What do you think?
Rate this book
The Definitive Guide to DAX: Business intelligence with Microsoft Excel, SQL Server Analysis Services, and Power BI
This comprehensive and authoritative guide will teach you the DAX language for business intelligence, data modeling, and analytics. Leading Microsoft BI consultants Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari help you master everything from table functions through advanced code and model optimization. You'll learn exactly what happens under the hood when you run a DAX expression, how DAX behaves differently from other languages, and how to use this knowledge to write fast, robust code. If you want to leverage all of DAX's remarkable power and flexibility, this no-compromise "deep dive" is exactly what you need.
Perform powerful data analysis with DAX for Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, Excel, and Power BI
Master core DAX concepts, including calculated columns, measures, and error handling Understand evaluation contexts and the CALCULATE and CALCULATETABLE functions Perform time-based YTD, MTD, previous year, working days, and more Work with expanded tables, complex functions, and elaborate DAX expressions Perform calculations over hierarchies, including parent/child hierarchies Use DAX to express diverse and unusual relationships Measure DAX query performance with SQL Server Profiler and DAX Studio
Perform powerful data analysis with DAX for Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, Excel, and Power BI
Master core DAX concepts, including calculated columns, measures, and error handling Understand evaluation contexts and the CALCULATE and CALCULATETABLE functions Perform time-based YTD, MTD, previous year, working days, and more Work with expanded tables, complex functions, and elaborate DAX expressions Perform calculations over hierarchies, including parent/child hierarchies Use DAX to express diverse and unusual relationships Measure DAX query performance with SQL Server Profiler and DAX Studio
1640 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2015
71 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 12, 2018
I give 4 out of 5 stars only because of clarity.
DAX is complex as it is, and this book is GREAT to explain what's under the hood. However, I think that some explanations could have been written in a more simplistic way. The abstraction of this topic requires more analogies and simple-minded metaphors.
Anyway, this book is fantastic and will remain as part of the bookshelf for multiple study sessions.
To Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari: "We're not worthy, we're not worthy!"
DAX is complex as it is, and this book is GREAT to explain what's under the hood. However, I think that some explanations could have been written in a more simplistic way. The abstraction of this topic requires more analogies and simple-minded metaphors.
Anyway, this book is fantastic and will remain as part of the bookshelf for multiple study sessions.
To Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari: "We're not worthy, we're not worthy!"
August 11, 2021
For DAX coding
April 2, 2020
I consider this a bible of BI. Always stays besides me and helps me when I am stuck. You can never understand BI if you have not read this book from first to last page. Best ever book written on technical aspects of SSAS and DAX.
I wish someone has written the similar details about Power Query as well.
I wish someone has written the similar details about Power Query as well.
December 25, 2019
A thorough guide to DAX. Textbook style reference recommended for Excel and Power BI users.
September 22, 2020
Excellent book explained the concept with very good examples. Must read for those who want to go next level in power bi
December 18, 2020
One of the best guide for people starting with DAX, examples from book are so concise that one can refer to it for solving almost every DAX related question.
February 1, 2017
A fantastic guide to almost everything you need to know about writing fast and effective DAX code, and really understanding how DAX works. Marco and Alberto really know their stuff. I'll be keeping this book handy as my go-to DAX reference for years to come.
The language used in the book is concise, the examples and descriptions are easy to follow, even for someone with limited exposure to DAX (such as myself), and the book flows very naturally from cover to cover. It's a big book at 600+ pages of content, but you'll be surprised by how quickly you'll get through it.
A lot is covered in the book, but the chapters on understanding context transition and DAX optimization are a MUST for anyone working with DAX.
The language used in the book is concise, the examples and descriptions are easy to follow, even for someone with limited exposure to DAX (such as myself), and the book flows very naturally from cover to cover. It's a big book at 600+ pages of content, but you'll be surprised by how quickly you'll get through it.
A lot is covered in the book, but the chapters on understanding context transition and DAX optimization are a MUST for anyone working with DAX.
February 13, 2016
Definitely will be sitting on my desk for a long time to come as a reference tool. Coverage of row contexts, filter contexts, and advanced calculations are invaluable.
If you're looking for a "how to" - this book isn't it. Their "DAX Patterns" is probably a better fit for that. But if you need to understand WHY DAX behaves the way it does, this is a great book to have on hand.
If you're looking for a "how to" - this book isn't it. Their "DAX Patterns" is probably a better fit for that. But if you need to understand WHY DAX behaves the way it does, this is a great book to have on hand.
January 11, 2018
THE BEST book for DAX code. Unfortunately, MS is really bad at maintaining their DAX manual so anyone who is new to DAX and Power BI, this book is must read
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews