Serialize jsonSpec and jsonConfig as standalone JSON/JSONC files when saving a report using the Power BI enhanced report format (PBIR)

[jol1]

This is a feature that likely can't be implemented without Microsoft first enhancing the PBIR serializer and the Power BI visual SDK. Please vote for my Idea!
Serialize visual custom code (R/Python script visual, Deneb, etc.) as standalone files when saving a report using the Power BI enhanced report format (PBIR) - Microsoft Fabric Ideas

The purpose of the Power BI enhanced report format (PBIR) is to make report definitions more friendly when under source control, and to enable offline editing. This feature means that the Vega or Vega-Lite specification and configuration within a Deneb visual would be saved as standalone JSON files, rather than being embedded within strings (filled with escaped new line and double-quote characters) inside the "visual.json" file.

[jol1]

This is what the "visual.json" file currently looks like for a Deneb visual in a report saved using the Power BI enhanced report format (PBIR)

[dm-p]

This is a great idea! I will certainly vote it up 👍

One thing we will need to consider for such a feature is that Deneb will have JSONC support with the next update, and comments are not a part of the JSON spec (meaning that all JSONC is actually parsed as serialized/string format anyway).

If this were to work I feel that indeed MS would need to add visuals SDK support for PBIR hooks that can specify properties and file types that can be "exported" when this happens, so being able to specify the file type would be very useful. I'll also add some thoughts to the idea when I get some time to think through in detail.

[dm-p]

Of note, the potential for PBIR is pretty exciting and it's on my list to have a think about how we can work with this constraint anyway (even if we need some intermediate tooling), so if you have any ideas, please feel free to raise them :)