Power BI Format Files

This repository aims to clarify the main points about the different file formats used in Power BI Desktop.

Video: Power BI File Formats - Introduction to PBIR

Useful Links

Below are the links I used as a basis for study in this video:

Power BI Desktop projects (PREVIEW)

Power BI Desktop project semantic model folder

TMDL Format

PBIR Format

Deploy a Power BI project using Fabric APIs

Fabric Power Shell PBIP APIs

File Formats

Below is a summary table of the file formats presented in the video.

Format	Characteristics	Semantic Model	Report	Data	Versioning	Publishing Methods
PBIX	A single encapsulated file	Included in the file	Included in the file	Imported into the file	SharePoint or One Drive for Business	PBI Desktop Upload to Workspace APIs
PBIT	Just a template to generate a pbix	Included in the file Metadata	Included in the file Metadata	Absent Requires a new load	Not applicable	Not applicable
PBIP (TMSL)	Files structured in project folders	model.bim	report.json	cache.abf Not trackable due to .gitignore	Fully supported	PBI Desktop Git integration APIs
PBIP (TMDL)	Files structured in project folders	definition folder	report.json	cache.abf Not trackable due to .gitignore	Fully supported	PBI Desktop Git integration APIs
PBIR	Files structured in project folders	definition folder	definition folder	cache.abf Not trackable due to .gitignore	Fully supported Improved report versioning	PBI Desktop Git Integration APIs

.gitIgnore

When saving a file with the PBIP format, a .gitignore file is always created with the following content:

**/.pbi/localSettings.json
**/.pbi/cache.abf

definition.pbir

Contains the overall definition of a report and core settings. This file also holds the reference to the semantic model used by the report. Power BI Desktop can open a pbir file directly, just the same as if the report were opened from a pbip file. Opening a pbir also opens the semantic model alongside if there's a relative reference using byPath.

Example definition.pbir:

{
  "version": "4.0",
  "datasetReference": {
    "byPath": {
      "path": "../Sales.Dataset"
    },
    "byConnection": null
  }
}

The definition includes the datasetReference property, which references the semantic model used in the report. The reference can be either:

byPath - Specifies a relative path to the target semantic model folder. Absolute paths aren't supported. A forward slash (/) is used as a folder separator. When used, Power BI Desktop also opens the semantic model in full edit mode.

byConnection - Specifies a remote semantic model in the Power BI service by using a connection string. When a byConnection reference is used, Power BI Desktop doesn't open the semantic model in edit mode.

Using a byConnection reference, the following properties must be specified:

Property	Description
connectionString	The connection string referring to the remote semantic model.
pbiModelDatabaseName	The remote semantic model ID.
connectionType Type of connection.	For service remote semantic model, this value should be pbiServiceXmlaStyleLive.
pbiModelVirtualServerName	An internal property that should have the value, sobe_wowvirtualserver.

Example using byConnection:

{
  "version": "4.0",
  "datasetReference": {
    "byPath": null,
    "byConnection": {
      "connectionString": "Data Source=powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/[WorkpaceName];Initial Catalog=[SemanticModelName];Integrated Security=ClaimsToken",
      "pbiServiceModelId": null,
      "pbiModelVirtualServerName": "sobe_wowvirtualserver",
      "pbiModelDatabaseName": "[Semantic Model Id]",
      "connectionType": "pbiServiceXmlaStyleLive",
      "name": "EntityDataSource"
    }
  }
}

PBIR folder and files

PBIR naming convention All names inside the square brackets ([]) in the preceding table follow a default naming convention but can be renamed to more user-friendly names. By default, pages, visuals, and bookmarks use their report object name as their file or folder name. These object names are initially a 20-character unique identifier, such as '90c2e07d8e84e7d5c026'.

Structure of each project types

Below is a diagram of the file structures examples for better visualization of each file format.

*.pbip with TMSL

📂 Project
   ├ 📂 Adventure Works.Report
   │    ├ 📂 .pbi
   │    │    └ localSettings.json
   │    ├ 📂 StaticResources
   │    │    ├ 📂 RegisteredResources
   │    │    │    └ based_github_nordtheme9185362298209934.json
   │    │    └ 📂 SharedResources
   │    │         └ 📂 BaseThemes
   │    │              └ CY24SU10.json
   │    ├ .platform
   │    ├ definition.pbir  
   │    └ report.json  
   ├ 📂 Adventure Works.SemanticModel
   │    ├ 📂 .pbi
   │    │    ├ cache.abf
   │    │    ├ editorSettings.json
   │    │    └ localSettings.json
   │    ├ .platform
   │    ├ definition.pbism
   │    ├ diagramLayout.json
   │    └ model.bim
   └ 📂 Adventure Works.pbip

*.pbip with TMDL

📂 Project
   ├ 📂 Adventure Works.Report
   │    ├ 📂 .pbi
   │    │    └ localSettings.json
   │    ├ 📂 StaticResources
   │    │    ├ 📂 RegisteredResources
   │    │    │    └ based_github_nordtheme9185362298209934.json
   │    │    └ 📂 SharedResources
   │    │         └ 📂 BaseThemes
   │    │              └ CY24SU10.json
   │    ├ .platform
   │    ├ definition.pbir  
   │    └ report.json  
   ├ 📂 Adventure Works.SemanticModel
   │    ├ 📂 .pbi
   │    │    ├ cache.abf
   │    │    ├ editorSettings.json
   │    │    └ localSettings.json
   │    ├ 📂 defintion
   │    │    ├ 📂 cultures
   │    │    │    └ pt-BR.tmdl
   │    │    ├ 📂 tables
   │    │    │    ├ DimCustomer.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimDate.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimProducts.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimReseller.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimSalesTerritory.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ FactSales.tmdl
   │    │    │    └ ModelMeasures.tmdl
   │    │    ├ database.tmdl
   │    │    ├ expressions.tmdl
   │    │    ├ model.tmdl
   │    │    └ relationships.tmdl
   │    ├ .platform
   │    ├ definition.pbism
   │    └ diagramLayout.json
   └ 📂 Adventure Works.pbip

*.pbir

📂 Project
   ├ 📂 Adventure Works.Report
   │    ├ 📂 .pbi
   │    │    └ localSettings.json
   │    ├ 📂 definition
   │    │    ├ 📂 pages
   │    │    │    ├ 📂 Channel
   │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 visuals
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 6fec997fe119a35953ad
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 8a08fd6bf63d32c4a76f
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 17693be68ea5dc027d7f
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    └ 📂 babca6ecb4152335ec58
   │    │    │    │    │         └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    └ page.json
   │    │    │    ├ 📂 Country
   │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 visuals
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 8a08fd6bf63d32c4a76g
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 8a045467be336dde1d3c
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 3519728a5aadb94bc3d8
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    └ 📂 babca6ecb4152335ec59
   │    │    │    │    │         └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    └ page.json
   │    │    │    ├ 📂 Products
   │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 visuals
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 6fec997fe119a35953ae
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 8a08fd6bf63d32c4a76h
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    ├ 📂 17693be68ea5dc027d7g
   │    │    │    │    │    │    └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    │    └ 📂 babca6ecb4152335ec60
   │    │    │    │    │         └ visual.json
   │    │    │    │    └ page.json
   │    │    │    └ pages.json
   │    │    ├ report.json
   │    │    └ version.json
   │    ├ 📂 StaticResources
   │    │    ├ 📂 RegisteredResources
   │    │    │    └ based_github_nordtheme9185362298209934.json
   │    │    └ 📂 SharedResources
   │    │         └ 📂 BaseThemes
   │    │              └ CY24SU10.json
   │    ├ .platform
   │    └ definition.pbir  
   ├ 📂 Adventure Works.SemanticModel
   │    ├ 📂 .pbi
   │    │    ├ cache.abf
   │    │    ├ editorSettings.json
   │    │    └ localSettings.json
   │    ├ 📂 defintion
   │    │    ├ 📂 cultures
   │    │    │    └ pt-BR.tmdl
   │    │    ├ 📂 tables
   │    │    │    ├ DimCustomer.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimDate.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimProducts.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimReseller.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ DimSalesTerritory.tmdl
   │    │    │    ├ FactSales.tmdl
   │    │    │    └ ModelMeasures.tmdl
   │    │    ├ database.tmdl
   │    │    ├ expressions.tmdl
   │    │    ├ model.tmdl
   │    │    └ relationships.tmdl
   │    ├ .platform
   │    ├ definition.pbism
   │    └ diagramLayout.json
   └ 📂 Adventure Works.pbip