Are Power View and Power Query the same ?Power BI interview questions and answers 402

 Are Power View and Power Query the same ?

No, Power View and Power Query are distinct tools within the Power BI ecosystem, each serving different purposes:

Power Query:

• Focus: Data preparation and transformation.

• Functionality: Cleans, shapes, and transforms data from various sources before it enters the Power BI data model.

• Interface: Visual UI and M language for writing custom transformations.

• Output: Datasets ready for analysis and visualization.

Power View:

• Focus: Interactive data visualization.

• Functionality: Creates interactive charts, graphs, maps, and other visuals to explore and analyze data from the Power BI data model.

• Interface: Drag-and-drop interface for building visuals.

• Output: Visually compelling reports and dashboards.

Here's an analogy to understand the difference:

• Power Query is like a kitchen: It prepares and cleans the raw ingredients (data) to make them ready for cooking.

• Power View is like a chef: It uses the prepared ingredients (data) to create visually appealing and informative dishes (visualizations).

Power View and Power Query work together seamlessly:

1. Power Query cleans and transforms your data.

2. Power BI loads the transformed data into its data model.

3. Power View uses the data model to create interactive visualizations.

Therefore, they're not the same but rather complementary tools within the Power BI workflow.

Here are some additional points to remember:

• Power View is no longer actively developed but is still available in older versions of Power BI and Excel.

• Power BI visuals have largely replaced Power View in newer versions.

• Power Query is a core component of Power BI and used in both data preparation and analysis phases.

I hope this clarifies the difference between Power View and Power Query!