Step 5: Add rows to a Power BI table

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This article is part of a step-by-step walkthrough to push data into a dataset.

In step 4 of Push data into a dataset, Get a dataset to add rows into a Power BI table, you used the Get Datasets operation and Newtonsoft.Json to get a dataset id. In this step, you use the dataset id with the PostRows operation to add rows to a Power BI dataset.

When you call the PostRows operation, you add rows to a dataset.

Here's how to add rows to a dataset using the Power BI API.

Add rows to a Power BI table

Note

Before you get started, make sure you have followed the previous steps in the push data into a dataset walkthrough.

  1. In the Console Application project you created in Step 2: Walkthrough to push data, Get an authentication access token, add the code below.
  2. Run the Console App, and login to your Power BI account. You should see Rows Added in the Console Window. You can also login to Power BI to see the rows added to the dataset.

Sample push data into a dataset

Add this code into Program.cs.

  • In static void Main(string[] args):

    static void Main(string[] args)
{

     //Get an authentication access token
     token = GetToken();

     //Create a dataset in Power BI
     CreateDataset();

     //Get a dataset to add rows into a Power BI table
     string datasetId = GetDataset();

     //Add rows to a Power BI table
     AddRows(datasetId, "Product");
}

  • Add an AddRows() method:

    #region Add rows to a Power BI table
    private static void AddRows(string datasetId, string tableName)
    {
        string powerBIApiAddRowsUrl = String.Format("https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/datasets/{0}/tables/{1}/rows", datasetId, tableName);

        //POST web request to add rows.
        //To add rows to a dataset in a group, use the Groups uri: https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{group_id}/datasets/{dataset_id}/tables/{table_name}/rows
        //Change request method to "POST"
        HttpWebRequest request = System.Net.WebRequest.Create(powerBIApiAddRowsUrl) as System.Net.HttpWebRequest;
        request.KeepAlive = true;
        request.Method = "POST";
        request.ContentLength = 0;
        request.ContentType = "application/json";

        //Add token to the request header
        request.Headers.Add("Authorization", String.Format("Bearer {0}", token));

        //JSON content for product row
        string rowsJson = "{\"rows\":" +
            "[{\"ProductID\":1,\"Name\":\"Adjustable Race\",\"Category\":\"Components\",\"IsCompete\":true,\"ManufacturedOn\":\"07/30/2014\"}," +
            "{\"ProductID\":2,\"Name\":\"LL Crankarm\",\"Category\":\"Components\",\"IsCompete\":true,\"ManufacturedOn\":\"07/30/2014\"}," +
            "{\"ProductID\":3,\"Name\":\"HL Mountain Frame - Silver\",\"Category\":\"Bikes\",\"IsCompete\":true,\"ManufacturedOn\":\"07/30/2014\"}]}";

        //POST web request
        byte[] byteArray = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(rowsJson);
        request.ContentLength = byteArray.Length;

        //Write JSON byte[] into a Stream
        using (Stream writer = request.GetRequestStream())
        {
            writer.Write(byteArray, 0, byteArray.Length);

            var response = (HttpWebResponse)request.GetResponse();

            Console.WriteLine("Rows Added");

            Console.ReadLine();
        }
    }

    #endregion

Below is the complete code listing.

Complete code listing

    using System;
    using Microsoft.IdentityModel.Clients.ActiveDirectory;
    using System.Net;
    using System.IO;
    using Newtonsoft.Json;

    namespace walkthrough_push_data
    {
        class Program
        {
            private static string token = string.Empty;

            static void Main(string[] args)
            {

                //Get an authentication access token
                token = GetToken();

                //Create a dataset in Power BI
                CreateDataset();

                //Get a dataset to add rows into a Power BI table
                string datasetId = GetDataset();

                //Add rows to a Power BI table
                AddRows(datasetId, "Product");

            }

            #region Get an authentication access token
            private static string GetToken()
            {
                // TODO: Install-Package Microsoft.IdentityModel.Clients.ActiveDirectory -Version 2.21.301221612
                // and add using Microsoft.IdentityModel.Clients.ActiveDirectory

                //The client id that Azure AD created when you registered your client app.
                string clientID = "{Client_ID}";

                //RedirectUri you used when you register your app.
                //For a client app, a redirect uri gives Azure AD more details on the application that it will authenticate.
                // You can use this redirect uri for your client app
                string redirectUri = "https://login.live.com/oauth20_desktop.srf";

                //Resource Uri for Power BI API
                string resourceUri = "https://analysis.windows.net/powerbi/api";

                //OAuth2 authority Uri
                string authorityUri = "https://login.microsoftonline.net/common/";

                //Get access token:
                // To call a Power BI REST operation, create an instance of AuthenticationContext and call AcquireToken
                // AuthenticationContext is part of the Active Directory Authentication Library NuGet package
                // To install the Active Directory Authentication Library NuGet package in Visual Studio,
                //  run "Install-Package Microsoft.IdentityModel.Clients.ActiveDirectory" from the nuget Package Manager Console.

                // AcquireToken will acquire an Azure access token
                // Call AcquireToken to get an Azure token from Azure Active Directory token issuance endpoint
                AuthenticationContext authContext = new AuthenticationContext(authorityUri);
                string token = authContext.AcquireToken(resourceUri, clientID, new Uri(redirectUri)).AccessToken;

                Console.WriteLine(token);
                Console.ReadLine();

                return token;
            }

            #endregion

            #region Create a dataset in a Power BI
            private static void CreateDataset()
            {
                //TODO: Add using System.Net and using System.IO

                string powerBIDatasetsApiUrl = "https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/datasets";
                //POST web request to create a dataset.
                //To create a Dataset in a group, use the Groups uri: https://api.PowerBI.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{group_id}/datasets
                HttpWebRequest request = System.Net.WebRequest.Create(powerBIDatasetsApiUrl) as System.Net.HttpWebRequest;
                request.KeepAlive = true;
                request.Method = "POST";
                request.ContentLength = 0;
                request.ContentType = "application/json";

                //Add token to the request header
                request.Headers.Add("Authorization", String.Format("Bearer {0}", token));

                //Create dataset JSON for POST request
                string datasetJson = "{\"name\": \"SalesMarketing\", \"tables\": " +
                    "[{\"name\": \"Product\", \"columns\": " +
                    "[{ \"name\": \"ProductID\", \"dataType\": \"Int64\"}, " +
                    "{ \"name\": \"Name\", \"dataType\": \"string\"}, " +
                    "{ \"name\": \"Category\", \"dataType\": \"string\"}," +
                    "{ \"name\": \"IsCompete\", \"dataType\": \"bool\"}," +
                    "{ \"name\": \"ManufacturedOn\", \"dataType\": \"DateTime\"}" +
                    "]}]}";

                //POST web request
                byte[] byteArray = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(datasetJson);
                request.ContentLength = byteArray.Length;

                //Write JSON byte[] into a Stream
                using (Stream writer = request.GetRequestStream())
                {
                    writer.Write(byteArray, 0, byteArray.Length);

                    var response = (HttpWebResponse)request.GetResponse();

                    Console.WriteLine(string.Format("Dataset {0}", response.StatusCode.ToString()));

                    Console.ReadLine();
                }
            }
            #endregion

            #region Get a dataset to add rows into a Power BI table
            private static string GetDataset()
            {
                string powerBIDatasetsApiUrl = "https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/datasets";
                //POST web request to create a dataset.
                //To create a Dataset in a group, use the Groups uri: https://api.PowerBI.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{group_id}/datasets
                HttpWebRequest request = System.Net.WebRequest.Create(powerBIDatasetsApiUrl) as System.Net.HttpWebRequest;
                request.KeepAlive = true;
                request.Method = "GET";
                request.ContentLength = 0;
                request.ContentType = "application/json";

                //Add token to the request header
                request.Headers.Add("Authorization", String.Format("Bearer {0}", token));

                string datasetId = string.Empty;
                //Get HttpWebResponse from GET request
                using (HttpWebResponse httpResponse = request.GetResponse() as System.Net.HttpWebResponse)
                {
                    //Get StreamReader that holds the response stream
                    using (StreamReader reader = new System.IO.StreamReader(httpResponse.GetResponseStream()))
                    {
                        string responseContent = reader.ReadToEnd();

                        //TODO: Install NuGet Newtonsoft.Json package: Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
                        //and add using Newtonsoft.Json
                        var results = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<dynamic>(responseContent);

                        //Get the first id
                        datasetId = results["value"][0]["id"];

                        Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Dataset ID: {0}", datasetId));
                        Console.ReadLine();

                        return datasetId;
                    }
                }
            }
            #endregion

            #region Add rows to a Power BI table
            private static void AddRows(string datasetId, string tableName)
            {
                string powerBIApiAddRowsUrl = String.Format("https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/datasets/{0}/tables/{1}/rows", datasetId, tableName);

                //POST web request to add rows.
                //To add rows to a dataset in a group, use the Groups uri: https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{group_id}/datasets/{dataset_id}/tables/{table_name}/rows
                //Change request method to "POST"
                HttpWebRequest request = System.Net.WebRequest.Create(powerBIApiAddRowsUrl) as System.Net.HttpWebRequest;
                request.KeepAlive = true;
                request.Method = "POST";
                request.ContentLength = 0;
                request.ContentType = "application/json";

                //Add token to the request header
                request.Headers.Add("Authorization", String.Format("Bearer {0}", token));

                //JSON content for product row
                string rowsJson = "{\"rows\":" +
                    "[{\"ProductID\":1,\"Name\":\"Adjustable Race\",\"Category\":\"Components\",\"IsCompete\":true,\"ManufacturedOn\":\"07/30/2014\"}," +
                    "{\"ProductID\":2,\"Name\":\"LL Crankarm\",\"Category\":\"Components\",\"IsCompete\":true,\"ManufacturedOn\":\"07/30/2014\"}," +
                    "{\"ProductID\":3,\"Name\":\"HL Mountain Frame - Silver\",\"Category\":\"Bikes\",\"IsCompete\":true,\"ManufacturedOn\":\"07/30/2014\"}]}";

                //POST web request
                byte[] byteArray = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(rowsJson);
                request.ContentLength = byteArray.Length;

                //Write JSON byte[] into a Stream
                using (Stream writer = request.GetRequestStream())
                {
                    writer.Write(byteArray, 0, byteArray.Length);

                    var response = (HttpWebResponse)request.GetResponse();

                    Console.WriteLine("Rows Added");

                    Console.ReadLine();
                }
            }

            #endregion
        }
    }

Although, we specify that we //Get the first id in the code above, the correct thing to do is search the dataset by name.

Next steps

Push data into a Power BI Dashboard
Overview of Power BI REST API
Power BI REST API reference
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