topic Re: Help with DAX Measure to Insert Line Breaks Without Splitting Words (Max 14 Chars per Line) in DAX Commands and Tips

Help with DAX Measure to Insert Line Breaks Without Splitting Words (Max 14 Chars per Line)

Walter_Mangy — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 10:11:17 GMT

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a DAX measure in Power BI that aims to format a string column ([name]) by inserting a line break (\n or UNICHAR(10)) every 14 characters without breaking words.

Here’s the current version of my measure:

nameindeneb = VAR RawName = [name] VAR CleanName = TRIM(RawName) VAR Words = SUBSTITUTE(CleanName, " ", "|") VAR WordCount = IF( NOT ISBLANK(Words), PATHLENGTH(Words), 0 ) VAR WordList = ADDCOLUMNS( GENERATESERIES(1, WordCount), "Word", PATHITEM(Words, [Value]), "Length", LEN(PATHITEM(Words, [Value])) ) VAR MaxChars = 15 VAR Result = GENERATE( WordList, VAR Index = [Value] VAR Word = [Word] VAR PrevWords = FILTER(WordList, [Value] < Index) VAR RunningLength = SUMX(PrevWords, [Length] + 1) + [Length] VAR Break = IF(RunningLength > MaxChars, UNICHAR(10), " ") RETURN ROW("TextOut", Word & Break) ) RETURN IF( WordCount = 0, BLANK(), CONCATENATEX(Result, [TextOut], "") )

However, this doesn’t produce the desired output. Instead of properly inserting line breaks to avoid going over the 14-character limit, it seems to add breaks inconsistently — often mid-line or too early/late. I suspect the logic around RunningLength and Break isn't tracking line lengths correctly as words accumulate.

Goal:
I want to format the [name] string such that:

Each line has at most 14 characters.
Words are never broken.
Words should wrap to the next line if they don’t fit on the current line.

Example Input:
I am cooking pasta for me and my wife
Expected output:
I am cooking

pasta for me

and my wife

Each line should not exceed 14 characters.

Thanks to anyone who will be able to pick this up!

Re: Help with DAX Measure to Insert Line Breaks Without Splitting Words (Max 14 Chars per Line)

bhanu_gautam — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:04:56 GMT

Walter_Mangy , Try using

DAX
nameindeneb =
VAR RawName = [name]
VAR CleanName = TRIM(RawName)
VAR Words = SUBSTITUTE(CleanName, " ", "|")
VAR WordCount =
IF(
NOT ISBLANK(Words),
PATHLENGTH(Words),
0
)
VAR WordList =
ADDCOLUMNS(
GENERATESERIES(1, WordCount),
"Word", PATHITEM(Words, [Value]),
"Length", LEN(PATHITEM(Words, [Value]))
)
VAR MaxChars = 14
VAR Result =
GENERATE(
WordList,
VAR Index = [Value]
VAR Word = [Word]
VAR PrevWords = FILTER(WordList, [Value] < Index)
VAR RunningLength =
SUMX(PrevWords, [Length] + 1) + [Length]
VAR Break = IF(RunningLength + [Length] > MaxChars, UNICHAR(10), " ")
RETURN ROW("TextOut", Word & Break)
)
RETURN
IF(
WordCount = 0,
BLANK(),
CONCATENATEX(Result, [TextOut], "")
)

Re: Help with DAX Measure to Insert Line Breaks Without Splitting Words (Max 14 Chars per Line)

Walter_Mangy — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:12:38 GMT

Hi bhanu_gautam thanks for picking this one up. Unfortunately your query doesn't seem like working. Did you try it on some specific text column? Thanks

Re: Help with DAX Measure to Insert Line Breaks Without Splitting Words (Max 14 Chars per Line)

techies — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 17:07:47 GMT

Hi Walter_Mangy please try this calculated column

Formatted Name =

VAR MaxLen = 14

VAR Words = SUBSTITUTE(TRIM(NamesTable[name]), " ", "|")

VAR WordCount = PATHLENGTH(Words)

VAR WordTable =

ADDCOLUMNS(

GENERATESERIES(1, WordCount),

"Word", PATHITEM(Words, [Value]),

"Length", LEN(PATHITEM(Words, [Value]))

)

VAR LineBuilder =

ADDCOLUMNS(

WordTable,

"LineNum",

VAR ThisIndex = [Value]

VAR RunningLen =

SUMX(

FILTER(WordTable, [Value] < ThisIndex),

[Length] + 1

) + [Length]

RETURN

QUOTIENT(RunningLen - 1, MaxLen) + 1

)

VAR ResultTable =

ADDCOLUMNS(

SUMMARIZE(LineBuilder, [LineNum]),

"LineText",

CONCATENATEX(

FILTER(LineBuilder, [LineNum] = EARLIER([LineNum])),

[Word],

" "

)

RETURN

CONCATENATEX(ResultTable, [LineText], UNICHAR(10))

Re: Help with DAX Measure to Insert Line Breaks Without Splitting Words (Max 14 Chars per Line)

Walter_Mangy — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 18:35:15 GMT

Thanks a lot techies techies, much appreciated!