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Wise Owl Blogs - Home (page 6 of 21)
Showing blogs 101-120 (out of 406)
How to get data from tabular models using DAX queries in various programs
Posted by Andy Brown on 18 February 2016
Knowing how to write DAX queries is one thing, but where are you going to use them? This blog shows how you can integrate DAX queries into SSMS, SSRS, SSIS, Excel and PowerPivot.
How to write queries in DAX to interrogate SSAS tabular models
Posted by Andy Brown on 12 February 2016
As well as creating measures to aggregate data in tabular models using DAX, you can also write queries to extract data - this blog shows you how!
How to create and use hierachies in Analysis Services tabular model
Posted by Andy Brown on 11 February 2016
Hiearchies allow you to group related columns together, to make for prettier pivot tables and happier users. This blog shows you how to create and use hiearchies in SSAS Tabular, considers whether they're worth it, and also looks at the specific case of how to model parent-child hierarchies.
A technique to group measures together so they can be added with one click
Posted by Andy Brown on 08 February 2016
If you've worked with date measures (or any others) in DAX for a while, you'll know they can clutter up your pivot table. This clever technique allows you to tick a single box to add lots of measures into a pivot table in one go.
How to use DAX date-based functions in Analysis Services tabular model
Posted by Andy Brown on 08 February 2016
There are some wonderful date functions in DAX, with evocative names like TotalYtd, SamePeriodLastYear and ParallelPeriod. This blog shows how to use DAX date functions to summarise data, assuming that you have already created a calendar table.
How to crash Analysis Services (Tabular Model)
Posted by Andy Brown on 05 February 2016
It's not often you find a place to right-click which is pretty much guaranteed to crash a software package, so I thought I'd share this discovery!
Common Table Expressions are even better than I'd realised, as this blog shows
Posted by Andy Brown on 01 February 2016
CTEs (or Common Table Expressions) allow you to divide complicated queries up into two or more simple discrete tasks, as this blog explains.
A short blog listing many ways to create aliases for columns in SQL
Posted by Andy Brown on 01 February 2016
It's not often that this owl learns new things about SQL when giving a course, but when I do, I like to share my new knowledge! This blog shows a new way to create aliases for columns in SQL.
How to create absolute and relative KPIs in SSAS Tabular
Posted by Andy Brown on 28 January 2016
You can create key performance indicators (KPIs) within Analysis Services Tabular, but there a couple of foibles that you need to be aware of, as shown by this blog.
Ways to model different DAX calendar date situations
Posted by Andy Brown on 22 January 2016
In the real world (or at least, the DAX version of it), calendars and dates aren't quite as simple as one would like. This blog shows how to solve a number of common scenarios, including where different tables have different levels of "granularity", coping with special days like bank holidays, handling non-standard finanical year-end dates and dealing with a table which contains more than one date column.
How to create a calendar in SSAS Tabular to summarise by dates
Posted by Andy Brown on 21 January 2016
Analysis Services has lots of wonderful DAX functions like TOTALYTD and SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR which allow you to summarise your results by date, but to get them to work you'll need to create and use a calendar table first. This blog explains how, and why.
How to use the EARLIER function in DAX to sort, group, band and accumulate data
Posted by Andy Brown on 13 January 2016
Although the EARLIER function in DAX is complicated, it's also very useful! This blog shows how the function works, and how to use it to create running totals, sort rows, create group statistics and divide data into bands.
How to use the RANKX function in DAX measures to sort data
Posted by Andy Brown on 12 January 2016
The RANKX function is one way (probably the best one) to sort data. It's not the world's easiest function to understand, but this blog explains the pitfalls.
How to use the FILTER function in DAX to filter tables
Posted by Andy Brown on 12 January 2016
Although the CALCULATE function is by more useful (and often easier to understand), DAX programmers should also learn about the FILTER function. This provides another way to change the query context for any aggregation.
How to use the CALCULATE function in DAX measure formulae
Posted by Andy Brown on 12 January 2016
The CALCULATE function is the most important one in DAX. This blog shows you how to use it to replace, remove and amend the query context for a measure (and also explains what this sentence means!).
Using DAX Studio or DAX Editor as add-ins to create measures in SSAS Tabular
Posted by Andy Brown on 11 January 2016
The built-in DAX formula editor in SSAS Tabular leaves a lot to be desired. This blog shows how to install and use two of the most useful third-party add-ins: DAX Editor and DAX Studio.
A must-read DAX primer on how to create measures (including query context)
Posted by Andy Brown on 11 January 2016
To create formulae in SSAS Tabular you need to learn DAX, the language used for creating measures. This blog shows the basic syntax of DAX, and explains how SSAS Tabular uses query context in a pivot table to aggregate data correctly.
How to create dynamic connection strings in Integration Services packages
Posted by Andy Brown on 08 January 2016
It's often useful to make connections point to different Excel workbooks or SQL Server databases, depending on the value you set for variables or parameters. This blog shows the underlying principle - it's up to you then to apply this in your workplace!
How to run SSIS packages in 32-bit mode to avoid Excel and Access errors
Posted by Andy Brown on 08 January 2016
If you're using SSIS to import from or export to Excel workbooks or Access tables - as you surely will be - you'll need to run your packages in 32-bit mode. This blog explains why and how to do this.
Using the RELATED function to link tables, and how to test for blanks in DAX
Posted by Andy Brown on 05 January 2016
You can make pivot tables much easier to use by combining all of the aggregator columns into a single table, using the RELATED function. This blog also shows you how to work with blanks, including using the ISBLANK function to test whether matching values exist in linked tables.