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Yiyi
Helper I
Helper I

Table expression and table, what's the difference!

I am new to Dax and I am confused when I heard the table expression. 

 

Can someone tell me the difference between a table expression and a table? Are they the same thing? 

 

Thanks!!

2 ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS
mlsx4
Super User
Super User

Hi @Yiyi 

 

A table expression is simply a DAX function that return a table. Table is normally a table that comes from a data source or you create

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PaulDBrown
Community Champion
Community Champion

A table expression is a DAX function which returns a table of values: FILTER, SUMMARIZE, SUMMARIZACOLUMNS, CALCULATETABLE....These functions are mainly used to return virtual tables on which calculations are performed. 

A table is a table returned as an actual entity (so you can import these tables into the model, create them in Power Query, type them in physically, create them using DAX). You can of course use DAX table expressions to return physical tables in a model.

 

Hope that helps.





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In doing so, you are also helping me. Thank you!

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View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
PaulDBrown
Community Champion
Community Champion

A table expression is a DAX function which returns a table of values: FILTER, SUMMARIZE, SUMMARIZACOLUMNS, CALCULATETABLE....These functions are mainly used to return virtual tables on which calculations are performed. 

A table is a table returned as an actual entity (so you can import these tables into the model, create them in Power Query, type them in physically, create them using DAX). You can of course use DAX table expressions to return physical tables in a model.

 

Hope that helps.





Did I answer your question? Mark my post as a solution!
In doing so, you are also helping me. Thank you!

Proud to be a Super User!
Paul on Linkedin.






mlsx4
Super User
Super User

Hi @Yiyi 

 

A table expression is simply a DAX function that return a table. Table is normally a table that comes from a data source or you create

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