Create a New Table from an Existing Table in Power BI

Create a New Table from an Existing Table in Power BI, managing and manipulating data is crucial for effective reporting and analysis.

A common requirement in data modeling is to create new tables from existing ones, allowing for focused data analysis without altering the original data.

This guide will walk you through the process of creating a new table from an existing table using DAX (Data Analysis Expressions), complete with practical examples.

Why Create New Tables from Existing Tables?

Creating new tables from existing tables can serve various purposes, including:

• Data Simplification: Isolate specific columns for analysis, reducing complexity.
• Custom Structure: Design tables tailored for particular reports or dashboards.
• Improved Performance: Streamline datasets by focusing solely on necessary data.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a New Table Using DAX

Example Scenario

Suppose you have an existing table named My_Data in Power BI, structured as follows:

Create a New Table with Selected Columns

To create a new table named New_Data that contains only the “Team” and “Points” columns from My_Data, follow these steps:

1. Open Power BI: Launch your Power BI Desktop application.
2. Navigate to Table Tools: Click on the “Table Tools” tab in the ribbon.
3. Create a New Table: Click the “New Table” icon.
4. Enter the DAX Expression: In the formula bar, type the following DAX expression:

New_Data = SELECTCOLUMNS(
    My_Data,
    "Team", [Team],
    "Points", [Points])

5. Press Enter: After entering the formula, press Enter to create the new table.

Resulting Table

The newly created table will look like this:

Renaming Columns in the New Table

You can also specify new column names when creating the new table. For instance, if you want to rename “Team” to “Team_Name” and “Points” to “Points_Scored”, you can modify the DAX expression as follows:

New_Data = SELECTCOLUMNS(
    My_Data,
    "Team_Name", [Team],
    "Points_Scored", [Points])

Resulting Table with Renamed Columns

When you press Enter, the resulting table will update to reflect the new column names:

Conclusion

Creating a new table from an existing table in Power BI using DAX is a straightforward process that allows for better data management and reporting.

Whether you want to streamline your dataset or customize your reports, using the SELECTCOLUMNS function enables you to focus only on relevant data.

Summary of DAX Syntax

• Creating a New Table with Selected Columns:

New_Data = SELECTCOLUMNS(
    My_Data,
    "Team", [Team],
    "Points", [Points])

• Creating a New Table with Renamed Columns:

New_Data = SELECTCOLUMNS(
    My_Data,
    "Team_Name", [Team],
    "Points_Scored", [Points])

Utilizing these techniques will enhance your data modeling capabilities in Power BI and empower you to create more effective reports and dashboards.

Start building focused tables today to improve your data analysis process!.

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