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DAX calculations at visual level of reports

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Marco Russo on 22 May 2020 15:48:20

Provide a simple way to write formulas that work with the data displayed in a visual. For example, the running total of a measure in a table or in a chart according to the sort order of the visual should be something like this:

Running Total = ReportData[Sales] + PREVIOUS ( ReportData[Running Total] )

Where ReportData is the content of the current visual, Sales and Running Total are the names of the columns in the current visual. The user is not expected to know the model content, the calculation can be executed on top of any data currently being displayed.

More details about a proposal for visual calculations in DAX here:
https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/a-proposal-for-visual-calculations-in-dax/

Comments (56)
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95083b42 94d5-40a5-80b0-43327d219db5 on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:15

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

Awesome idea, Microsoft , please accept and make it a reality!

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21862aea 6b42-40d9-b134-d7b6d5f82bd3 on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:14

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

https://t.co/7BNykBEisw this xViz visual does it with no DAX

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cdda6dfb fe72-48b7-b868-1489695e6b8f on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:14

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

Good one!👍🏼

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a9c38bb7 decf-49b7-a693-4826b0645c9c on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:13

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

Great Idea¡.

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a3309361 99be-ea11-a812-000d3a8ddfb2 on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:13

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

For someone just embracing DAX, this makes a lot of common sense. It will underscore Microsoft's new ethos to simply the use of its products, particularly on coding, which it is successfully evangelizing through the no-code/low code power app development. Microsoft should not wait for the sufficient number of votes to be generated before implementing this evolutionary transformation to DAX.

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93e85c49 660c-45fc-90dd-76b09b37f5cd on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:13

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

Great idea!

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ffb0e02c 0153-455a-aeca-021d22fb2b55 on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:13

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

For someone just embracing DAX, this makes a lot of common sense. It will underscore Microsoft's new ethos to simply the use of its products, particularly on coding, which it is successfully evangelizing through the no-code/low code power app development. Microsoft should not wait for the sufficient number of votes to be generated before implementing this evolutionary transformation to DAX.

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0ea630fc 9b67-49cd-96fb-61f219754543 on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:12

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

I could not agree more with this idea. PBI is seen by many users in an organisation as a layer of complexity which makes analysis harder rather then simpler. Most of them have very limited or none programming knowledge, but are quite capable in Excel.

The first question I am asked when teaching PBI is “okay very cool but how do I export it in Excel to manipulate it?”.

In many cases I have seen PBI reports exported and new charts redone in Excel because “I needed to add a running total” or a Pareto analysis or whatever.

To be honest, after having spent hours to build a datamodel and struggled to make complex reports intelligible this is, as a professional, somewhat a failure. But I cannot blame the user which has little time to fiddle around DAX and cannot ask for help every time he needs to add a trivial calculation.
So yes! visual measures and a cool interactive UI to go with it!

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7bea0353 b493-447a-95cb-5150dc887a64 on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:12

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

A idéia é ótima e levará a programação DAX para um nível superior. Muito mais intuitivo e interessante de aprender.

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71dbf630 7c07-4dac-8cd8-64db2d01239b on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:11

RE: DAX calculations at visual level of reports

This would make DAX so much easier to learn and use. It can be incredibly frustrating to see what you want to be able to do but not be able to intuitively access the "cell' you need.
I also really like the idea of quick tables, virtual tables to be able to create snapshots at different granularities easily would dramatically improve the ability to analyse the data.