DAX, which stands for Data Analysis Expressions, is a formula language used in Microsoft products like Power BI, Power Pivot, and Analysis Services. DAX is designed to perform calculations and data analysis on data models. Understanding the data types in DAX is crucial for effectively using it in your data analysis tasks. Here are the main data types in DAX:
Numeric : This includes both integer and decimal values. These are used for calculations and are one of the most common data types in DAX. Examples include numbers like 42 or 3.14.
DateTime : This data type is used to store dates and times. It is quite flexible, allowing for various operations like date and time arithmetic. An example of a DateTime value is 2023-10-05 12:00:00.
Boolean : Boolean data type represents logical values: TRUE or FALSE. This is particularly useful for conditional operations in DAX expressions.
These data types help define what kind of data you can use and manipulate in your DAX formulas, allowing for efficient data analysis and reporting. Having a good grasp of these will enable you to write more accurate and efficient DAX formulas in your data models.