Analyst in Action

Field parameters are widely used to change fields or measures dynamically in a visualization. If you are new to field parameters, we have covered the basics of field parameters in one of the earlier blogs. Related Read: Mastering Field Parameters in Power BI Field parameters are a powerful way to let users dynamically switch between different fields (like columns or measures) — no drill-down needed. This hands-on guide walks through how to use field parameters to create flexible visuals, build custom slicers, and improve report interactivity. You'll also learn tips on editing parameters, handling implicit vs. explicit measures, and avoiding common mistakes. In this blog, we will take it to the next level. Before we get started, I am using Sample Superstore as my dummy data. So let's get started, and we are first creating a basic field parameter taking all basic measures - Total Sales, Total Quantity, and Profit. We are dragging this field parameter in a basic table visual. Noth...

Happy Friday!! If you have worked with other BI tools such as Tableau setting up the Top 10 is relatively easy but in Power BI you have dedicated functions such as RankX and Top N to do this. In this blog we will see how to highlight and filter out the TopN Sub Categories based on the Sales recorded in 2013. Before we start. Here are a few pre-requisites we are using Sample Superstore data and we have created an explicit measures called "Total Sales". If you aren't familiar with implicit and explicit measures do read this article . Total Sales is equivalent to Sum of Sales.  We will start with RankX. The goal here is to highlight the Top 10 subcategories based on the Total Sales occurred in the year 2013. Refer to the image below. How to make this? We will start creating a basic DAX which will provide rank to different sub categories. Make sure you provide an order in the DAX itself. In this case we have provided "DESC- descending". Once you have the DAX ready p...

Blanks in the dashboards is one of the pain and impacts the user experience. It can occur due to multiple reasons - due to data unavailability which is something is out of control of Power BI developer. One of the best practices suggest to avoid blanks with different approaches in Power BI. In this blog, we will showcase the most common approaches to tackle the blanks. This blog is mainly divided in two parts - dealing with blanks in the KPI cards and dealing with blanks in table or matrix.  Let's start from the KPI cards with the updates dealing with blanks in the cards became very easy. In the new cards it is now possible to provide a separate value when a blank appears in the card. This feature is available under the formatting option of new KPI cards. Do keep in mind this feature is currently available for the new cards.  In the above example we are showcasing the total sales and total sales last year in the reference. Under the highlighted section we can provide the value...

A new card with the recent update Power BI has released this visual. This is one of the most awaited visuals by users. Let's take a glimpse of what this new card looks like. Doesn't it look good? In old cards, it is always been a struggle to add an image and sparkline. With the new cards, you can do it just with a click. And the best part is it acts as a single visual so loading time is improved. There are cases where we want to visualize multiple cards and it should be part of a single text box or card. Let's check how to do it? The first step is to create the base measures- Furniture Sales, Office Supplies, and Technology Sales. How to write the DAX using filters? If you aren't familiar with writing DAX do visit our blog . Put all the measures in 3 different cards and fix the alignment. Now we will be introducing a text box with the background if needed.  Alignment needs to be fixed. Once your alignment is fixed select the text box go to format under send backward sel...

Bookmark you heard it right. Power BI provides a functionality to record the state of your page. It is quite similar to creating bookmarks on your internet browser. The good part is it provides a lot of flexibility for both the developer and the user. In this blog, we will cover how to create a bookmark in Power BI and take it to the next level by using of bookmark navigator. This blog is mainly targeting Power BI users who are at the beginners level. Let's get started with the creation of bookmarks. To do so on the top ribbon you need to select View and under it, you can find bookmarks. It will open a separate pane on the side. Before you create the bookmark make sure all the changes are implemented on the page which you want to see in the bookmark. Once the bookmark is created every change you make on the particular page you need to update the bookmark with the help of the three dots available next to the bookmark. Isn't it easy? Let's take it to the next level. I am usin...

Using slicers is a common practice in Power BI. The positioning and the space it occupies in a dashboard are always in question. I have worked on dashboards where 10-15 slicers are keeping them together on top or side always reduces the space for other visuals. So what can be done? Slicer Panel helps in such scenarios. It is the same as the menu bar on top of different mobile apps. Once you click it expands and shows all the slicers otherwise it collapses and gives you the dashboard for other visuals. In this blog, we will cover how to make a slicer panel step by step. I am considering Sample SuperStore data and I have created a basic dashboard with slicers and other visuals. In the below image, I have put all the slicers on top now we will put all of these slicers into the panel. Protip- As a BI developer I always prefer a drop-down in my slicers because it can be that you have 20 categories or maybe more. I don't want a long list in my slicers. In this dashboard, I will be using...

Have you worked with field parameters? Another functionality that Power BI offers is to improve your reports. What does it do for the users? At first, it looks like a button but it helps to toggle between different fields (can be columns or measures). Let's get our hands dirty and start with an example. I am using sample superstore data. The idea is to make a clustered bar chart with profit and sales in it. On the Y axis, I need both category and subcategory. The basic approach will be just to add another level to the Y axis which will act as a drill down. But what if I say you don't need a drill down. Yes, that's possible with the use of field parameters. Let's create one!! Go to the new parameter under modeling. Select the field parameter from there you will get a pop-up window that looks something like this. You can name your parameter and just drag the fields from the respective tables. I need only category and sub-category. Pro tip- If you can't find the field...

If we talk about the level of detail then data labels can make your visuals stand out and add more context to them. There is a flip side too with them. The most common issue is when you put the data labels it creates a bit of a mess in your visuals and it becomes an intricate task if you consider the readability for the end users. That's not the objective of visualization. Let's consider a use case where we are creating a basic line graph with the evolution of discount percentages over a period. We are considering Sample Superstore data. Also, we have enabled the data labels for the whole series. You can play around with the formatting of your data labels. We can adjust the position, colors, and much more. If you focus on the title of the visual it's dynamic in nature and depends on the selection in the slicer. To know more about dynamic titles you can follow the link . From a visual point of view, the abovementioned visual is not so intuitive in nature.  To make it more in...

As Power BI users, we use titles for visuals or for pages. But what if I tell you to make the title of your visual more intuitive in nature. Is it possible? Yes, it is think of a scenario you have a slicer and a bar graph on a page. The management requested to make the title on the bar graph dynamic in nature. So let's dig deep into how can we build dynamic titles for your visuals. I am considering Sample Superstore data. The use case is to create a stacked column chart with a slicer of the city on the page. On the X axis, we are taking Category and Sub Category and on the Y axis, we are taking Sales amount. Now, if you see the title of the column chart it's static and doesn't change with the selection in the slicer. To make it dynamic in nature we will create a simple measure. Selected City = "Sales for " & SELECTEDVALUE ( SampleSuperstore [City] , "US" ) The DAX is quite simple in this case if we consider the selected value first we need to specify...