMDL is a text format for the model, with a file for each table. - Power BI Desktop can't open a PBIPWhen Power BI Desktop refuses a project, the message usually names a file. Find that file below, then the page for the message.
- PBIR vs PBIR-LegacyPBIR saves a report as a folder with a file for each page, visual and bookmark. PBIR-Legacy is the older single
report.json. PBIR is now the default. - PBIP and Git: what to commit and what to ignoreA PBIP project is plain text, so Git can track it. Keep the local cache and your own settings out, and set Git up for the line endings Power BI Desktop writes.
How these pages are written
Every statement about how Power BI behaves comes from a named page on Microsoft Learn, and each source shows the date it was read. File excerpts are copied from a public sample project published under the MIT licence, and contain no data.
Written by Vishnu Shankar.
Related
The Power BI error reference explains the messages Power BI Desktop shows when it opens a project, and the Power BI Report Doctor checks a project folder or .zip in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.