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Hi all,
we own a premium Capacity, I am a capacity admin, Pro License - everything from an infrastructural perspective is fine.
I did set up a dataflow gen 2 in a test workspace (I tried with Gen 2 as well as Gen 2 (CI/CD preview)).
We pull multiple tables from an Azure SQL Server, everything works fine.
After merging and do some data manipulation (replace, rename, etc.) to the main table (yellow bolt is shown then = computed entity/staging enabled), everything is as expected and we got the right data in the preview.
When I try to connect to this dataflow via Power BI Desktop, I got all the columns, all data. But 2 columns with calculated values are just empty. Datatypes are correct (decimal from source(s) to target). There are no filters nor anything else set in Desktop, just raw dataflow data.
There is no data. It seems like on the way from the the dataflow via Lakehouse to the endpoint, the data is lost...
Did anybody see a behaviour like that also? I already raised a ticket and tried to resolve this with Microsoft. No success.
Glad for any kind of hint/experience.
Thx
Solved! Go to Solution.
Hi @NovaBI , This behavior is probably intentional to enhance performance and minimize storage usage during the dataflow process. However, I understand it can seem like a bug when calculated columns don't appear in Power BI Desktop unexpectedly, especially without clear documentation or warnings. Officially, there is no definitive Microsoft documentation yet to confirm whether it is a feature or a bug. This design choice is unlikely to change soon, but I suggest to stay updated on any changes.
Hi @NovaBI , Please let us know if your issue is solved. If it is, consider marking the answer that helped 'Accept as Solution', so others with similar queries can find it easily. If not, please share the details.
Thank you.
Hi @NovaBI , Please let us know if your issue is solved. If it is, consider marking the answer that helped 'Accept as Solution', so others with similar queries can find it easily. If not, please share the details.
Thank you.
Hi @NovaBI , Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.
Your calculated columns are showing blank in Power BI Desktop because they’re part of a computed entity, which doesn’t automatically save data to the Lakehouse. The dataflow preview calculates everything in memory, but Power BI pulls from the Lakehouse and if the data isn’t explicitly loaded there, it shows up empty.
To fix it, create a new, non-computed table in your dataflow, copy your logic into it and make sure Enable Load is turned on. That forces the data to persist. As a quick check, you can test with a static value like = 1 in a column to make sure it shows up in Desktop, then swap back in your real calculation.
If this helped solve the issue, please consider marking it 'Accept as Solution' so others with similar queries may find it more easily. If not, please share the details, always happy to help.
Thank you.
thanks for your answer. I think I do understand your explanation.
I already did create a static value in a column, and that is persistent.
I just have one question left:
What do you mean by "non-computed table". The table that is not producing the values for the 2 columns is a table from a sql server - then merged/joined with other static tables - and thats it (after I do the first join, it is then shown as computed/yellow bolt). If I create a copy of the logic in a new table, I do have the same issue. Do I get sth. wrong?
Hi @NovaBI , Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.
The issue with your blank calculated columns in Power BI Desktop comes down to how Dataflow Gen2 handles computed entities. These tables calculate data in memory during preview, but unless they're explicitly set to "Enable Load", their results, especially calculated columns, don’t get written to the Lakehouse, which is what Power BI queries. This applies not just to the final table, but to any upstream computed tables feeding into it.
When I said “non-computed table”, I meant a table that does not perform additional transformations on computed entities and therefore doesn’t become a new computed entity itself. In your case, instead of duplicating logic which re-creates another computed table, you should right-click your final table and select “Reference”. This creates a new table that simply points to the final result. As long as you don’t add any new steps, it won’t become a computed entity again. Then turn on "Enable Load" for this new table so it gets persisted to the Lakehouse.
Also, double-check that any upstream computed tables, like those used in merges are also being loaded. If not, even a reference might not fully resolve the data. Once that’s in place, your calculated columns should show up properly in Power BI Desktop.
If this helped solve the issue, please consider marking it 'Accept as Solution' so others with similar queries may find it more easily. If not, please share the details, always happy to help.
Thank you.
Okay, got it. Is this a "bug" or a feature that will persist?
Hi @NovaBI , This behavior is probably intentional to enhance performance and minimize storage usage during the dataflow process. However, I understand it can seem like a bug when calculated columns don't appear in Power BI Desktop unexpectedly, especially without clear documentation or warnings. Officially, there is no definitive Microsoft documentation yet to confirm whether it is a feature or a bug. This design choice is unlikely to change soon, but I suggest to stay updated on any changes.
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