Forum Discussion
Date Table: If/When needed
Hi CahabaData,
Based on you description, you want to know whenever you need to use a date table, right?
If as I said, you can refer to below scenarios which you need to use date table:
1. many to many relationship.
If you have two tables both contain many duplicate date records and you want to create relationship between them, you should add a date table to link them.
2. Get specify date between start date and end date.
Sample: get the weekend from 2010 to 2015.
3. Use a slicer to filter multiple tables(contain date field).
>> the hidden automatic Date table and it automatically joins to all tables/fields that have a date field type...
You have a misunderstanding of the hidden table, the hide table is created by time intelligence feature, the hide table(date hierarchy) is analysis by date field, it only related to the column which used to create the table, not automatically joins to all tables/fields that have a date field type.
In addition, you could work through ‘Scenario 1’ without create a date table , the time intelligence feature is enable on the newest version of power bi desktop(2.38.4491.282).
Regards,
Xiaoxin Sheng
KGrice What I found is that to make a single visual with both Umbrellas Sold & Rain Amount as values along a common time line axis - - that I had to join the Date fields of the 2 tables together.
In my mock up both tables had every date - so that a join is going to work in terms of providing all data. If both tables did not have all the dates then some of the data would not be included and that would be a problem.
In the tutorial video (URL given in my original post) the speaker displays a hidden automatic Date Table. I guess it's role is limited to providing the embedded Time Intelligence functions so that if one had a single table without all dates - that you do not need to create a Date table for Time Intelligence.
However in a multi table scenario one needs all dates. If the core tables do not provide those then a Date Table needs to be created....which is what XS's post stated.