TechBis

Understanding Joins in Power BI: A Practical Guide Power BI is a powerful tool for building data models and reports — but to unlock its full potential, you need to understand how joins work behind the scenes. In Power BI, joins aren't defined by SQL syntax — instead, they are created through relationships and controlled by how visuals and DAX interpret those relationships. 🧱 Joins in Power BI ≠ SQL Joins In SQL, joins like INNER JOIN , LEFT JOIN , and OUTER JOIN are written directly in queries. But in Power BI, relationships between tables serve the same purpose. When you create a relationship between two tables, Power BI uses this to filter and relate data when building visuals or evaluating DAX expressions. 🔄 Types of Joins You Can Simulate in Power BI 🔹 1. INNER JOIN (Default Behavior) This happens automatically when you place fields from two related tables in the same visual. ✅ Example: A relationship between Sales[CustomerID] and Customers[CustomerID]. The visual will...

Bookmarks in Power BI – Explained Simply Bookmarks in Power BI are a powerful way to capture and return to specific states of a report page. They help you create interactive reports by saving things like: Filters and slicer states Visible or hidden visuals Current page Drill-through or drill-down levels ✅ What You Can Do with Bookmarks Create custom navigation (like buttons that switch views) Toggle visuals on/off (e.g., show/hide charts or help text) Build story-like reports (step-by-step walkthroughs) Simulate interactions without complex DAX or slicers Highlight scenarios (like “Best Case”, “Worst Case” views) 🛠️ How to Create a Bookmark Set your report page how you want it (filters, visuals, visibility). Go to View > Bookmarks Pane . Click Add to create a bookmark. Rename it (e.g., “Show Chart A”). Optional: Right-click it and uncheck things like "Data" or "Current Page" if needed. 🔘 Use Bookmarks with Buttons Insert a button (Insert > Buttons ...

Conditional Formatting in Power BI Conditional Formatting in Power BI allows you to dynamically change the appearance of visuals (colors, icons, font styles, etc.) based on the data values. It enhances visual storytelling and draws attention to important insights. Where You Can Apply Conditional Formatting You can apply it to: Tables & Matrix visuals Card & KPI visuals Column & bar charts (using data colors) Gauge & multi-row cards (limited options) Slicers and buttons (via Field Value formatting) Types of Conditional Formatting 1. Background Color Apply different cell background colors based on numeric thresholds or field values. 2. Font Color Change text color based on values (e.g., negative numbers in red). 3. Data Bars Shows horizontal bars inside cells to represent relative size of values. 4. Icons Add icons like arrows, checkmarks, or traffic lights based on value rules. 5. Field Value Formatting Dynamically change color, font, or URL based on a column value...

Power BI Report vs Paginated Report: What’s the Difference? 📊 Power BI Report (PBIX) ✅ Best for: Interactive dashboards Data exploration & visual storytelling End-user drill-downs, slicers, and filters Regular business users and analysts 🔹 Key Features: Built in Power BI Desktop (.pbix file) Highly visual: cards, charts, maps, gauges, etc. Supports Import , DirectQuery , and Live Connections Built for web and mobile interactivity Easy to publish to Power BI Service and share Great for self-service BI and performance dashboards 🔴 Limitations: Limited control over print layout/export formatting Can't generate pixel-perfect invoices or multi-page reports easily 🧾 Paginated Report (.RDL) ✅ Best for: Pixel-perfect reporting (like invoices, forms, statements) Printable or export-heavy reports (PDF, Excel, CSV) Operational reports with long tables, repeating rows, headers, footers Scenarios where layout and formatting must be exact 🔹 Key Features: Built using Power BI Report B...

Top Use Cases of Gauge Charts Gauge charts are best used when you want to visualize progress toward a target or show performance within a range . They are intuitive and easy to understand at a glance, making them popular for dashboards and KPIs. 1. KPI Performance Tracking Example: Show actual sales against monthly sales targets. Helps stakeholders quickly see if the team is underperforming, meeting, or exceeding goals. 2. Utilization Monitoring Example: CPU or server utilization, vehicle fleet usage, machine uptime. Great for operational dashboards to alert on overuse or underuse. 3. Budget Tracking Example: Display budget consumption for a department or project. Helps financial teams monitor overspending or underutilization. 4. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) Example: Show a CSAT score on a scale of 0–100. The dial visually shows how close the satisfaction level is to the ideal score. 5. Project Completion Status Example: Visualize how much of a project has been completed. U...

Exploded Donut Chart in Power BI Explained An Exploded Donut Chart in Power BI is a variation of a regular donut chart , where the slices (segments) are pulled away or separated from the center to highlight each category more clearly. 🍩 What is a Donut Chart? A donut chart is like a pie chart with a hole in the middle. It's used to: Show part-to-whole relationships Compare percentage share of categories 💥 Exploded Donut Chart – Key Features Visual Emphasis : Each slice is separated slightly from the center. Makes it easier to distinguish individual segments Great for highlighting important categories or differences 🛠️ How to Create an Exploded Donut Chart in Power BI Power BI doesn't offer a built-in exploded donut chart by default, but you can achieve it using custom visuals or workarounds : ✅ Option 1: Use a Custom Visual Go to Visualizations > Get more visuals (AppSource) Search for "Donut" or "Exploded Pie/Donut" Add and use a visual like: ...

Card vs Multi-Row Card vs Card (New) in Power BI — What’s the Difference? When designing Power BI dashboards, selecting the right visual can make or break how your insights are perceived. Among the most common yet misunderstood visuals are the Card , Multi-Row Card , and the recently introduced Card (New) . Let’s break down what they are, when to use them, and why Power BI now offers multiple card options. 🎯 Card Visual: Simplicity at its Best The classic Card visual is perfect when you want to highlight a single metric —big, bold, and to the point. It’s ideal for showing things like: Total Sales Customer Count Net Profit It offers minimal distraction and works well when you want to emphasize just one key number. 📋 Multi-Row Card: Show More, Compactly The Multi-Row Card allows you to display multiple values from different fields —stacked vertically in a compact box. It’s great when you need to present: Several KPIs in one space Data comparisons like Sales, Discount, and Quantity to...

Top 10 Power BI Alternatives (2025) 1. Tableau Best for: Interactive dashboards & enterprise analytics Strength: Intuitive drag-and-drop interface Weakness: Expensive licensing Use Case: Used by Fortune 500 companies for deep visual insights. 2. Looker (Google Cloud) Best for: Data modeling and embedded analytics Strength: Powerful LookML language for semantic modeling Weakness: Steep learning curve Use Case: Best for large-scale organizations using GCP. 3. Qlik Sense Best for: Associative data analysis Strength: In-memory processing for fast queries Weakness: Interface takes time to master Use Case: Great for interactive "what-if" scenarios. 4. Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) Best for: Free, cloud-based dashboarding Strength: Easy integration with Google products Weakness: Limited customization compared to Power BI Use Case: Popular among marketers & small businesses. 5. Reveal BI Best for: Embedded analytics for SaaS platforms and mobile apps Pro...

How Much You Can Earn as a Power BI Developer in 2025 Power BI isn’t just a data tool anymore—it’s a career path . And in 2025, that path is growing faster than ever. As companies across every industry embrace data-driven decisions, the demand for Power BI developers has surged. But the big question is: “How much can you actually earn as a Power BI developer in 2025?” Let’s break it down—based on skill level, job roles, and global trends. 1. 💡 Entry-Level Power BI Developer (0–2 years experience)  If you’ve just started learning Power BI, maybe coming from Excel or business analytics: India : ₹4–6 LPA US/Canada : $60,000–$80,000 UK : £30,000–£40,000 Remote (Freelance) : $15–25/hour You’re expected to know Power BI basics, DAX fundamentals, and how to build clean dashboards. A bit of SQL helps too. 2. 🚀 Mid-Level Developer (2–5 years experience) Once you can build complex data models, optimize DAX, work with large datasets, and integrate with tools like Azure, SQL Server, or Power...