Five DAX Patterns Every Power BI Analyst Should Know
Time intelligence, running totals, and the golden rule of measures vs. calculated columns.
AnalyticBD1 min readUpdated July 5, 2026
Measures over calculated columns
As a rule: prefer measures. They are evaluated in the filter context of the visual and don't bloat your model.
Total Revenue = SUM ( Sales[Amount] )
Revenue YTD =
CALCULATE (
[Total Revenue],
DATESYTD ( 'Date'[Date] )
)Year-over-year growth
Revenue YoY % =
VAR Current = [Total Revenue]
VAR Prior = CALCULATE ( [Total Revenue], SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR ( 'Date'[Date] ) )
RETURN DIVIDE ( Current - Prior, Prior )A clean date table is the foundation for all time intelligence.
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