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Allow formatting datetimezone fields to user local timezone

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Christiaan B.'s profile image

Christiaan B. on 29 Aug 2017 05:15:12

Typically date & time information is available in UTC (if not then put it to UTC at source), you just want it rendered in the users' locale/time zone at reporting time.

Adding an option to format datetimezone fields in the users' locale/time zone (based on the user account settings) would probably solve 90+% of requirements for rendering time zone information.

Currently MS does not provide for showing offset information (or local time zone) as you only have date/time format options, but in the query editor you can set type to datetimezone which show offset info so it's clearly available - just the rendering that lacks.

Not having this functionality is forcing people to resort to hacks like using DateTimeZone.AddZone () with hardcoded time offsets - not scalable where DST is involved. Current workarounds obviously only work as long as the viewer is in the designated time zone and does not scale across a global audience.

Comments (33)
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c4b3b34a b1c1-41d8-a758-15fdb32b9014 on 05 Jul 2020 23:16:08

RE: Allow formatting datetimezone fields to user local timezone

We need a way to display data in our local timezone accounting for daylight savings time. The data source stores the dates in UTC but we need reports to show local time. A native and easy way to do this in PowerBI would be a huge help. There are many blog posts and help articles floating around with solutions people have attempted but it's a simple issue that so many users would benefit from having solved centrally by PowerBI itself. Please consider!

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15edc63c 64a0-418a-8b78-92bc4937edb7 on 05 Jul 2020 22:58:18

RE: Allow formatting datetimezone fields to user local timezone

Since we will be deploying reports and dashboards for a global audience, this functionality is absolutely critical--and basic. We simply cannot tell our users to look at time series data and to "do the math" in their heads for their timezone.

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e1a08467 325d-40b2-aabc-a706a3e9b299 on 05 Jul 2020 22:33:10

RE: Allow formatting datetimezone fields to user local timezone

When we use Event Hub, IoT Hub or the system datetime in Stream Analytics the timezone considered is the UTC.
It would be interesting to be able to see data represented in the user timezone in PowerBI.