The new calendar-based time intelligence functions offer greater flexibility than the classic ones. Learn DATEADD parameters for controlling different granularity shifts. #dax #powerbi https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/understanding-dateadd-parameters-with-calendar-based-time-intelligence/

This article+video shows how to create a DAX measure that displays information from multiple columns in a transaction into a single column of a matrix. Showing more in less space! #powerbi #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/show-transaction-details-on-the-matrix-visual-in-power-bi/

Power BI Desktop is showing black icons for many users due to a WebView2 regression. I wrote a short article explaining the issue and a safe workaround. https://www.sqlbi.com/blog/marco/2026/01/24/fixing-the-black-icons-issue-in-power-bi-desktop-understanding-the-problem-and-a-temporary-workaround/

"It depends" is the only 100% accurate answer in Business Intelligence. What is your “it depends” KPI? This comic from SQLBI Newsletter #311: https://www.sqlbi.com/nl/v/2444/

News about The Definitive Guide to DAX, Third Edition. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟯 is available as a 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 (𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗗𝗙).  The 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 of the book is now available on Amazon in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴. https://www.sqlbi.com/books/the-definitive-guide-to-dax-third-edition/

This article analyzes the performance of regular versus limited relationships in DAX to understand the implications of using limited relationships. #powerbi #dax #optimization https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/analyzing-the-performance-of-limited-and-regular-relationships/

There are two types of people after a breakup: those who talk to their friends, and those who open DAX Studio. If your data model could give you life advice, what would it be?

How many other times should I read that a dimensional model exists only because the third-normal-form is slower? Dude, next time you write a statement like this, pause for a minute. I don't ask you to study; this would be clearly too much to ask. Just ask your favorite LLM. You're welcome.

*2025 DAX recap* UDFs Calendar-based time intelligence 21 new DAX functions *SQLBI* Definitive Guide to DAX 3rd ed. SQLBI+ content DAX Lib DAX Optimizer Basic Blog: https://www.sqlbi.com/blog/marco/2025/12/29/what-happened-in-the-dax-world-in-2025/ Video:

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: The third edition of *The Definitive Guide to DAX* is available in all formats. The 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 version experienced 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀. If you bought it, you have 7 days to request a refund. Read more in the FAQ: https://www.sqlbi.com/books/the-definitive-guide-to-dax-third-edition/

This article+video describes the data model and DAX measures to analyze campaign effectiveness 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 by separating 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 from 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. #dax #powerbi https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/measuring-the-impact-of-promotions-on-sales-in-power-bi/

𝗗𝗔𝗫 𝗟𝗶𝗯 is quickly becoming the shared home for UDFs in DAX: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝟯𝟬+ 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 that you can import into your Power BI models using TMDL scripts. Watch what DAX Lib is, why it matters, and how you can start using it.

The 3rd edition of The Definitive Guide to DAX is available. We have seen quality issues with the Kindle format. You might want to wait for that. PDF is the best format for rendering, with no quality issues. Enjoy DAX!

Should you use RANK or stick with RANKX? In which scenarios is one better than the other? Make an informed choice with this article + video! #powerbi #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/using-rank-instead-of-rankx-in-dax/

Cyber Monday is your last stop if you missed Black Friday! This is your last chance to enjoy 20% off all SQLBI video courses! https://sqlbi.com/campaign/cyber-monday/ #dax #powerbi #fabric #ssas #training

In some countries, it's already Cyber Monday! Save 20% on all SQLBI video courses! https://sqlbi.com/campaign/cyber-monday/ #dax #powerbi #fabric #ssas #training

It's Black Friday all over the world! Enjoy 20% off all SQLBI video courses. https://sqlbi.com/campaign/black-friday/ #powerbi #dax #fabric #ssas #training

It's already Friday in the Far East, and... Black Friday is active for you on SQLBI! Enjoy 20% off all SQLBI video courses. https://sqlbi.com/campaign/black-friday/ #powerbi #dax #fabric #ssas #training

If you are at PASS Summit 2025, look for me at the Tabular Editor booth in the Exhibit Hall. I will show a sneak preview of DAX Optimizer basic edition: no emails, no data access, no external tools required. The easiest way to verify if your semantic model can be optimized. Coming soon...

Learn the differences between model-dependent and model-independent DAX user-defined functions in this article+video. Bonus: tips to publish libraries of functions on daxlib.org. #dax #powerbi  https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/model-dependent-and-model-independent-user-defined-functions-in-dax/

Top 10 products are a classic. Reporting which products are in the top 10 for several years is more challenging. We are looking for 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀: how to find them in DAX in this article+video. #powerbi #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/find-the-products-in-the-top-10-every-year-with-dax/

The DAX Package Manager (in Tabular Editor 3) is now the benchmark for future implementations of DAX Library integration in other external tools. It's so fast that I thought it didn't work when I installed the first library. Kudos to the TE3 team! #powerbi #dax

I start to believe that one of the biggest misconceptions in data analytics is that dimensional modeling is for the data warehouse, whereas it is really for the data mart. Someone should fix that.

Today you have one task: update DAX Studio to 3.4.0. If you have a model with DAX UDFs (user-defined functions) or Calendars, here is the version that correctly handles autocompletion and VPAX export. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘁? Now you can! https://daxstudio.org/blog/v3_4_0-release/

This article+video describes when to use VALUES in the table grouped by SUMMARIZE, also mentioning why SUMMARIZECOLUMNS does not have that option. #powerbi #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/using-values-in-summarize/

Yesterday at dataMinds.be I asked the audience how many experienced disk defrag. I was talking about Delta/Parquet files in DirectLake.  >50% raised their hands. Next time, I'll ask about index rebuild on SQL Server. We are so back.

Spoiler: 800+ pages. Not ready to announce the official release date yet, but the third edition of The Definitive Guide to DAX has broken the 800-page barrier.  But hey, there are many figures! Coming soon...

I will be speaking live about UDF on Analytics Endeavors' channel on October 8 (morning in the US, late afternoon in Europe). Set a reminder! #dax #usd #live #powerbi

Simon Sabin and I sit down and chat to answer one simple question: why bother with conferences in 2026? In the chat, we talk about meeting peers, asking real questions, and learning from battle-tested content (not vendor demos). Watch (or just listen to) the video:  https://youtu.be/zwGDfL-B3jQ

I will be delivering a "Mastering DAX" Workshop in Lugano, Switzerland, from October 28-30, 2025. This workshop is also near Northern Italy, France, and Southern Germany. The workshop is in English.  For more details, visit: https://www.sqlbi.com/p/mastering-dax-workshop-lugano-oct-28-30-2025/

Watch a 30-minute chat with Jay recorded at FabCon25 Europe this week. @jaypowerbi.sky.social is the product manager of DAX. We talk about the new features just released: User-defined functions (UDFs) and Calendar-based time intelligence. #dax #fabconeurope25

We finally have 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿-𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (𝗨𝗗𝗙) in DAX! Don't make mistakes; this is not a user data function in Fabric. This is a new DAX feature, the most important one in the last five years. Read/watch more: https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/introducing-user-defined-functions-in-dax/

Read our first article and watch the video about the new calendar-based time intelligence feature in DAX and Power BI. Helpful for Gregorian, necessary for non-Gregorian calendars. #powerbi #dax #timeintelligence https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/introducing-calendar-based-time-intelligence-in-dax/

There were so many things to announce at #fabconeurope that 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁 to include the biggest innovations in DAX and semantic models in the last 6 years: - 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿-𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 (in DAX) - 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 time intelligence Watch out for articles on www.sqlbi.com coming in the next hour!

Introducing AI and Agentic Development for Power BI: an article that explores concepts and scenarios for integrating AI and AI agents into BI development, with specific examples for Power BI. https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/introducing-ai-and-agentic-development-for-business-intelligence/

If you're in Toronto, don't miss the Toronto Power Platform UG meeting on August 20, 6pm EDT. Alberto Ferrari presents "Understanding visual calculations in Power BI"  Follow the link for more details and to register (free!):

Yes, you can use SUMMARIZECOLUMNS in a DAX measure, BUT... But only if you follow the best practices in this article + video. Spoiler: Goodbye ADDCOLUMNS / SUMMARIZE - well, with some exceptions... #dax #powerbi https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/summarizecolumns-best-practices/

A short article about sideways recursion in calculation groups in DAX. About why you should avoid it. #dax #powerbi

First impressions about ChatGPT-5 with DAX. It still doesn't "understand" the language, even though you may be lucky and get a working expression. It is not better than other models/vendors. But I like the English produced more than the previous versions of ChatGPT.

This article and video discuss the current state of AI tools with Power BI and how to utilize the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to interact with and control Power BI or Fabric using an LLM. #powerbi #semanticmodel #mcp #llm https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/ai-in-power-bi-time-to-pay-attention/

Newsletter #300 is a significant milestone for SQLBI. I thought this was a good time to clarify SQLBI’s position on a topic we haven't discussed much yet: Artificial Intelligence (AI). https://www.sqlbi.com/blog/marco/2025/07/28/a-few-thoughts-about-newsletter-300-and-ai/ #newsletter #sqlbi #ai

This article (with video) outlines best practices for utilizing ALLSELECTED in your DAX measures to prevent unpredictable results! #dax #powerbi https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/allselected-best-practices/

When should you use DISTINCT over VALUES in DAX? Here is how to write resilient measures that survive bad data and model changes. Article+video on SQLBI. #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/choosing-between-distinct-and-values-in-dax/

It needs 15 minutes to watch a video where an LLM enables you to talk with your data... for free! Watch carefully: It does not just "work". It's another tool - extremely sophisticated - integrated into an ecosystem. We're living exciting times.

Learn the details about how the IF function in DAX is actually executed, analyzing also the performance in several scenarios. Article and video available! #powerbi #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/understanding-how-dax-evaluates-if-statements/

New version of DAX Studio (3.3.0) has nice new features! "Run a query on a PBIX file that is not open," and now DSCMD (command-line version) opens it for you! There are 41 other items in the release note. Immediate upgrade! https://daxstudio.org/blog/v3_3_0-release/ #powerbi #dax #daxstudio

This article + video describes how to control the execution of DAX code when there are either multiple or empty selections of calculation items in calculation groups. #powerbi #dax #calculationgroups https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/controlling-empty-or-multiple-selections-in-calculation-groups/

This article + video explains the error "Can't determine relationship between the fields" when placing columns from unrelated tables in a Power BI matrix. #powerbi #matrix #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/understanding-the-cant-determine-relationship-between-the-fields-error-in-power-bi/

The “Choosing Between Import Mode, Direct Lake, and Composite Models” session is available! The new "Direct Lake + Import" composite model feature is in public preview. https://www.sqlbi.com/blog/marco/2025/05/13/direct-lake-vs-import-vs-direct-lakeimport-fabric-semantic-models-may-2025/

This article + video overviews some tools available to create semantic models and reports in Power BI. Make your life easier! #powerbi #tools #dax https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/tools-in-power-bi/