Power BI hints and tips

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Power BI hints and tips


Data Cleaning and Transformation

Ensure your data is clean and well-structured before importing it into Power BI. Use Power Query Editor to clean and transform your data. This tool allows you to perform various operations like filtering, merging, and reshaping data, ensuring it's in the right format for analysis.


Master DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

DAX is the formula language used in Power BI for creating custom calculations and aggregations. Invest time in learning DAX to unlock the full potential of Power BI. Understand functions like CALCULATE, FILTER, and SUMX, as they are fundamental for creating complex calculations and measures.


Utilize Relationships Effectively

Establish clear and meaningful relationships between tables in your data model. Proper relationships enable Power BI to navigate and aggregate data accurately. Pay attention to cardinality and cross-filter direction when setting up relationships to ensure the results align with your analytical requirements.


Create Interactive Dashboards

Build interactive dashboards by leveraging features like slicers, drill-through, and bookmarks. Slicers allow users to filter data dynamically, while drill-through enables detailed exploration of specific data points. Bookmarks help you save the current view, making it easy to switch between different states of your report.


Scheduled Refresh and Power BI Service

If you're using Power BI Service, set up scheduled refresh for your datasets. This ensures that your reports are always up-to-date with the latest data. Understand the refresh limits imposed by Power BI Service and optimize your data model and queries to stay within those constraints.


Master the Power BI Custom Visuals

Power BI offers a variety of custom visuals created by the community and Microsoft. Explore these visuals to enhance your reports and dashboards. Whether it's a custom map, a timeline, or a unique chart type, custom visuals can add significant value to your visualizations.


Implement Row-Level Security (RLS)

If your reports contain sensitive information, implement Row-Level Security to control access to data at the row level. RLS allows you to define rules that restrict data access based on user roles, ensuring that each user sees only the relevant data according to their permissions.


Optimize Report Performance

Pay attention to report performance by optimizing your data model and report design. Use the Performance Analyzer tool to identify bottlenecks in your report and improve loading times. Techniques such as using summarisation, avoiding unnecessary visuals, and optimizing DAX queries contribute to a faster and more responsive report.


Explore Power BI Templates

Take advantage of Power BI templates to streamline report creation. Templates allow you to reuse custom layouts, themes, and configurations across multiple reports. Create templates for consistent branding or industry-specific reporting standards, saving time and maintaining a cohesive look across your organization's reports.


Stay Updated and Engage with the Community

Power BI is continually evolving, with new features and updates being released regularly. Stay informed about the latest enhancements by regularly checking the Power BI blog and community forums. Engaging with the Power BI community provides opportunities to learn from others, share your experiences, and get insights into best practices.


General Shortcuts

Ctrl + S: Save the report or dashboard.
Ctrl + Z: Undo the last action.
Ctrl + Y: Redo the last undone action.
Ctrl + C: Copy selected items.
Ctrl + X: Cut selected items.
Ctrl + V: Paste copied or cut items.
Ctrl + A: Select all items.
Ctrl + N: Create a new report or dashboard.


Query Editor Shortcuts

Ctrl + E: Open or close the Query Editor.
Ctrl + F: Find within the Query Editor.
Ctrl + H: Replace within the Query Editor.
Ctrl + D: Duplicate selected query.
Ctrl + ; (semicolon): Insert a step to create a custom column.
Ctrl + M: Enter the formula bar for the selected step.


Data Model Shortcuts

Ctrl + Shift + L: Create a relationship between tables.
Ctrl + K: Create a new calculated column.
Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new table.
Ctrl + Shift + K: Create a new measure.
Ctrl + D: Duplicate selected table or measure.


Report and Visualization Shortcuts

Ctrl + Shift + P: Enter or exit Presentation mode.
Ctrl + Shift + V: Toggle between different visualization types.
Ctrl + G: Group selected visuals.
Ctrl + Shift + H: Hide or unhide selected visuals.
Ctrl + Shift + L: Lock or unlock selected visuals.


Navigation Shortcuts

Ctrl + Left Arrow/Right Arrow/Up Arrow/Down Arrow: Move selected object in the respective direction.
Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow/Right Arrow/Up Arrow/Down Arrow: Resize selected object in the respective direction.
Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow/Down Arrow: Bring forward or send backward the selected object in the report layer.


Page and Tab Shortcuts

Ctrl + Page Up/Page Down: Navigate between pages.
Ctrl + T: Create a new page.
Ctrl + Shift + F10: Toggle between fields pane and report canvas.

 

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