Introduction to DAX
Debangshu Chatterjee 1
What is DAX?
• DAX stands for Data Analysis eXpressions
• A formula language used in Power BI that provides the ability to create columns, tables, and measures.
• DAX is to Power BI, what formulas are to Excel
• It is used in other Microsoft tools including Analysis Services and Power Pivot.
Debangshu Chatterjee 2
DAX functions
• Functions are predefined formulas that perform calculations on specific values, called arguments, in a
particular order.
• Each function has a specific syntax indicating the order of arguments to be expected.
• DAX has over 200 different functions that fall into several categories, including Aggregation, Date and Time,
Logical, Text, and many more.
Debangshu Chatterjee 3
Calculated Columns and Calculated Measures
Calculated Columns Calculated Measures
For evaluating each row For aggregating multiple rows
Add a new columns to an existing table Results in another field that you can add
to a visualization
Calculated at data load and when the Calculated at query time as you interact
data is refreshed and filter
Debangshu Chatterjee 4
Creating a Calculated Column
• Adventure Works Cycles
• Understand Yearly Profit
• We want to create a Profit column to understand how much profit for each order line
• Profit = (Price – Cost)
• Create a clustered column chart Profit vs OrderDate
Debangshu Chatterjee 5
Creating a Calculated Measure
• Create a table _Calculations
• Create a new Measure SalesCount
• Use DISTINCTCOUNT() function on OrderNo
• Create a Line Chart showing SalesCount by OrderDate
Debangshu Chatterjee 6
Profit Margin Ratio
• Compares the Total Profit to the Total Sales
• Important Financial metric
• It is expressed as a percentage
• Create Measure in _Calculations: TotalProfit = SUM(Sales[Profit])
• Create Measure in _Calculations: TotalSales = SUM(Sales[LinePrice])
• Create a measure in _Calculations: ProfitMarginRatio= DIVIDE([TotalProfit],[TotalSales])
• Create Line Chart ProfitMarginRatio by Order Year
Debangshu Chatterjee 7
Context
• Enables dynamic analysis, where the results of a formula change to reflect the selected data
• There are three types of context –
• row,
• filter and
• query
Debangshu Chatterjee 8
Row Context
• Row context can be thought of as "the current row“
• A calculated column is an example of where row context applies.
• Columns
• In a calculated column the context includes the values from all columns within the current row.
• Row context can also be used in measures, however only when using iterator functions.
Debangshu Chatterjee 9
Row Context
• Measures
• Row context can also be used in measures, however only when using iterator functions.
• An iterator function can be identified by an X at the end of a function name. SUMX()
• Syntax: SUMX(<table>, <expression>)
• Example: SUMX(Sales[Price], (Sales[Price] * Sales[Tax]))
Debangshu Chatterjee 10
Filter Context
• Filter context is a set of filters that have been applied before the calculation is carried out.
• They can be applied in several ways, including
• attributes in a row or column,
• via a slider,
• through the filter pane, or
• in a calculated measure.
• In order for Power BI to return a value for color blue, it will go to the base table and apply a filter
where color is equal to blue. This is the filter context. It is applying the filter context on each quantity
returned by color.
Debangshu Chatterjee 11
Filter Context
• Filtered based on Color and Product Category
Debangshu Chatterjee 12
Calculate Function
• Calculate allows you to evaluate an expression with one or more filter contexts.
• calculate functions takes two arguments - one argument is required and the other argument is
optional.
• The first argument contains the expression to be evaluated - this must return a single value
• The second argument for adding filters is optional - but you need to ensure that filters evaluate as a
table, and do not clash with one another.
• The filters inside the CALCULATE() function will always override any filters from a visualization.
Debangshu Chatterjee 13
Email Id: [email protected]
Contact Number: +919971366473
Debangshu Chatterjee 14
