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Support relative path to excel/csv sources

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Boris Lipschitz on 08 Sep 2015 10:25:40

Currently, when excel file is loaded to Power BI, the absolute filepath is captured in the M query. It would be nice if relative filepath was supported. Thus we could place excel file next to pbix and not worry about the file location (local machine, shared folder on server or onedrive)

Comments (87)
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Tommo on 06 Jul 2020 00:07:42

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

Fundimental software development 101. This should never have been an issue in the first place...yet here we are...waiting...and waiting.

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Power BI User on 06 Jul 2020 00:07:35

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

I'm a relatively new user. Loving PBI and working with big client companies that are not PBI users. I develop solutions and then it gets bogged down in the difficulty to transfer that solution. Do you know how many companies are not getting exposed to the beauty of PBI because this issue is not solved. Please make it happen.

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Aaron E on 06 Jul 2020 00:07:27

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

It's been over a year guys:

Bump this from the backlog to top of current sprint or top of the "Active Tasks" Kanban column, por favor.... It seems like everyone and their mother who writes scalable or deliverable code needs this.

Perhaps:
File.CurrentExecutionPath
File.CurrentPath
(Excel.CurrentPath would be too much trouble due to sharing)

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Rick on 06 Jul 2020 00:06:38

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

Please work on this. I am in an environment where I can not link to the source database and have to export all the info to Excel files before I can load them into Power BI. I am using Power BI to create daily reports and can not pass this on to the people that are actually responsible for those reports without constantly fixing data source locations or making sure that the user never moves a file once I fix the source location. Basically it cripples our use of Power BI.

Publishing is not an option because of strict IT policies. I would like to be able to just pass a folder to the user and tell them to just save over the appropriate Excel file with the new data. This way all the data and Power BI files are self contained in one folder.

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Adil Yıldız on 06 Jul 2020 00:05:39

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

This is absolutely needed and i believe it is a very core feature indeed. I really felt surprised when i learned Power BI did not support that.

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Jeremy Faverjon on 06 Jul 2020 00:04:41

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

I've been using this feature with Excel/Power query by creating a cell containing the current file location (basic excel formula). By including the file location in my query model, I was able to share the tool with my colleagues. They only had to update the data templates, save everything in one folder and they were able to run the tool without adjusting sources in query editor!

This would be a great feature that would enable us to create scalable visualization tools using only standard data templates. That would be simply AMAZING!

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Peter Gunardi on 06 Jul 2020 00:03:50

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

Hi, I need this feature. It will make my work scalable.

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Stephen Paul Wright on 06 Jul 2020 00:02:53

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

It would be useful if the addition of relative paths also made it easier to switch between data stored locally or in the cloud. Currently different commands are needed for files in the 2 places and the paths also differ because one uses \ and the other /!

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Power BI User on 05 Jul 2020 23:59:40

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

This would be a nice usability feature. A simple checkbox on the file dialog box would suffice.

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Power BI User on 05 Jul 2020 23:58:08

RE: Support relative path to excel/csv sources

Dudes, sort this out! It's killing me!