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Table Editor Prerequisites

This topic outlines the necessary prerequisites for using the Table Editor visual.

Write-back Service

To utilize the write-back capabilities in Power BI, ensure you have a working and configured Write-Back Service (PPWebService) installed in your environment. Once this is set up, follow these steps to build a report:

  • Import the tableEditor v_latestVersion.pbiviz file into your Power BI Desktop instance. This must be done for each report where you intend to use the Table Editor. The visual will be stored within the report itself, allowing others to use the write-back capabilities when they open it.
  • For Power BI cloud services, you can store the custom visual in a centralized repository for easier management. More information can be found at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/developer/visuals/power-bi-custom-visuals-organization.
  • The legacy version of the visual is available in your installation folder under Resources\PPWebService in the VPDemo.zip archive file. VTE can also be converted from other Power BI visuals.
  • Ensure the Write-Back Service (PPWebService) is properly configured and accessible from the Report Server. For detailed configuration instructions, log in to https://help.insightsoftware.com/ and refer to the PowerON Knowledge Base articles. Registration on the site is required to access these articles and submit support tickets if needed.
  • For on-premises installations or virtual machines hosted in the cloud, ensure your Power BI Report Server can access the host IIS machine of the PPWebService.
  • In Azure, Web Applications are accessible by default. The Web Service must have a designated connection string configured for the data source in the web.config connectionStrings section, pointing to:
    • SSAS models: The used SSAS Cube.
    • SQL-only models: The used SQL database.

    The web.config file is located under the WWWRoot folder. Your IT team should configure connections to the data sources. Refer to the How to Add a New Data Source for Write-back article in the knowledge base for more information. Valid connection string examples for different data sources can be found at https://www.connectionstrings.com/.

  • Service Account Permissions: The PPWebService service account used in the connection string must have the following permissions:
    • SSAS models: Administration rights on the cube, plus data reader and data write roles on the underlying data source database of the cube.
    • SQL-only models: Data reader and data write roles on the SQL database.
  • End User Permissions: End users (or the user/Active Directory group they belong to) must have:
    • SSAS models: Data reader membership.
    • SQL-only models: Data reader role.

    If impersonation is enabled, end users must have the data writer role on the underlying SQL databases.

VPService Visual

The VPService is a helper visual that establishes the connection between PXLT and the Write-Back Service. VPService is updated automatically from the web, eliminating the need for manual updates, unlike other non-legacy versions of the Visuals.

Key benefits:

  • Faster Release Processes - Switching from one version of a visual to another becomes much faster. This results in quicker support from our side, especially when implementing new features.
  • Easy Version Switching - Users can seamlessly switch between different versions of the visuals.

Key functions:

  • Saving Changes - VPService ensures that any modifications made by users are saved appropriately.
  • Saving Comments - In visuals like the Data Entry Matrix, VPService handles the saving of comments.
  • User Information - VPService sends relevant user information as needed.
  • Pop-Up Windows - For visuals like the Table Editor, VPService handles the opening of pop-up windows.

Configure VPService Visuals

Follow these steps to configure VPService:

  1. After importing a visual, right-click on the visual icon and then select About from the menu. Review the version information in the pop-up window.
  2. Add the VPService helper visual to your Power ON visual-related report.
  3. Add an arbitrary field to VPService visual, for example, an ID.
  4. Ensure that the content of the Web Service > URL property matches precisely with that in Table Editor (Data Entry > Web Service). This comparison is case-sensitive.

Warning Message

The 'VPService is not connected' warning message displays when:

  • the report is in Edit mode
  • the user is building the report in PowerBI Desktop
  • the report is in Reading View mode and the user tries to save the changes when there is no VPService connection
  • the URL of VPService is not exactly the same as in Table Editor

This applies to all VPService-based visuals.

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