topic Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table in DAX Commands and Tips

DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 04:12:43 GMT

Hi, I am new to DAX. I have an assignment which requires me to convert all 3 steps tables to only one table using CALCULATETABLE function. When i tried to do for the first 2 steps, there is an error shown as below.

Hereby I attach the 3 steps table for your reference:

Table1:

forecasting_uoa_payroll_step1 = FILTER ( uoa_payslips_history_aggregated, DATEDIFF(uoa_payslips_history_aggregated[YearMonth],TODAY(),MONTH)<variable_uoa_per_cust_window[Variable_UoA_per_Cust_Window Value]+1 )

Table 2:

forecasting_uoa_payroll_step2 = SUMMARIZE ( forecasting_uoa_payroll_step1, forecasting_uoa_payroll_step1[Country], "UoA Per Customer Average", AVERAGE(forecasting_uoa_payroll_step1[UoA_per_Customer]) )

Table 3:

forecasting_uoa_payroll_step3 = SELECTCOLUMNS ( customer_payroll_forecast, "Date", customer_payroll_forecast[YearMonth], "Country", customer_payroll_forecast[Country], "Customers", customer_payroll_forecast[Total Headcount] )

Thank you

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

elainepowell — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 04:56:14 GMT

I just ran into the same error and found your question.
If I find the answer anywhere else, I'll post.

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 07:21:09 GMT

Thank you! Im still searching for it too, will reply here if I found any

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

PaulOlding — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 10:40:01 GMT

Hi Anonymous I'm finding it hard to understand what you're trying to acheive. To help with your wider goal it would be useful if you can post a picture of your model and provide some sample data in table format, or share the .pbix if you can.

A high-level description of what you're trying to do would help as well.

Some general comments on the code that may help you:

Is the uoa_payslips_history_aggregated[YearMonth] column a date or datetime type? It needs to be to use the DATEDIFF function
Best practice is to not use SUMMARIZE to add columns. See https://www.sqlbi.com/articles/all-the-secrets-of-summarize/

You could refactor step 2 as

forecasting_uoa_payroll_step2 = ADDCOLUMNS( VALUES(forecasting_uoa_payroll_step1[Country]), "UoA Per Customer Average", CALCULATE(AVERAGE(forecasting_uoa_payroll_step1[UoA_per_Customer])) )

However, I don't understand why you're doing that step. Using this as a filter in CALCULATE/CALCULATETABLE isn't going to have any effect. You calculate an average but then do nothing with it. What are you trying to do here?
It also references this: forecasting_uoa_payroll_step1. Does that exist now you've combined step1 and step 2 together?
You say the ultimate aim is to create one table, but I don't see how Step 2 and Step 3 are in any way related

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

mgb-nav-pbi — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 15:00:00 GMT

I don't know if this issue was solved or not, but just to keep in mind for these kind of situations, we can not use both measures to check the boolean condition in the filter argument.

The following article explains the issue in detail.
https://p3adaptive.com/2012/06/filter-when-why-how-to-use-it/

If this helps 🙂

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

KramGemm — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 17:24:09 GMT

I'm having the same issue. I'm guessing there hasn't been a fix found?

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

Data-Rainer — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 02:06:12 GMT

Thanks "mgb-nav-pbi", your linked article has solved my issue,
whereby I got the same error, when uing a measure in a CALCULATE expression as a filter,
e.g. measure < 155.
Just putting the FILTER function in front of the measure has solved my issue,
e.g. FILTER(measure < 155)

Rooms < $155 = CALCULATE(
SUM('Invoice'[Room Count]),

'Invoice Line'[Item Group]="HOTEL",

FILTER ([measure] < 155)
)

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

kjmusser4635678 — Wed, 11 May 2022 19:34:47 GMT

This worked for me inside a calculate statment, anyone know the logic as to why this works? what is filter doing behind the scenes?

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

Rambo789 — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 18:47:50 GMT

Thank you mgb-nav-pbi for sharing this link!
It solved a simialr issue I have been facing!
Kudos to you!

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

Luiggo07 — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:42:54 GMT

This is great, I was stuck with this issue for some days and this solution (FILTER) actually worked.

Thanks!

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

SDittmannFleet — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:49:30 GMT

FILTER() works. Thanks!

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

ramdasanudas — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 13:11:16 GMT

Thank you mgb-nav-pbi, mine issue also got resolved because of above link. 👍

Re: DAX Error: A function 'PLACEHOLDER' has been used in a True/False expression that is used as a table

swarren — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 15:02:59 GMT

Worked for me too, thanks!