In this chapter, we covered a brief introduction to the DAX language, looking at what it is and why learning it is important if you want to get the most out of Excel Power Pivot, SSAS Tabular, or Power BI. You should now have an understanding of the different data types and operators available in DAX and how these operators implicitly convert data to the required type. You have learned about calculated columns and measures, including the differences between them and how and when you can make use of them.
You have also learned how to make use of these features in DAX to expand your data model, creating new information from existing data and giving you even greater insights into your data. Finally, you have learned about the evaluation context, with the row context and the filter context, and how you can modify an existing filter context using the CALCULATE function.
In the next chapter, we will move on to look at using variables in DAX formulas and how these can make your DAX code easier to read, as well as potentially more efficient.
