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

[Walter_Mangy]

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!

[techies · Accepted solution]

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))

[Walter_Mangy]

Thanks a lot @techies techies, much appreciated!

[bhanu_gautam]

@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], "")
)

[Walter_Mangy]

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