Combine HTML Binaries from SharePoint

[adamsharma]

So I can combine several HTML files with the same schema from a local folder easily and extract a data element from each such as a table, but I simply cannot do the same with the same HTML files stored in a SharePoint folder. I just keep getting "We encountered an error while trying to connect. Details: "Query 'Parameter1 (2)' (step 'Source') references other queries or steps, so it may not directly access a data source. Please rebuild this data combination."

I've tried absolutely everything I can think of, including following the various guidance available for Formula Firewall errors, and nothing seems to work. It's particularly annoying as I can combine Excel files from the same SharePoint folder no problem.

Any help would be appreciated as this is doing my head in!

[dosorio]

Hi @adamsharma 

I am trying to do the same, but Power BI does not recognize the HTML binary to continue with the combine action. Could you please share the steps you followed to do this?

[adamsharma]

Hi @dosorio. Apologies for the slow reply. So firstly I went to Options and Settings -> Preview features and turned on "New web table inference", then restarted Power BI Desktop. From there it was simple:

1) Create a new data source of type "SharePoint Folder" and point to the relevant SharePoint Site URL

2) Use the query editor to filter on the "Folder Path" column to select only the specific folder containing the HTML files you want to include

3) Click the double-down arrow "Combine Files" icon in the Content column header

4) Select the relevant table from those that Power Query has extracted, containing the content you want from the HTML file

5) Press OK!

You should then be able to shape and transform the data as with any other data source and load into the data model once ready.

[adamsharma · Accepted solution]

So I've actually ended up answering my own question, more through luck than judgement! I turned on the "New web table inference" Preview Feature. After doing that, the out-of-the-box combine binaries feature suddenly worked on my SharePoint HTML files!

[artemus]

Just to make sure: Have you tried disabling privacy levels?

Other than that, it may depend on how your reading the file. E.g. Make sure you are using Web.Contents and not another function. It is possible that a Web.Page or Web.BrowserContents was automatically added after you connected to the sharepoint files.

[adamsharma]

Thanks Artemus.

I've tried disabling privacy levels to no avail unfortunately. I've tried changing the query to Web.Contents and I just seem to get credentials errors despite definitely having the correct credentials in place to be able to access the SharePoint folder in question.

Has anyone actually managed to successfully do this? I can't find any evidence online that anyone has managed to combine anything other than Excel files from SharePoint so wondering if I'm barking up an impossible tree...