Mysterious DAX filter terminology

[josempomares]

Hello Phil,

Congratulations on what you share and on your books. I have your book *Pro DAX with Power BI*. I wanted to ask you a question that has come up, since in the response you provided in this forum (the one I am replying to) you explained very well what implicit and explicit filters are. My surprise came when I read a certain part of your book. Specifically, what can be seen in the image below. In the shaded note, it reads that "Filters derived from row headers, column headers, or slicer selections are called implicit filters."

However, in your response in this forum, you clearly state that only filters coming from row and column headers are called implicit, but you do not mention filters coming from slicers.

Finally, another question: Is it equivalent to refer to a filter as "implicit", "internal", or "query" and also "explicit" or "external"?

Thank you very much in advance.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi @josempomares ,

Implicit filters are typically filters that are automatically applied by the Power BI engine based on the context of the data model and interactions in the report, and are not explicitly defined through DAX formulas.

The distinction made in the forum replies is to emphasise the automatic nature of filters applied through the structure of the data model (row headers and column headers) versus filters applied through user interaction (slicers). In a sense, both are implicit in the sense that neither requires an explicit DAX formula to apply.

Regarding your second question, the terminology is sometimes used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences:

Implicit/Internal/Query Filters: These terms are often used to describe filters that are applied automatically by the Power BI engine or through user interaction that does not involve writing explicit DAX formulas. ‘Query’ filters may refer more specifically to filters that are applied through query operations in the data model or through interaction such as slicers.

Explicit/External Filters: These terms usually refer to filters that are explicitly defined by the user through filtering options in DAX formulas or report interfaces. In a sense, they are ‘external’ in that they are applied outside of the automatic contextual reasoning of the Power BI engine.

Hope my reply would be helpful.

Best Regards,

Ada Wang

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[josempomares · Accepted solution]

Thanks !  It`s OK. 😉

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi @josempomares ,

Implicit filters are typically filters that are automatically applied by the Power BI engine based on the context of the data model and interactions in the report, and are not explicitly defined through DAX formulas.

The distinction made in the forum replies is to emphasise the automatic nature of filters applied through the structure of the data model (row headers and column headers) versus filters applied through user interaction (slicers). In a sense, both are implicit in the sense that neither requires an explicit DAX formula to apply.

Regarding your second question, the terminology is sometimes used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences:

Implicit/Internal/Query Filters: These terms are often used to describe filters that are applied automatically by the Power BI engine or through user interaction that does not involve writing explicit DAX formulas. ‘Query’ filters may refer more specifically to filters that are applied through query operations in the data model or through interaction such as slicers.

Explicit/External Filters: These terms usually refer to filters that are explicitly defined by the user through filtering options in DAX formulas or report interfaces. In a sense, they are ‘external’ in that they are applied outside of the automatic contextual reasoning of the Power BI engine.

Hope my reply would be helpful.

Best Regards,

Ada Wang

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.