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Ashes's avatar
Ashes
Frequent Visitor
2 years ago
Solved

Icon Conditional Formatting and Calculation Groups using Field Values

I've just come across the icon conditional formatting and calculation groups. When I was trying to combine them to reduce the time needed in doing the conditional formatting on each columns I thought I'd give it a go to apply it through calculation groups.

So first I tested out creating a measure for doing the CF to test doing it without calculation groups and it worked fine.

FieldCF = SWITCH(TRUE(),
[Field to format] = 955000000, "CircleHigh",
[Field to format] = 955000001, "CircleMedium",
[Field to format] = 955000002, "CircleLow",
"4CircleLow"
)
This worked like a charm. So then I went and created a dummy record of the field I wanted adjusted for a calculated group to tweak and tested the resultant output in a table to make sure it was outputting the correct values for the Conditional Formatting. So far was looking great. Calculated Group looked like the following:
 
FieldCFs = VAR _CF = SWITCH(TRUE(),
SELECTEDMEASURE() = 955000000, "CircleHigh",
SELECTEDMEASURE() = 955000001, "CircleMedium",
SELECTEDMEASURE() = 955000002, "CircleLow",
"4CircleLow"
)
RETURN
IF(CONTAINSSTRING(SELECTEDMEASURENAME(), "Field*CF"), _CF, SELECTEDMEASURE())
 
Then I went to apply the icon conditional formatting using the dummy measure tweaked by the calculated group, thinking I had everything solved but it won't allow me to apply the dummy measure that the calculated group is tweaking as a "What field should we base this on" when using "Field Value".

Any idea on why this is? Is it an order of operations? Like is conditional formatting applied before a calculated group is applied and so it's recognising that the values that the calculated group would modify the column to be? It doesn't give any errors, it just doesn't allow it's selection so it's kind of difficult to troubleshoot.

Thanks in advance to anyone that has an answer to this.


EDIT: Just thought I should note because I didn't make it clear. I am trying to apply the conditional formatting to a measure. So it's an explicit aggregration for both the CF measure and the measure it's being applied to. Just to rule out the implicit complications you can get when using Calculated Groups.
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  • Ashes's avatar
    Ashes
    2 years ago

    Ok I think I have discovered the root cause.

    Because the underlying measure is originally of a type that is Integer, it is not adjusting to the type String that the Calculation Group is adjusting it to. And a field value source requires a measure to have a type of String.

    So if I convert the measure to output a string initially and then do the switch on that through the Calculation Group it is now selectable.

    So the problem is that the measure maintains it's original Data Type even if the Calculation Group is changing the output.

10 Replies

    • Ashes's avatar
      Ashes
      Frequent Visitor
      2 years ago

      Thanks for the vids. Unfortunately they didn't seem to address the issue I am experiencing, where I am unable to select a measure tweaked by the Calculated Group for a Field Value option for Icon Conditional Formatting, but is selectable as a Rule input to the Icon Conditional Formatting (just can't be used there because it doesn't contain values).

      Effort to provide them appreciated though. 

      • MFelix's avatar
        MFelix
        Super User
        2 years ago

        Hi Ashes ,

         

        Can you please share a mockup data or sample of your PBIX file. You can use a onedrive, google drive, we transfer or similar link to upload your files.

        If the information is sensitive please share it trough private message.

  • Ashes's avatar
    Ashes
    Frequent Visitor
    2 years ago

    Ok I think I have discovered the root cause.

    Because the underlying measure is originally of a type that is Integer, it is not adjusting to the type String that the Calculation Group is adjusting it to. And a field value source requires a measure to have a type of String.

    So if I convert the measure to output a string initially and then do the switch on that through the Calculation Group it is now selectable.

    So the problem is that the measure maintains it's original Data Type even if the Calculation Group is changing the output.

    • MFelix's avatar
      MFelix
      Super User
      2 years ago

      Hi Ashes ,

       

      Sorry for missreading your request, glad that you were abble to figure out what was going on.