Glossary Terms

Aggregator Function that groups multiple rows together as input on criteria to form a
single value measurement.

Data Model The Power BI Data Model is an abstract model that organizes the data elements
in table format. It shows the relationships between the tables, as well as both
the existing data from the original sources, and calculated values from the
report editors.

Dataset A Dataset is the data that Power BI extracts from the original Data Source.

Data Source A Data Source is the original database, spreadsheet, or other storage location
that Power BI is extracting data from.

DAX Data Analysis eXpressions is the native formula language for Power Pivot within
Power BI. DAX includes many of the same functions that are used in Excel
formulas, as well as additional functions designed to work with relationships
within our data model.

Explicit Measure Power BI uses both explicit and implicit measures (see definition below).
Explicit measures are planned, named, and created by report designers. They
are displayed as named fields in Power BI and can be used multiple times for
visualizations and other calculations. For example, a report designer might
create an explicit measure TotalInvoice that sums all invoice amounts.
Colleagues who use that data model, and have edit rights to the report, can
select that field and use it to create a visualization. Creating explicit measures
requires edit access to the data model. In the Fields pane, explicit measures are
indicated by a calculator icon

Filter A filter hides data that does not fit the defined conditions.

Implicit Measures Power BI uses both implicit and explicit measures (see definition below).
Implicit measures are created dynamically. For example, selecting a field like
Acquisition Cost onto a Power BI Report would automatically aggregate values
from that field using one of the built-in standard aggregations (SUM, COUNT,
MIN, etc.). Because this is created dynamically by Power BI, this measure
cannot:

• be given a custom name

• be used by other measures
• use any other functions beyond the six standard aggregators

In the Fields Pane, implicit measures are indicated by a sigma icon.

Iterator DAX Function that enumerates each row of a given table, then evaluates an
expression for each row.
M M is the native formula language for Power Query within Power BI. It contains
transformation functions for modifying the data being extracted from the data
source.

Measure A calculation that achieves summarization. Measures are either implicit or

explicit (see definitions above).

Modeling Preparing the data for use in Power BI. This includes creating relationships
between tables, creating measures, and assigning metrics.

Publish Power BI service report designers bundle the contents of a Power BI workspace
to make it available to others as a Power BI app. Power BI Desktop report
designers use publish to refer to sending a Power BI Desktop report in .PBIX
format to the Power BI service so they can share it with others and build
dashboards from it.

Report A multi-perspective view into the data model, with visualizations that represent
different findings and insights from that data. Can have a single visualization, or
many; can have a single page, or many.

Time Intelligence Calculations performed over time, like year-to-date sum, or average of the
previous period.

Visual, Visualization A chart, table, or other representation of the underlying data model.
Visualizations include bar chart, treemap, doughnut chart, map, matrix, card.

Visual Interaction One of the most useful features of a Power BI Report is the way that all visuals
on a report page are interconnected. If you select a data point on one of the
visuals, all the other visuals on that page that contain related data change,
based on the selection.

Visualizations Pane Panel containing the visualization templates that are provided with Power BI
Desktop and the Power BI service. Contains small templates, also called icons,
for each native visualization type.