"Not a fully qualified column reference"

[bonjourposte]

All day I've been trying to figure out why RELATED, RELATEDTABLE, and LOOKUPVALUE don't work for me, and then I realized none of them are working because I'm using Direct Query, but it turns out I'm NOT actually using Direct Query (but should be and need to fix that.)  In the meantime, I'm getting the error message that my column is not a "fully qualified column reference"- why else wouldn't my columns be fully qualified if I'm in Import Mode?

Meanwhile, I need a new column in the PROPERTY table that lists all the tenants asscociated with each PROP_CODE.  The PROP_CODE's match, and you can see it's 1-to-many (which is an issue- I want Power BI to create extra lines in the PROPERTY table to accomodate all the tenants for each PROP_CODE.)  RELATED, RELATEDTABLE, and LOOKUPVALUE don't work for some reason.

Thanks in advance!

Thank-you for your help!

[v-jialongy-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @bonjourposte 

In Power BI, when you encounter an error stating a column is not a "fully qualified column reference," it usually means that the DAX formula can't uniquely identify the column because:

1. Ambiguous Column Names: If you have columns with the same name across different tables, Power BI requires more information to understand which column you're referring to. Ensure you specify the table name along with the column name in your DAX formulas, like 'TableName[ColumnName]'.

2. Import Mode Limitations: In Import Mode, DAX functions like 'RELATED()', 'RELATEDTABLE()', and 'LOOKUPVALUE()' should work fine as long as relationships are properly defined between the tables in your data model. Ensure your table relationships are correctly set up. For instance, 'RELATED()' and 'LOOKUPVALUE()' work across related tables, and 'RELATEDTABLE()' is used to retrieve a table related to the current row context.

3. Syntax Errors: Sometimes, it's a simple matter of syntax errors or typos. Double-check your formula for any mistakes.

DirectQuery vs. Import Mode

DirectQuery mode has limitations on certain DAX functions and how data is manipulated. Before you switch to DirectQuery mode, make sure your DAX formula is not affected.

Best Regards,

Jayleny

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[bonjourposte]

Thanks for the explanation.  I eventually found a duplicate in my PROPERTY table's PROP_CODE, but I don't know why because it was a 1-to-many relationship so there should've only been single values in there.