Don't miss your chance to take the Fabric Data Engineer (DP-600) exam for FREE! Find out how by attending the DP-600 session on April 23rd (pacific time), live or on-demand.
Learn moreJoin the FabCon + SQLCon recap series. Up next: Power BI, Real-Time Intelligence, IQ and AI, and Data Factory take center stage. All sessions are available on-demand after the live show. Register now
Hi,
Im extremly new to Power Bi so hoping this isnt a silly question.
Im looking to expand on employees initials within power bi and im trying to use a custom column to do so with the below formula, however im getting an 'Expression Error - The Name 'If' wasnt recogised". Can anyone advise where I may be going wrong?
IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="PG","PAUL Gxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="AB","ASHLEY Bxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="SG","SAM Gxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="TB","TOM Bxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="NBJ","NATHAN Bxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="LB","LLOYD Bxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="DW","DAVE Wxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="AMV","ADAM Vxxxx",IF([DESIGN ENGINEER]="DB","DAVID Bxxxx","")))))))))
Solved! Go to Solution.
Actually just managed to resolve this, below for anyone else searching for this in the future;
if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "PG" then "PAUL Gxxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "AB" then "ASHLEY Bxxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "SG" then "SAM Gxxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "TB" then "TOM Bxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "NBJ" then "NATHAN Bxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "LB" then "LLOYD Bxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "DW" then "DAVE Wxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "AMV" then "ADAM Vxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "DB" then "DAVID Bxxxx" else ""
Is this in the query editor? It looks like DAX syntax but that error sounds like the query editor, which uses a different language. If statements there have a completely different syntax. In the query editor an if statement looks like this (case sensitive)
if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="PG" then "PAUL Gxxxx"
else if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="AB" then "ASHLEY Bxxxx"
else if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="SG" then "SAM Gxxxx"
...
else ""
Is this in the query editor? It looks like DAX syntax but that error sounds like the query editor, which uses a different language. If statements there have a completely different syntax. In the query editor an if statement looks like this (case sensitive)
if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="PG" then "PAUL Gxxxx"
else if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="AB" then "ASHLEY Bxxxx"
else if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="SG" then "SAM Gxxxx"
...
else ""
@Adam1V i am guessing that you are doing it in M. The correct syntax would be
if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="PG" then "A" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER]="AB" then "B" else if[DESIGN ENGINEER]="SG" then "C" else -800
Actually just managed to resolve this, below for anyone else searching for this in the future;
if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "PG" then "PAUL Gxxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "AB" then "ASHLEY Bxxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "SG" then "SAM Gxxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "TB" then "TOM Bxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "NBJ" then "NATHAN Bxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "LB" then "LLOYD Bxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "DW" then "DAVE Wxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "AMV" then "ADAM Vxxxx" else if [DESIGN ENGINEER] = "DB" then "DAVID Bxxxx" else ""
Check out the April 2026 Power BI update to learn about new features.
If you have recently started exploring Fabric, we'd love to hear how it's going. Your feedback can help with product improvements.
A new Power BI DataViz World Championship is coming this June! Don't miss out on submitting your entry.
| User | Count |
|---|---|
| 48 | |
| 46 | |
| 41 | |
| 20 | |
| 17 |
| User | Count |
|---|---|
| 69 | |
| 67 | |
| 32 | |
| 27 | |
| 26 |