📄️ 5.1 | Chapter overview
We have so far created the automated data preparation process with Power Query and loaded the prepared data tables to the data model. Then we built the table relationships between the dimension and fact tables and configured different data model settings. Given that, we are now in the position and ready to start creating visualizations and custom calculations, i.e. measures with DAX.
📄️ 5.2 | Creating the first visualization
In this chapter, we will create a first simple visualization and explore different formatting options and ways to interact with a chart in Power BI.
📄️ 5.3 | Working with and applying filters
After creating our first visualization, let's continue with different ways of filtering this chart on the report page.
📄️ 5.4 | Creating and configuring the first measures
In this chapter, we will create the first measures using DAX. First, I will explain how the code for a measure is structured. Following that, we will create four basic measures which I use in almost every BI solution in practice.
📄️ 5.5 | Commonly used DAX measure patterns using CALCULATE()
Learning, understanding and applying the DAX language to create complex calculations is not easy. Although some functions seem familiar to the formulas used in Excel, the language is much more abstract, especially in the context of a data model with many table relations and of course a given filter context based on which a measure is evaluated.
📄️ 5.6 | Summary and takeaways for working with measures and DAX
Measures are very important for every BI solution and the DAX language to define them is very powerful and capable of implementing even the most complex requirements.
📄️ 5.7 | Example of a fully functioning dashboard
Instead of showing the many available features to build a dashboard in Power BI step-by-step in this book, I believe it is more effective to provide a good example which you can explore for yourself. Therefore, in the solution file for the demo use-case of this book, you can find a fully functioning dashboard which I created using best practice and many different features of Power BI:
📄️ 5.8 | Creating a calculated table with DAX
For a measure to work properly, the DAX code used must return a single value. But there are also DAX functions that return entire tables. Given that, we can create calculated tables using DAX that are part of the data model. In this short chapter, I want to show how this is done using different DAX table functions.