Typing a formula (no column or measure)

Hi all,

does DAX in general (and PBI in particular) require that every formula will be for a measure or a column? Must I define one of them for every different calculation?

For example - I want to present a date chained with its result in a card chart - that's the only graph I'll use it. Can I write a casual formula without defining measure or a column?

Thanks,

Alex