How can I combine data from Xero and Sharepoint Online in Power BI?

[gtmswadmin]

Hi all, I have created some reports in Power BI Desktop by getting data from Sharepoint Online.

Now I want to bring data from Xero into the same reports. I can't find Xero in the list of data sources, so I went to the online Power BI service via office.com.

From the web Power BI appstore, there is a Xero app which I installed and connected to my Xero account and it created a new workspace with a data set and report in it. Now I go back to Power BI Desktop and from the existing report, I go to 'Get Data > Power BI datasets'. But I am getting this error message (screenshot below).

What does the message mean? Why am I not able to bring in the data set into the existing report?
Is there another way to do it? Thanks for your help.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I created a brand new report and was able to connect to the Xero dataset, and the data in it is fine. However the 'Get data' button is greyed out once I do that. Is it because Xero data is in a separate workspace? Is there no way to combine data from 2 different sources?

[v-yingjl · Accepted solution]

Hi @gtmswadmin ,

1. When you connect power bi datasets in power bi desktop, it uses live connection mode. Under this connection mode, you cannot add any other data source any more and you can only use restrict functions such as writing measures, adding buttons etc which based on the report view
2. If you connect to sharepoint online first then connect to live connection, it will produce the previous error because as my first point mentioned, live connection only support single data source. Mixed connection mode only supports import mode and direct query mode currently.

If you want to connect Xero and Sharepoint online in power bi desktop at the same time, you can try this third-party Xero connector: Xero Power BI Connector  that could help you, use import or direct query mode.

Best Regards,
Yingjie Li

If this post helps then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[mwegener]

Hi @gtmswadmin ,

look at this.

https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Desktop/OAuth-API-Xero-Data-Connection-Options/td-p/754210

[mwegener]

Hi @gtmswadmin ,

you can currently not extend an existing dataset (Live Connection).

But it will soon be possible with the composite models.

To find out more, watch Christian Wade’s Business Applications Summit presentation on Modern Enterprise BI (The Business Analyst view of the Enterprise Semantic Models begins at ~14mins).

A good blog post about reusing datasets.

https://exceleratorbi.com.au/new-power-bi-reports-golden-dataset/