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6.2. Quick Reference
Decision tables that compress Phases 2 through 5. If a row surprises you, revisit its section.
Prepare the Data
| Requirement phrase | Answer | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Use the certified model and add a local Excel table | Composite model (DirectQuery for Power BI semantic models) | Live connection, import a copy |
| Stop data from one source being sent to another during folding | Privacy levels (Private, Organizational, Public) | RLS |
| Fabric lakehouse data, Import-like speed, near-real-time | Direct Lake (Fabric capacity) | DirectQuery |
| Repoint every query from test to production server | Parameter for the server, or Data source settings > Change Source | Edit each query's source step |
| Incremental refresh | Date/Time parameters named RangeStart and RangeEnd | Any other parameter name or Date type |
| Profiling looks clean but refresh fails | Column profiling based on entire data set | Trust the 1,000-row default |
| Keep rows with bad values, fix the value | Replace Errors | Remove Errors |
| New month columns each month in a wide sheet | Unpivot Other Columns | Unpivot Only Selected Columns |
| Add a customer's segment to each order | Merge (left outer) | Append |
| Combine 2025 and 2026 order tables | Append | Merge |
| Find orders with no matching customer | Left anti join | Inner join |
| Build several dimensions from one cleaned query | Reference | Duplicate |
| Query used only as a source for other queries | Clear Enable load | Delete it, clear Include in report refresh |
| Leading zeros in codes must be preserved | Text data type | Whole Number |
| Currency summed across many rows | Fixed Decimal Number | Decimal Number |
Model the Data
| Requirement phrase | Answer | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Month names sort alphabetically | Sort by column (MonthName by MonthNumber) | Sort the visual |
| Analyze by order date and ship date in one measure set | Inactive relationship + USERELATIONSHIP | Two active relationships |
| Slice by order and ship date at the same time | Duplicate the date dimension per role | USERELATIONSHIP alone |
| Reliable time intelligence across several facts | One contiguous marked date table, auto date/time off | Auto date/time |
| Value must respond to slicers | Measure | Calculated column |
| Slice or group by a derived category | Calculated column (or Power Query column) | Measure |
| Filter regardless of user's selection on that column | CALCULATE with boolean filter (overwrites) | KEEPFILTERS |
| Filter only within the user's selection | KEEPFILTERS | Plain boolean filter |
| Percent of total ignoring all product filters | REMOVEFILTERS / ALL | ALLSELECTED |
| Percent of the user's selected total | ALLSELECTED | ALL |
| Same period last year | SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR('Date'[Date]) | Fact table date column |
| Entire prior quarter regardless of selection | PARALLELPERIOD | SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR |
| Balance at period end | LASTNONBLANK or CLOSINGBALANCEMONTH | SUM |
| Same YTD/PY logic for many measures | Calculation group with SELECTEDMEASURE | One measure per combination |
| Minimize model size | Remove columns/rows, reduce cardinality, summarize grain | Hide columns |
| Find which part of a visual is slow | Performance Analyzer (DAX query, visual display, other) | Guess and rewrite |
| Test a measure without a visual | DAX query view (EVALUATE, DEFINE MEASURE) | New report page |
Visualize and Analyze
| Requirement phrase | Answer | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate colors on all reports | JSON theme file | Format each visual |
| Color a column by another field's value | Conditional formatting rules based on that field | Add the field as a column |
| Users can see but not change a filter | Lock the filter | Hide the filter |
| Printable, pixel-perfect, all rows | Paginated report (Report Builder) | Export a page to PDF |
| Running total for one visual only | Visual calculation (RUNNINGSUM) | Model measure |
| Toggle chart and table without resetting filters | Bookmarks with Data cleared, Selected visuals | Bookmarks with Data checked |
| Hover shows a mini report | Report page tooltip | Default tooltip |
| Card ignores clicks on the map | Edit interactions: None | Report-level filter |
| Jump to detail page for the selected item | Drillthrough (Keep all filters) | Drill down |
| Slicer filters a page where it isn't shown | Sync slicers: Sync on, Visible off | Copy the slicer and hide it |
| Readers change visual type without edit rights | Personalize visuals | Build permission |
| Block export of underlying data | Export setting: summarized only (or none) | Hide columns |
| Page updates every minute from a database | DirectQuery + automatic page refresh on dedicated capacity | Import |
| Factors driving churn | Key influencers | Decomposition tree |
| Explore a measure by any dimension with AI splits | Decomposition tree | Key influencers |
| Age ranges for a histogram | Binning | Groups |
| Natural customer segments | Clustering on a scatter chart | Binning |
| Project the trend forward | Forecast on a continuous-date line chart | Bar chart |
| Written summary that updates with filters | Narrative with Copilot | Text box |
Manage and Secure
| Requirement phrase | Answer | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Read-only distribution to a department, controlled updates | App (Update app, audiences) | Viewer role for everyone |
| Different content for executives and staff in one app | App audiences | Two workspaces |
| Notify when a KPI drops below a threshold | Data alert on card/KPI/gauge dashboard tile (or Activator) | Subscription |
| Weekly email of a report page | Subscription | Data alert |
| Mark a model as organization-approved | Certify (admin-authorized reviewer) | Promote |
| Shared on-prem source, DirectQuery, many users | Standard on-premises data gateway | Personal mode |
| Refresh Azure SQL Database or SharePoint Online | No gateway | Gateway |
| Create and edit content, not manage access | Contributor | Member |
| Publish the app and share items | Member | Contributor |
| Build reports on a shared model | Build permission | Contributor role |
| Users see only their region | RLS (USERPRINCIPALNAME for dynamic) | Page filters |
| Assign RLS at scale | Add Entra security groups to roles in the service | Add users in Desktop |
| Exported files stay protected | Sensitivity label with encryption | RLS |
Written byAlvin Varughese
Founder•20 professional certifications