DAX

functions that I use in (almost) every

Power BI project/model/report
 1
Aggregators & iterators, such as

SUM / SUMX
SUM(<column>)
SUMX(<table>, <expression>)

Aggregators like SUM are straightforward and operate on entire

columns, such as summing up sales.
Iterators like SUMX calculate row by row, applying expressions before
aggregation. These are critical for more complex scenarios where
calculations depend on other columns or involve custom logic.

Examples
SUM(Sales[Amount]) - Returns the sum of sales amount
SUMX ( Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Net Price] ) - Calculates total revenue by
multiplying Quantity and Net Price for each row in the Sales table and summing the
results
 2
DIVIDE
DIVIDE ( <Numerator>, <Denominator> [, <AlternateResult>] )

A safer alternative to standard division that handles division by zero. Instead

of producing an error, DIVIDE returns a specified alternative value, such as
zero or blank.

Example
DIVIDE(SUM(Sales[Profit]), SUM(Sales[Revenue]), 0) - Calculates profit margin by
dividing total profit by total revenue, using DIVIDE to avoid errors if revenue is zero,
returning 0 instead.
 3
COUNT / DISTINCTCOUNT
COUNT ( <ColumnName> )
DISTINCTCOUNT ( <ColumnName> )

Count functions are crucial for summarizing data.

COUNT counts the rows in a column, useful for metrics like total
transactions.
DISTINCTCOUNT counts unique values, often used for unique customer
counts or product diversity.

Examples
COUNT(Sales[Order ID]) - Counts the total number of orders in the Sales table.
DISTINCTCOUNT(Sales[Customer ID]) - Counts the unique number of customers in the
Sales table by identifying each unique Customer ID. This helps track the number of
unique buyers.
 4
CALCULATE
CALCULATE ( <Expression> [, <Filter> [, <Filter> [, … ] ] ] )

One of the most important functions in DAX, used to change or add

filters dynamically.
It allows you to adjust the filter context of your measures to calculate
values for specific scenarios, such as: isolating sales for a particular
product category, calculating year-to-date totals, or applying region-
specific filters in a single measure.

Example
CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount]), Products[Category] = "Electronics") - Calculates the
total sales amount specifically for products in the "Electronics" category.
 5
IF / SWITCH
IF ( <LogicalTest>, <ResultIfTrue> [, <ResultIfFalse>] )
SWITCH ( <Expression>, <Value>, <Result> [, <Value>,
<Result> [, … ] ] [, <Else>] )

These logical functions let you implement business logic directly in your
measures, enabling conditional calculations or formatting, data labeling,
or complex grouping.
IF handles simple conditions, while SWITCH is a more flexible alternative
for handling multiple conditions.

Examples
IF(Sales[Amount] > 1000, "High Value", "Standard") - Classifies orders based on their
amount
SWITCH( TRUE(), Sales[Amount] > 10000, "Excellent", Sales[Amount] > 5000,
"Good", Sales[Amount] > 1000, "Average", "Below Average") - Assigns
performance levels based on sales
 6
AND (&&) / OR(||)
AND ( <Logical1>, <Logical2> ) / <Logical1> && <Logical2>…
OR ( <Logical1>, <Logical2> ) / <Logical1> || <Logical2> …

Allows you to combine multiple logical conditions for flexibility.

AND (&&) ensures all conditions are true, while OR (||) requires at least one to be
true.
You can use the AND or OR functions, but this may require nested calls.
Alternatively, you can directly use the && / || operators to simplify your
expressions.

Examples
Using AND function: IF( AND(Products[Stock] < 20, Products[Demand] > 500), "Top
Priority", "Normal" )
Using && operator: IF( Products[Stock] < 20 && Products[Demand] > 500, "Top Priority",
"Normal" )
- Flags products as "Top Priority" if stock is low and demand is high
 7
DATEADD / SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR
DATEADD ( <Dates>, <NumberOfIntervals>, <Interval> )
SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR ( <Dates> )

Essential for time intelligence calculations.

DATEADD shifts a date range by a specific interval (e.g., months, years).
SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR compares the current period with the same
period in the previous year.

Examples
CALCULATE( SUM(Sales[Amount]), DATEADD(Calendar[Date], -1, MONTH)) -
Calculates sales from the previous month

CALCULATE( SUM(Sales[Amount]), SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR(Calendar[Date]) ) -

Calculates sales for the same period last year
 8
KEEPFILTERS
KEEPFILTERS ( <Expression> )

Function used within CALCULATE to add a new filter without overriding

existing filters on the same column. This is particularly useful when you
want to refine the filter context without losing previous filters applied in
the report or matrix.

Example:
CALCULATE( [Sales Amount], KEEPFILTERS(Products[Color] = “Blue") ) - In this
example, KEEPFILTERS ensures that the “Blue" filter is added without replacing any
other active filters on Products[Color]. This maintains the existing color context in the
report while still filtering for blue products.
 9
SELECTEDVALUE
SELECTEDVALUE ( <ColumnName> [, <AlternateResult>] )

Returns the value of a column in a slicer or single selection. Useful to

dynamically adapt outputs based on user selections.

Example
SELECTEDVALUE(Regions[Region], "All Regions") - Displays the selected region
dynamically
 10
USERELATIONSHIP

USERELATIONSHIP ( <ColumnName1>, <ColumnName2> )

Activates an inactive relationship between tables in the scope of a

calculation. This is especially useful when you have multiple relationships
between tables (e.g., Order Date and Ship Date) and need to switch
contexts for specific calculations.

Example
CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount]), USERELATIONSHIP(Sales[Ship Date], Calendar[Date]))
- USERELATIONSHIP activates the relationship between Sales[Ship Date] and
Calendar[Date] to calculate sales by shipment date. This relationship is usually inactive
because the active relationship is set to Order Date.
 BONUS
CALENDAR
CALENDAR ( <StartDate>, <EndDate> )

If your data model doesn’t include a built-in date table, you can create one
using the CALENDAR function in DAX. A date table is essential for time
intelligence calculations and ensures consistent date filtering across your
report.
CALENDAR generates a table with a continuous range of dates (static or
dynamic) that you define, making it easy to create a comprehensive date
table.

Example
CALENDAR(DATE(2020, 1, 1), DATE(2023, 12, 31)) - Creates a date table that spans from
January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023
 What about you?

What DAX function do you

use the most?

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