Forum Discussion
Sorting Issues for a Bar Chart
I've read some similar posts but none seem exactly like mine, so here goes. I have a couple of issues.
1st, help with sorting suggests I can click on the elipses in a visual and there will be a menu item there for "sort on column" with the additional ability to sort A to Z or Z to A. The only menu items I get when I click the elipses are: Export Data, Show Data, Remove, or Spotlight.
I have a column of data that compares budget to actual dollars. I did have it sorting on this column (sort by column seemed to work then) but my client wanted the numbers reversed, he wants the positive numbers on the top with negative numbers on the bottom. I created a new column which is budget to actual dollars time -1, and called it SortOrder. I tried to use that with the Sort by Column selector, but when I do that I get a message that I can't sort with a button that already is sorted on those data either directly or indirectly. Help on both issues would be most appreciated.
Regarding the first sort, is a field from a DIM table (like an item master, customer master) on the axis of the bar chart? the sort by options wont' show up if you are using a field from the FACT table (like a customer key in a sales table). In that example, use the customer number/name from the Customer master table.
On the second sort, in a table I assume, get rid of the fake column where you muitiplied by -1. Sort by the comparison column. then sort again. It toggles from A..Z to Z..A each time you sort.
Here is a decent article on it.
In summary, a FACT table are your facts - the sales data for example. A sales table might have a customer number, item number, invoice number, invoice date, quantity, and amount.
A DIM table are your dimensions, or sometimes called master tables. So a customer master/DIM table would have your customer number, customer name, address, zip code, phone number, etc.
In Power BI and Excel with Power Pivot, you want those in separate tables. Before Power Pivot, you had to put all of that in one big flat table so Excel's Pivot Table function worked.
With Power BI and Power Pivot, you want those in separate tables, then you join them. This page has a pretty good overview of joining and how you'd use a Star Schema pattern (FACT table in the middle, DIM tables around it) when joining. Power BI works best with a Star Schema.
9 Replies
Regarding the first sort, is a field from a DIM table (like an item master, customer master) on the axis of the bar chart? the sort by options wont' show up if you are using a field from the FACT table (like a customer key in a sales table). In that example, use the customer number/name from the Customer master table.
On the second sort, in a table I assume, get rid of the fake column where you muitiplied by -1. Sort by the comparison column. then sort again. It toggles from A..Z to Z..A each time you sort.
Thanks for the quick response. I'll show my ignorance (and if you have the time I would appreciate enlightenment) by admitting I don't really know what a DIM table is vs. a FACT table. I'm pulling these data from an Excel spreadsheet.
I did have account code on the bar chart axis, and, upon closer scrutiny, I realized the axis took those as ordinal numbers and made the axis as a sequence of numbers incremented by one, your typical numerical axis. I changed the data type of the account code from whole number to text and whalah, the axis looked right and the sorting worked. It even showed up in the elipses drop down menu. I will take you advice and jettison the calculated column and use the actual column instead. I appreciate your help.
Again anything you can teach me about DIM and TABLE would be most appreciated.
Here is a decent article on it.
In summary, a FACT table are your facts - the sales data for example. A sales table might have a customer number, item number, invoice number, invoice date, quantity, and amount.
A DIM table are your dimensions, or sometimes called master tables. So a customer master/DIM table would have your customer number, customer name, address, zip code, phone number, etc.
In Power BI and Excel with Power Pivot, you want those in separate tables. Before Power Pivot, you had to put all of that in one big flat table so Excel's Pivot Table function worked.
With Power BI and Power Pivot, you want those in separate tables, then you join them. This page has a pretty good overview of joining and how you'd use a Star Schema pattern (FACT table in the middle, DIM tables around it) when joining. Power BI works best with a Star Schema.
