fastbi ⚡️

Scaffold Power BI projects instantly from templates.

Create ready-to-use Power BI Projects (.pbip) with intelligent renaming and path updates—all from a single command.

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From template to working project in seconds.

✨ Quick Start

Installation

Option 1: Use without installing (quickest)

uvx fastbi "My Project"

Option 2: Install globally (recommended for frequent use)

pip install fastbi

# Or with uv:
uv pip install fastbi

Option 3: Run directly with uvx

# No installation needed, runs in isolated environment
uvx fastbi "My Project"

First-Time Setup

The first time you run fastbi, a setup wizard will ask for your .pbip template folder location.

First time setup: uvx fastbi "My Project" prompts for template configuration.

# Try creating your first project - the wizard launches automatically
fastbi "My First Report"

# 🪄 The wizard will start:
# 🚀 Welcome! Let's configure your .pbip project template.
# Drag your template folder here and press Enter: _

Create Projects

Once configured, just pass the project name:

Subsequent use: uvx fastbi "new project" creates a project without re-configuring the template.

# The main way (recommended):
fastbi "Q4 Sales Dashboard"

# ✓ Success! Project created at '202510 - Q4 Sales Dashboard'

Multiple ways to create projects:

# Shortcut (fastest):
fastbi "Annual Report"

# Explicit command:
fastbi create "Annual Report"
fastbi new "Annual Report"

# Using fbi alias (same functionality):
fbi "Annual Report"

🔧 How It Works

fastbi doesn't just copy files—it performs intelligent scaffolding:

• 🔍 Discovery: Analyzes your .pbip template and automatically detects the base project structure
• ✏️ Rename: Updates folder names, .pbip file, and .Report/.SemanticModel directories to match your new project
• 🔄 Update: Edits internal JSON configs (.pbip, .pbir, .platform) so all paths and display names work correctly in Fabric

Result: Zero manual fixes. Your project just works.

🎨 Creating Your Template

The power of fastbi is that it works with your own template. Here's how:

1. Design Your Base Report: Open Power BI Desktop and create your ideal starting point—add logos, themes, common pages, standard visuals.

2. Save as Project: Go to File > Save As. In the file type dropdown, choose Power BI Project (*.pbip) instead of .pbix.

3. That's Your Template: Power BI creates a folder with the project structure. Point the fastbi setup wizard to this folder.

Living Template: Update your base report anytime. Just save it as .pbip again in the same location. All future projects will inherit the changes automatically.

🧰 Commands

Command	Action
fastbi "Name"	Create a new project (shortcut)
fastbi create "Name"	Create a new project (explicit)
fastbi new "Name"	Create a new project (alias)
fastbi setup	Configure or reconfigure template path
fastbi --help	Show all commands and options
fbi "Name"	Same as fastbi, just cooler 😎

💡 Why fastbi?

• Zero Config Needed: Works with any .pbip template structure
• Intelligent Updates: Automatically fixes all internal paths and references
• Date Prefixing: Auto-adds YYYYMM - prefix to keep projects organized
• Error Prevention: Validates names and prevents overwrites
• Multiple Aliases: Use fastbi, create, new, or fbi - whatever fits your style

🚀 Advanced Usage

Using with uv (recommended for speed)

# Install with uv (faster than pip)
uv pip install fastbi

# Or run without installing
uvx fastbi "Project Name"

Reconfiguring Template

Need to change your template location?

fastbi setup

The wizard will guide you through selecting a new template folder.

📦 What Gets Created

When you run fastbi "Sales Report", you get:

202410 - Sales Report/
├── Sales Report.pbip                    # Renamed project file
├── Sales Report.Report/                 # Renamed report folder
│   ├── definition.pbir                  # Updated with new paths
│   └── .platform                        # Updated display name
└── Sales Report.SemanticModel/          # Renamed model folder
    └── .platform                        # Updated display name

All internal references are automatically updated to match the new names.

🐛 Troubleshooting

"No .pbip file found in template"

• Make sure your template folder contains a .pbip file
• The template must be saved as Power BI Project format, not .pbix

"Directory already exists"

• A project with that name already exists for this month
• Choose a different name or delete the existing folder

Commands not working?

• Make sure you're using the latest version: pip install --upgrade fastbi
• For uvx users: uvx --refresh fastbi "Project"

🤝 Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome! Visit the GitHub repository.

📝 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

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Built for analysts and developers who value their time.

Forge your Power BI projects. Don't fight with folder structures.