Articles of 2014
From SQL to DAX: Grouping Data
The GROUP BY condition of a SQL statement is natively implemented by SUMMARIZE in DAX. This article shows how to use SUMMARIZE and an alternative syntax to group data. Read more
From SQL to DAX: Filtering Data
The WHERE condition of an SQL statement has two counterparts in DAX: FILTER and CALCULATETABLE. In this article we explore the differences between them, providing a few best practices in their use. Read more
DIVIDE Performance
The DIVIDE function in DAX is usually faster to avoid division-by-zero errors than the simple division operator. However, there are exceptions to this rule, described in this article through a simple performance analysis. Read more
Check Empty Table Condition with DAX
In DAX there are different ways to test whether a table is empty. This test can be used in complex DAX expressions and this short article briefly discuss what are the suggested approaches from a performance perspective. Read more
FILTER vs CALCULATETABLE: optimization using cardinality estimation
A common best practice is to use CALCULATETABLE instead of FILTER for performance reasons. This article explores the reasons why and explains when FILTER might be better than CALCULATETABLE. Read more
AutoExist and Normalization
The autoexist feature used by MDX queries sent to an Analysis Services or Power Pivot data models can have different behaviors depending on the normalization level. This article describes these differences and provides best practices to avoid unwanted results. Read more
Tools for DAX and Tabular Developers
This page contains descriptions and links to necessary tools and resources for DAX and Tabular developers. Read more
Natural Hierarchies in Power Pivot and Tabular
Creating a hierarchy in a Power Pivot or Tabular data model is very easy, but you might experience performance issues if the hierarchy is not “natural”. This article explains how to create hierarchies avoiding these problems. Read more
Frictionless Renaming in Tabular Models with Analysis Services
The names used for table, columns, and measures in DAX cannot be renamed without breaking existing DAX formulas. This article describes how to leverage translations to decouple user interface from internal model names in Analysis Services Tabular. Read more
Prepare Data for Power View Forecasting in Power BI
The new forecasting capabilities in Power View for Office 365 has certain requirements for the column used in x-axis. This article provides a guide to make your data model compatible with the new forecasting feature. Read more