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enable "mark as date table" in Power BI Desktop

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Nico Jacobs on 02 Dec 2016 03:40:26

In Excel we can join a date dimension with the fact table on a surrogate key (int) and the time intelligence functions in DAX (DatesYTD etc) work fine if we first mark our date table using the "mark as date table" option.
However in Power BI Desktop there is no such option, hence we have to join our date table on a date column with our fact table or we cannot use time intelligence.
So please add the option to mark a table as a date table to Power BI Desktop.

Comments (4)
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96f634ee 56b8-4549-bdcb-636577dc0463 on 05 Jul 2020 23:15:04

RE: enable "mark as date table" in Power BI Desktop

Is possible since PBI Update Feb 2018

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cf5cf5a3 3eb2-4bce-b66b-0f81ff046e6b on 05 Jul 2020 23:13:48

RE: enable "mark as date table" in Power BI Desktop

You should set the state as completed because it has been implemented in February 2018 version.

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91f815bc e947-4792-8351-4e535040dfd9 on 05 Jul 2020 22:39:27

RE: enable "mark as date table" in Power BI Desktop

Hi Karel,

A clarification must be made. DAX time intelligence functions that use the standard calendar may work properly in Power BI. However, DAX time patterns used for other custom calendars do no work without the "mark as date table". See post https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Desktop/How-to-mark-Date-table/td-p/3202/page/2 . greggyb's comment is true. I've experienced it.

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43759ad0 568b-41ec-b328-83e8516c05c5 on 05 Jul 2020 22:36:51

RE: enable "mark as date table" in Power BI Desktop

'Hi Nico,
not sure if I get your comment right. I did the following test in PBI Desktop:

- I've created a fact table and a date dimension
- relation based on integer key (e.g. 20160708)
- my date dimension contains a field of datetype 'Date'

>> I've succesfully added calculated measures with DAX functions DATESYTD and SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, referring to my [Date dimension].[Date] field