Thread: Dax Studio

This is a useful tool for working with PowerBI/DAX that I use:

Any updates to the product or if you want share how to use / functionality…

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Let’s bring some resources together to help members get started if they are intrested.

Great article by Matt Allington:

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Introduction video by Ruth Pozuelo Martinez:

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and feature videos on DAX Studio
https://daxstudio.org/documentation/videos/

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Marco Russo has begun posting an excellent series of videos on how to use DAX Studio. Here’s the series so far:

  • Brian
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@marcster_uk This is more of an application for others’ benefit than a how-to, but at my company we’ve found DAX Studio crucial for creating snapshots in time of the results of some of our monthly processes. Power BI’s native exporting capabilities are limited in record size, but with DAX Studio we’re able to extract millions of records to compile elsewhere.

For example, we’re able to compare our forecast for Q4 2020 as it existed as of February 2020 to our forecast of Q4 2020 as it exists now in May 2020 (very different :slightly_smiling_face:). DAX Studio, just by using the EVALUATE command on the table name from the model, allows us to enshrine our current view of things for posterity. We just append further iterations to that data set over time.

Hi @Tim_L, Interesting. Snapshots of data for comparison. This tool is useful to have.

DAX Studio 2.11.0 released. New features?. Query Builder and Benchmarking.

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Those seem like really two good features! I especially like the drag-and-drop query builder. I think that will be a tremendous help in learning on what is going on “under the hood”

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Here is a blog post about these features, and other interesting stuff.

https://darren.gosbell.com/2020/06/dax-studio-2-11-0-released/

This is a phenomenal five minute video on how to use DAX Studio to debug complex branched measures. I’ve been using DAX Studio for a good while now, and had no idea about the “Define Related Measures” technique until I saw this video.

– Brian

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Some excellent DAX Studio content posted by @AntrikshSharma. Crossposted here for future reference:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV2ZK4q3FBQ

DAX Studio v2.17.2 Released 14th November 2021.

Added Parameter support to Query Builder filters
Fixing accuracy of Server Timings for queries with Batch events
Improved caching of measure expression
various bug fixes…

https://daxstudio.org/changelog/

Thanks for this resource. I had been wondering as I’m learning DAX how do I determine whether I’m getting the correct results. I’m used to testing SQL statements one by one to step through subquery results for instance. It would be great if the in-tool editor worked more like VS Code and allowed us to step through the code line by line. Is this a direction that Microsoft might address? In the meantime, I will look at these to add some confidence to the results I’m getting. Also, any pointers to tutorials on Enterprise that address the debugging and proofing of results would be much appreciated.

@mpchean,

For debugging DAX, I much prefer Tabular Editor 3 to DAX Studio. IMO, better error messaging, smart refactoring of variables, more full featured editor. etc. And the gap is going to get much bigger probably by the end of this month. Daniel Otykier, the developer of TE3, is working on a full-scale DAX debugger within TE3 that he hopes to have released by the end of this year. My understanding is that it will let you excute portions of code, allow stepping though in the way you describe, will have watch windows for variables and more.

Here’s a video I did on debugging techniques for DAX, largely using TE3.

I would also very highly recommend @AntrikshSharma 's TE3 course on the Enterprise DNA portal.

  • Brian
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I need to take some time and go through this thread, lots of great tips and advice for DAX Studio, just started to play around with it over the past month or so but feel I’m stumbling around in the dark a bit.

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“…feel I’m stumbling around in the dark a bit.”

@DavieJoe ,

Once again, Enterprise DNA Content Creators to the rescue! Two resources to bring to your attention - one current and one future:

In his Optimizing DAX course, eDNA Expert @Nick_M has a really nice overview and walkthrough of DAX Studio functionality. He also uses DAX Studio throughout the course to analyze and illustrate a number of different DAX issues and scenarios.

eDNA Dax Maestro @AntrikshSharma is working on his magnum opus - a huge two-part course coming in early 2022. The first part of the course will be comprehensive training on DAX Studio. The second part will be an advanced DAX course using DAX Studio to show what’s going on behind the scenes.

For a taste of that - check out his YouTube video on the Enterprise DNA channel coming out tomorrow, where he breaks down a common DAX construct (using DAX Studio) that we may all THINK we understand, but I suspect you wil learn a lot you didn’t know about what is actually going on behind he scenes. I certainly did…

Enjoy.

  • Brian
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It’s like you’ve read my mind.

I was going to ask if there were any plans to have a course that focused on the use of DAX Studio and it is @AntrikshSharma to the rescue. Awesome.

I’m about 70% of the way through the Optimizing DAX course, need to get back to it as I was working my way through it before I started “stumbling around” with DAX Studio.

Again, Enterprise DNA is several steps ahead. Brilliant! :man_dancing: :man_dancing: :man_dancing:

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What do you think of DAX.do by SQLBI? I was sort of impressed with it. Seems MS could take some lessons from this tool. @DavieJoe I also feel like I’m stumbling around. SQLBI’s Dax guide also might be worth looking at https://dax.guide/.
@BrianJ your video on TE3 is great. Makes it look very attractive. I’m trying to save money at the moment, but the video may cause me to reconsider.

@mpchean ,

Thanks! – I’m glad you found the video helpful. One thing you may find helpful in making your decision is that there is a free 30 day trial period for TE3, which gives you full access to all the features of the program. Give it a test run and see what you think. I suspect you’ll find it invaluable.

In terms of DAX.do, I think it’s a beautifully implemented site but I find I use TE3 instead to break down my DAX. I know that @AntrikshSharma thought it would be a game-changer when it came out, and would be interested to get his take on how he has been using it and what he thinks.

  • Brian
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