DAX cheatsheet
Introduction
As you discovered earlier in this lesson, DAX, or data analysis expression, is a programming
language that provides a library of functions, operators, and constants for creating additional
information about a data model.
Mastering DAX requires understanding its fundamentals, like the syntax, data types, operators,
and how to refer to columns and tables.
This reading offers an overview of these fundamental elements of DAX alongside specific
examples. Through careful study of this material, you’ll develop your understanding of DAX.
DAX syntax
A DAX formula always starts with an equal operator (=). After the equals sign, you can provide
any expression that evaluates to a scalar or can be converted to a scalar. Let us understand the
syntax with an example by breaking down the following DAX measure formula:
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Total Sales = SUM (Sales[Sales Amount])
• Total Sales: The name of the calculated column.
• Equal operator: Indicates the beginning of the DAX formula.
• SUM: An aggregation function of DAX
• Parenthesis ( ): Grouping of arguments
• Sales: Table to be referenced
• Square brackets [Sales Amount]: The square brackets contain the referenced column,
which is also the argument. The value of this argument must be passed to the function.
Data types in DAX
DAX can perform computations on different data types, which include the following:
• Text (Binary): "Hello, world".
• Decimal (Float): 1.23.
• Whole number (Integer): 123.
• Boolean: TRUE or FALSE.
• Date (Date/Time): DATE(2023,5,11).
• Currency: A fixed decimal number.
DAX Operators
DAX formulas rely on operators to perform arithmetic calculations, compare values, work with
strings, or test conditions.
Here is an overview of some commonly used operators in DAX:
Operator Type Symbol Application Example
() Grouping of arguments and precedence (5+7) * 5
Parenthesis
order
+ Addition 5 + 3 = 8
- Subtraction 9 – 5 = 4
Arithmetic * Multiplication 3 * 9 = 27
/ Division 18/3 = 6
^ Exponentiation 16^4 = 65536
AND condition between two Boolean [Region] = "USA" &&
&& expressions [Quantity] > 5
Logical
|| OR condition between two Boolean [Region] = "USA" ||
expressions [Quantity] > 5
= Equal to [Region] = "USA"
<> Not equal to Region] <> "USA"
> Greater than [Quantity] > 5
Comparison
>= Greater than or equal to [Quantity] >= 10
< Less than [Quantity] < 5
<= Less than or equal to [Quantity] <= 5
Text & [Region] & ", " & [City]
Concatenation of strings
Concatenation
DAX Functions
A function is a named formula within an expression. Most functions have required and optional
arguments, also called parameters, as input. When the function is executed, a value is returned.
DAX includes functions to perform calculations using dates and times, create conditional values,
work with strings, perform lookups based on relationships, and iterate over a table to perform
recursive calculations. Some of the most used classes of DAX functions are given below.
Text Functions
You can use these functions to return part of a string, search for text within a string or
concatenate string values to create a new column.
With the CONCATENATE function, you can join two text strings into one text string. For example,
you can combine an employee’s first name and last name into a new column by defining a DAX
formula as follows:
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Full Name = CONCATENATE (Employees[FirstName], CONCATENATE ( " ", Employees[La
stName] ) )
The LEFT function returns the leftmost characters from a text value. For example, you could
create a column that shortens the names of the months for better visualization purposes. The
LEFT function allows you to create a column with only the first three letters of each month as
follows:
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Short Name = LEFT (Date[Month], 3)
Date/Time Functions
These functions in DAX are like date and time functions in Microsoft Excel. However, DAX
functions are based on the datetime data types used by Microsoft SQL Server.
• NOW(): The NOW function displays the current date and time on a worksheet or
calculates a value based on the current date and time. It updates the value each time you
open the worksheet.
• YEAR(<date>): Returns the year of a date as a four-digit integer from the date column.
You can add a column for a year from your date table.
• MONTH(<date>): Returns the month of a date as a number (1 - 12).
Logical Functions
These functions evaluate logical conditions and return true or false values.
• IF(<logical_test>, <value_if_true>, <value_if_false>): Returns one value if a condition is
true and another value if it is false.
• AND(<logical1>, <logical2>): Returns TRUE if all its arguments are TRUE; returns
FALSE if one or more argument is FALSE.
• OR(<logical1>, <logical2>): Returns TRUE if any argument is TRUE; returns FALSE if
all arguments are FALSE.
• NOT(<logical>): Reverses the logic of its argument.
Aggregation Functions
These functions perform aggregations. Commonly these functions create sums and averages
and find minimum and maximum values. You can also filter a column in DAX based on related
tables, before creating aggregations. Common aggregation functions are:
• COUNT(<column>): Returns the count, or total, of all rows in a column.
• SUM(<column>): Returns the sum of all values in a column.
• AVERAGE(<column>): Returns the average of all values in a column.
• MIN(<column>): Returns the smallest value in a column.
• MAX(<column>): Returns the largest value in a column.
Time Intelligence Functions
These functions create calculations using built-in knowledge of calendars and dates. You can
build meaningful comparisons across comparable periods for sales, inventory, and so on using
time and date ranges combined with aggregations or calculations.
• SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR(<dates>): Returns a parallel period calculated against the
dates provided.
• DATESYTD(<dates>): Returns dates from the beginning of the year until the last date in
the dates column provided.
• DATESMTD(<dates>): Returns dates from the beginning of the month until the last date
in the provided dates column.
• DATESQTD(<dates>): Returns dates from the beginning of the quarter until the last date
in the provided dates column.
• EDATE(<start_date>, <months>): Returns the date that is a specified number of months
before or after the start date.
Statistical Functions
These functions calculate values related to statistical distributions and probability, such as
standard deviation and number of permutations. Common statistical functions are:
• STDEV.P(<ColumnName>): Returns the standard deviation of the entire population.
• MEDIAN(<column>): Returns the median of numbers in a column.
• RANKX(<table>, <expression>[, <value>[, <order>[, <ties>]]]): Returns the ranking of a
number in a list of numbers for each row in the table argument.
Relational Functions
These functions are for managing and utilizing relationships between tables. For example, you
can specify a particular relationship to be used in a calculation.
• RELATED(<column>): Returns a related value from another table.
• RELATEDTABLE: Evaluates a table expression in a context modified by the given filters.
Information Functions
These functions look at a table or column provided as an argument to another function and
determine if the value matches the expected type.
• ISBLANK(<expression>): Checks if a value is blank and returns TRUE or FALSE.
• CONTAINS(<table>, <column>, <value>): Checks if the values in a column already exist
in another column and returns a value of TRUE or FALSE.
Points to remember:
• DAX is not case-sensitive but distinguishes between blanks and zeros.
• Use comments to explain your code. You can use // for a single-line comment and /* ...
*/ for a multi-line comment.
• Remember, many DAX functions require an existing relationship between tables, so
ensure your data model is set up correctly.
• Study row and filter context, as they are fundamental to understanding and using DAX
effectively.
Conclusion
Remember, practice makes perfect. Spend time learning and experimenting with different DAX
functions and syntaxes using sample datasets to improve your understanding and proficiency.
For more guidance, you can consult the Microsoft Learn guide to the basics of DAX.
