SQLBI Newsletter #288

NEW ARTICLE

Using pie charts is not the end of the world

This article is about how rules like “avoid pie charts” can be useful for beginners, but also unhelpful in real-world scenarios with more nuance. Instead of learning rules about “how”, try to understand the “why”.
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SQLBI REPLAY

Understanding blank row and limited relationships

DAX creates a blank row to guarantee that results are accurate even if a regular relationship is invalid. The blank row is not created for limited relationships. This article shows the effect of not having a blank row in your tables.
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#288 · Feb 2025

LEARNING

Course calendar

Mastering DAX - 3 DAYS

	Feb 11-13 - Amsterdam
	Feb 18-20 - Phoenix
	Feb 24-26 - Dallas
	May 20-22 - Amsterdam
	May 28-30 - Chicago
	Jul 9-11 - Seattle

DATA MODELING - 3 DAYS

	Apr 14-16 - Amsterdam

video courses

	Introducing DAX
	Mastering DAX
	Optimizing DAX
	Intro to Data Modeling
	Data Modeling for Power BI
	Mastering Tabular
	DAX Tools Video Course
	DAX Patterns
	Power BI Dashboard Design

BI-WEEKLY NEWS DIGEST

Latest news

	• DAX is better than MDX to extract data from Power BI Yes, we know that you should not use Power BI as a way to extract data for further analysis. But we do not live in a perfect world, and when you have to do that... DAX is a better friend than MDX. It's faster, and also easier to write (remember - the free DAX Studio has a DAX query builder). Jan 26, 2025 · Chris Webb
	• Enrich semantic models with more information to help Copilot If you are looking to use Copilot, or AI tools in general, it is a good idea to have a rich semantic model. Not just tables, relationships, and measures; you should also add descriptions and synonyms. Copilot already uses them to improve DAX queries. But if you look long-term, nobody will be able to guess what the acronym you invented really means unless you describe it somewhere. Same for names that have a very specific meaning for your company. You want your semantic models to be assets, not liabilities. Feb 3, 2025 · Microsoft
	• Limit the impact of expensive Power BI queries If your Power BI capacity is overwhelmed by long running queries, you can... reduce the query timeout to save capacity consumption! Well, ultimately, you should optimize your model to avoid slow reports, but a quick solution is just to stop those reports that are too expensive! Feb 2, 2025 · Chris Webb

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