Append vs. Merge in Power BI and Power Query

Combining two queries in Power Query or in Power BI is one of the most basic and also essential tasks that you would need to do in most of data preparation scenarios. There are two types of combining queries; Merge, and Append. Database developers easily understand the difference, but the majority of Power BI users Read more about Append vs. Merge in Power BI and Power Query[…]

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2016

2016 was the year of raising Power BI in my opinion, Here is the list of top 10 blog posts that you clicked mostly in this year; How to Do Power BI Mapping with Latitude and Longitude Only. This post was written when Power BI didn’t supported latitude and longitude only for map visualization. Nowadays Read more about Top 10 Blog Posts of 2016[…]

Data Preparation; First and Foremost Important Task in Power BI

I’ve talked about Data Preparation many times in conferences such as PASS Summit, BA Conference, and many other conferences. Every time I talk about this I realize how much more I need to explain this. Data Preparation tips are basic, but very important. In my opinion as someone who worked with BI systems more than Read more about Data Preparation; First and Foremost Important Task in Power BI[…]

Warning! Misleading Power Query Filtering

Filtering in Power Query component of Power BI is easy, however it can be misleading very easily as well. I have seen the usage of this filtering inappropriately in many cases. Many people simply believe in what they see, rather than seeing behind the scenes. Power Query filtering is totally different when you do basic Read more about Warning! Misleading Power Query Filtering[…]

Custom Functions Made Easy in Power BI Desktop

I have written a lot about Power Query M scripting language, and how to create custom functions with that. With recent updates of Power BI Desktop, creating custom functions made easier and easier every month. This started with bringing Parameters few months ago, and adding source query for the function in November update of Power Read more about Custom Functions Made Easy in Power BI Desktop[…]

Visualization Tip: Change to Filter instead of highlight Control the Interaction in Power BI Report

Power BI reports are highly interactive, If you select a column in a column chart other charts will be highlighted. Selecting a slicer value will filter all other visuals in the report. This interactivity can be controlled easily. Despite the fact that this feature has been released in early phases of Power BI, there are Read more about Visualization Tip: Change to Filter instead of highlight Control the Interaction in Power BI Report[…]

Lost Customers DAX Calculation for Power BI

One of the sample scenarios that DAX can be used as a calculation engine is customer retention. In the area of customer retention businesses might be interested to see who there lost customers or new customers are in the specific period. Obviously this can be calculated in the Power Query or in the data source Read more about Lost Customers DAX Calculation for Power BI[…]

Not Folding; the Black Hole of Power Query Performance

Have you ever thought does your Power Query Transformations happens in the data source side (server side), or on the local memory (client side)? When you use a relational data source, query can be run on the data source, but it depends on transformations. Some transformations can be translated to query language of the data Read more about Not Folding; the Black Hole of Power Query Performance[…]

Performance Tip for Power BI; Enable Load Sucks Memory Up

In the area of performance tuning a Power BI model many things has to be considered, most of them around consumption of the CPU and RAM. One of the most basic but important consideration is minimizing the usage of memory. By default all queries from Query Editor will be loaded into the memory of Power Read more about Performance Tip for Power BI; Enable Load Sucks Memory Up[…]

Grouping and Binning; Step Towards Better Data Visualization

The latest update of Power BI Desktop (October 2016) has many features. Two of these features are grouping and binning. These features used to create groups of items and visualize them better in the report. Previously you could do that by Power Query or DAX calculated columns, now it is all possible simply through the Read more about Grouping and Binning; Step Towards Better Data Visualization[…]