DAX for creating

tables and columns

DA X I N P OW E R B I

Carl Rosseel
Curriculum Manager at DataCamp
DAX stands for data analysis expressions
DAX is a formula expression language used in multiple Microso analytics tools

DAX formulas include functions, operators and values to perform advanced calculations

DAX formulas are used in:

Measures

Calculated columns

Calculated tables

Row-level security

DAX IN POWER BI
The power of DAX
It opens up new capabilities:
Joins, lters, measures and calculated elds become part of your toolbox

DAX + Power Query = a powerful data analysis tool:

Dive deeper into the data and extract key insights

Use DAX for rapid prototyping

DAX IN POWER BI
Measures vs calculated columns
Calculated Columns:

Calculated on data import

Visible in data & report Pane

COST = Orders[Sales] - Orders[Profit]

Order_ID Sales Po t Cost

3151 $77.88 $3.89 $73.99
3152 $6.63 $1.79 $4.84
3153 $22.72 $10.22 $12.50
3154 45.36 $21.77 $23.59

DAX IN POWER BI
Measures vs calculated columns
Calculated Columns: Measures:

Calculated on data import Calculated at query run-time

Visible in data & report Pane Visible only in report pane

COST = Orders[Sales] - Orders[Profit] Total Sales = SUM(Orders[Sales])

Order_ID Sales Po t Cost Region Total Sales

3151 $77.88 $3.89 $73.99 Central $501,239.89
3152 $6.63 $1.79 $4.84 East $678,781.24
3153 $22.72 $10.22 $12.50 West $391,721.91
3154 45.36 $21.77 $23.59 South $725.457.82
Total $2,297,200.86

DAX IN POWER BI
Context allows you to perform dynamic analysis
There are three types of context: row, query and lter context

Row context: (1)

"The current row"

DAX calculated columns

COST = Orders[Sales] - Orders[Profit]

DAX IN POWER BI
Context allows you to perform dynamic analysis
There are three types of context: row, query and lter context

Row context: (1)

"The current row"

DAX calculated columns

COST = Orders[Sales] - Orders[Profit]

Order_ID Sales Po t Cost

3151 $77.88 $3.89 $73.99
3152 $6.63 $1.79 $4.84
3153 $22.72 $10.22 $12.50
3154 45.36 $21.77 $23.59

DAX IN POWER BI
Context allows you to perform dynamic analysis
There are three types of context: row, query and lter context

Query context: (2)

Refers to the subset of data that is implicitly retrieved for a formula

Controlled by slicers, page lters, table columns and row headers

Controlled by chart/visual lters

Applies a er row context

DAX IN POWER BI
Context allows you to perform dynamic analysis
Query context: (2) Query context: (2)
Example: Filter data by Region. Example: Filter data by State.

Region Total Sales State Total Sales

Central $501,239 Alabama $13,724
East $678,781 Arizona $38,710
West $391,721 Arkansas $7,669
South $725.457 California $381,306

DAX IN POWER BI
Context allows you to perform dynamic analysis
There are three types of context: row, query and lter context

Filter Context: (3)

The set of values allowed in each column, or in the values retrieved from a related table

By using arguments to a formula or by using report lters on row and column headings

Applies a er query context

DAX IN POWER BI
Context allows you to perform dynamic analysis
There are three types of context: row, query and lter context.

Filter Context (3)

Total Costs East = CALCULATE([Total Costs], Orders[Region] = 'East')

Region Total costs Total costs East

Central $617,039
East $587,258 $587,258
West $461,534
South $344,972
Total $2,010,804 $587,258

DAX IN POWER BI
Context in a nutshell

DAX IN POWER BI
World wide importers dataset
A ctitious wholesaler who imports and
distributes novelty goods

The dataset consists of:

A fact table that detailing sales
transactions

Multiple other dimension tables:

Dates

Customers

Cities

Employees

Stock Items

DAX IN POWER BI
Let's practice!
DA X I N P OW E R B I
 DAX for calculated
tables and columns
DA X I N P OW E R B I

Carl Rosseel
Curriculum Manager
Let's practice!
DA X I N P OW E R B I
 Methods to create
DAX measures
DA X I N P OW E R B I

Carl Rosseel
Curriculum Manager
Implicit vs explicit measures
Implicit Explicit

Automatically created by Power BI Writing measures in an explicit way

Comes directly from the Database E.g.: Total Sales = SUM(Orders[Sales])

E.g.: If we drag Sales to values of a table, O er exibility

Power BI will automatically sum it

Using a dropdown menu we can de ne the

aggregation: sum, average, count, ...

DAX IN POWER BI
Why explicit measures are preferred
Reduces confusion of what a measure is or does
Total Sales = SUM(Orders[Sales])

Total Sales is more clear than Sales (SUM, AVG, MIN, ... ?)

Reusable within other measures

Total Sales East = CALCULATE([Total Sales],Orders[Region] = 'East')

Can be given a custom name to explain its functionality

Makes maintenance of complex models more sustainable

DAX IN POWER BI
Best practices
Keep DAX measures grouped together: Format and comment with DAX:
Measures are free to move to any table Use indentations to increase
understanding
This is in contrast with calculated
Shi Enter to start a new line
columns, which belong to a speci c table
Tab to indent

Add comments a er a //

DAX IN POWER BI
Use variables to improve your formulas
Stores the result of an expression as a Syntax:
named variable
VAR <name> = <expression>
Can be used as an argument to other
Name = The name of the variable
measure expressions
A DAX expression which returns a scalar
Four main advantages:
or table value
Improve performance
Followed by a RETURN statement
Improve readability

Simplify debugging

Reduce complexity

DAX IN POWER BI
Use variables to improve your formulas - example
Calculate the sales from last year and store it as a variable

VAR
SALESPRIORYEAR = CALCULATE([SALES],SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR('DATE'))
RETURN

Use the variable in a formula

Sales growth = [Sales] - SALESPRIORYEAR

DAX IN POWER BI
Use variables to improve your formulas - example
All together it would look like this:

Sales growth =

VAR
SALESPRIORYEAR = CALCULATE([SALES],SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR('DATE'))
RETURN

Sales growth = [Sales] - SALESPRIORYEAR

DAX IN POWER BI
Let's practice!
DA X I N P OW E R B I
 DAX and measures
DA X I N P OW E R B I

Carl Rosseel
Curriculum Manager
Let's practice!
DA X I N P OW E R B I