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

[Anonymous]

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

[KramGemm]

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

[mgb-nav-pbi]

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 🙂

[ramdasanudas]

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

[Rambo789]

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

[Data-Rainer]

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)
)

[swarren]

Worked for me too, thanks!

[SDittmannFleet]

FILTER() works. Thanks!

[Luiggo07]

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

Thanks!

[kjmusser4635678]

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

[PaulOlding]

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

[elainepowell]

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

[Anonymous]

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