Course details

Duration: 1-day

Location: This course is run virtually online.

DAX, or Data Analysis Expressions, is the language that’s used to create formulas in Power BI Desktop that extend our data model. DAX gives us the ability to create additional information at runtime so that we can quickly and easily generate new information beyond the information that’s in our Power BI model already.

If you already know how to build data models in Power BI Desktop, learning DAX is a logical next step, because there are things that we can do with DAX that we can’t do as easily or at all without it. This course is designed to explore the capabilities of DAX within Power BI Desktop.

Prerequisite

This is not a beginner’s course in Power BI. Our assumption is that you know some things before attending. For example, you know how to connect to data sources in Power BI Desktop, and once you have, you know how to add and remove columns, and change data types. If not, we recommend attending either the 3-hour Power BI Introduction or 1-day Power BI Introduction course first.

Learning objectives

Set Up a Data Model

  • Data modelling: the basics
  • Connect to a source file
  • Check relationships

DAX Aggregate Functions

  • DAX filter context
  • Step-by-step measure calculation
  • Basic maths and stats functions
  • Create a SUM measure
  • Understanding DAX syntax
  • Display the measure in a matrix
  • Aggregate COUNT measure
  • The COUNTROWS measure
  • Check data with COUNTBLANK
  • Create a DISTINCTCOUNT measure

Edit a Measure

  • Format a measure
  • Edit and delete a measure
  • Make DAX easier to read
  • Add comments to a measure
  • The quick measure option
  • Move a measure

Measures and Calculated Columns

  • Add a calculated column
  • Explicit vs. implicit measures
  • Create a measure with operators
  • Using DIVIDE for percentage

The Logical and Filter Measures

  • Logical functions IF, AND, and OR
  • Create a FIND calculated column
  • Create an IF calculated column
  • Using more than two conditions
  • Best practices
  • Calculated columns vs. measures
  • Common function categories

The SWITCH Function

  • SWITCH with nested TRUE

Text Functions

  • Basic text functions
  • The CONCATENATE function
  • Nest LEFT inside UPPER
  • Nest SEARCH inside LEFT

The CALCULATE Measure

  • Anatomy of CALCULATE
  • Use CALCULATE as a filter
  • Advanced filtering

The ALL Measure

  • Anatomy of ALL
  • Create an ALL measure
  • Use ALL as a filter
  • Use ALL in percentage measures
  • Pass a table or column to ALL

The RELATED Function

  • Create a RELATED function

Iterators and Row Context

  • Iterator “X” measure SUMX
  • Anatomy of iterators and row context
  • A closer look at SUMX
  • Create a RANKX

Date and Time Functions

  • Basic date and time functions
  • Create a DATEDIFF function
  • The EOMONTH function

Time Intelligent Measures

  • Compare historical monthly data
  • Create TOTALYTD/QTD/MTD measures
  • Create a DATEADD measure
  • Run cumulative totals
  • Nesting FILTER, ALLSELECTED and MAX
  • The DATESINPERIOD measure