Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By : Paul te Braak

Buy this Book

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By: Paul te Braak

Buy this Book

Overview of this book

Business Intelligence Semantic Models (BISM) is a technology that is designed to deliver analytical information to users through a variety of mechanisms that include model structure, definition, and design. This book demonstrates how to create BISM models so that information can be presented to users in an intuitive and easy-to-use format. Once the model is defined, we also show you how it can be managed and maintained so that the data in it remains current and secure. Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook is an all-encompassing guide to developing, managing, creating, and using analytical models using the Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM). This title covers a range of modeling situations and common data analysis related problems to show you the techniques required to turn data into information using tabular modeling. Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook examines three areas of tabular modeling: model development, model management and maintenance, and reporting. This book is a practical guide on how to develop semantic models and turn business data into information. It covers all phases of the model lifecycle from creation to administration and finally reporting. It also shows you how to create models which are designed to analyze data. All sections of BISM modeling from development to management and finally reporting are covered. The sections on development examine a wide range of techniques and tricks required to build models, including moving data into the model, structuring the model to manipulate the data, and finally the formulas required to answer common business questions; all of these are discussed in this book in detail. Finally, the book examines methods of reporting on the data within the model, including the creation of data-driven workbooks and reports for a powerful end user experience.

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

Credits

About the Author

About the Reviewers

www.PacktPub.com

Preface

Free Chapter

Getting Started with Excel

Introduction

Creating the model

Managing the appearance of tables and fields

Using tabular relationships to filter data

Adding fields to tables

Linking fields between tables

Creating model calculations

Importing Data

Introduction

Importing data as text

Importing data from databases

Managing connections and tables

Using data feeds

Advanced Browsing Features

Introduction

Sorting data

Creating hierarchies for drilldown interaction

Summing aggregates and row iteration

Parent-child hierarchies

Creating and using Key Performance Indicators

Role playing dimensions and relationships

Building ratios

Time Calculations and Date Functions

Introduction

Calculating running totals – totals to date

Month, quarter, and year to date aggregations

445 dates and irregularities

Last year and prior period values

Relative Time – pivoting around measures

Moving averages and last n averages

Applied Modeling

Introduction

Grouping by binning and sorting with ranks

Defining many-to-many relationships

Using the last non-empty function for stock data

Performing currency calculations

Allocating data at different levels

Programmatic Access via Excel

Introduction

Connecting pivot tables and Slicers

Using cube functions

Working with worksheet events and VBA

Managing the Slicer through VBA

Enterprise Design and Features

Introduction

Restoring a workbook to Analysis Services

Importing models into SQL Server Data Tools

Developing models in SQL Server Data Tools

Securing data with roles

Implementing dynamic security

Creating perspectives

Enterprise Management

Introduction

Deploying models from SSDT

Deploying models with the Deployment Wizard

Creating and managing partitions

Processing the data

DirectQuery and real-time solutions

Querying the Tabular Model with DAX

Introduction

Retrieving data from a single table

Using projection to combine data from different tables

Restricting data with filters and where conditions

Deriving tables and selecting top n records

Visualizing Data with Power View

Introduction

Creating a Power View report

Creating and manipulating charts

Using tiles (parameters)

Using and showing images

Automating the table fields with default field sets

Working with table behavior and card control

Using maps

Using multiples (Trellis Charts)

Installing PowerPivot and Sample Databases

Installing PowerPivot

Creating the database

Index

Customer Reviews

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

Adding fields to tables

The model designer is often required to add additional fields to tables, so that the information presented to the user is better suited for decision-making purposes. This can include creating new fields that are combinations of other fields within the same table or a calculation that is dependent on data in another table. This recipe looks at the first of these options to create new fields that use other fields within the same table.

Getting ready

The model used in this recipe starts with the model that was created in the previous recipe Using tabular relationships to filter data.

How to do it…

Switch to the data view in the PowerPivot window and select the Products table. Select the Colour column by right-clicking on the column header and selecting Insert Column from the pop-up menu (note that the entire column must be selected). The new column is inserted to the left of the Colour column. Change the name of the CalculatedColumn1 to Product Name WC (product name with code).
Enter the following formula into any cell of the new column.
```
=[Product Name]&" (" & [Product ID] & ")"
```
All rows of the table will be automatically populated.
Switch to the Sales table. Double-click on the header row of the last column (the current header is Add Column) and change the name of the column to total_profit. Enter the following formula into any cell of the Profit column with the format of the column as currency.
```
=[total_price]-[unit_cost]-[tax]
```
Tip
The designer has two built-in functions that enable the easy creation of formulas. If the formula is being typed, an intellisense window will open in the formula bar, and show a list of objects that match what is being typed. Simply navigate to the desired column (or cell in the measure grid) and start typing, then press return to use the provided intellisense option (you can use arrow keys to select a function, table and column). Alternatively, a column or table name can be included in the formula by clicking on the column or table while the formula is being typed.

How it works…

This recipe introduces Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) as the language that is used in tabular modeling. From this recipe, we can see that the DAX language is very similar to an Excel calculation (there are some noticeable differences which are addressed in chapters). Also, note that in DAX, columns are referred to instead of cells. Furthermore, many Excel functions work exactly the same in DAX as they do in Excel.

In calculating the value for each row, a special filter is applied in the calculation. In these examples where the fields being used in the formula reside on a single row, the filter automatically restricts the value to that of the row. The application of filtering in this manner is commonly referred to as a row filter or a row filter context.

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By : Paul te Braak

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By: Paul te Braak

Overview of this book

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Current Title:

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

Adding fields to tables

Getting ready

How to do it…

Tip

How it works…