What is the Difference Between MEASURE and VAR?

[TimmK]

What is the difference between a query MEASURE and VAR? I read the definitions, but I do not fully understand the difference between these two used in DAX queries. Attention, I do not mean measures in general, but the function MEASURE within a DAX query in combination with DEFINE and EVALUATE as seen in the code example below.

MEASURE – DAX Guide 

VAR – DAX Guide

DEFINE

    MEASURE Sales[Sales Amount] = SUMX ( Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Net Price] )

    MEASURE Sales[Total Cost] = SUMX ( Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Unit Cost] )

    MEASURE Sales[Margin] = [Sales Amount] - [Total Cost]

EVALUATE

SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (

    Customer[CountryRegion],

    "Sales Amount", [Sales Amount],

    "Margin", [Margin]

) 

[v-zhangti · Accepted solution]

Hi, @TimmK 

In Power BI, measures are defined calculations on your data that are performed at the time of your query.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/modules/model-data-power-bi/4b-create-calculated-measures 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/transform-model/desktop-measures 

At the most basic level, a DAX query is an EVALUATE statement containing a table expression. However, a query can contain multiple EVALUATE statements.

The optional DEFINE keyword defines entities that exist only for the duration of the query. Definitions are valid for all EVALUATE statements. Entities can be variables, measures, tables, and columns. Definitions can reference other definitions that appear before or after the current definition. Definitions typically precede the EVALUATE statement.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dax/dax-queries 

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _Charlotte

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

[vapid128]

MEASURE is a function. It is nothing before you call the  function.

VAR is a variable, such as int, double, array....