calculated columns in direct connect mode

[Anonymous]

according to Microsoft, https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-desktop-use-directquery/

calculated columns cannot be created in direct connect mode.

but apparently I can create them when direct connect to a SQL server source. Can anyone please clarify this?

[Greg_Deckler]

I did not see a way to flag the documentation as in error so I posted an Issue here:

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/360879-issues/suggestions/14104665-documentation-on-directquery-lim...

Not sure if that is the right way to do that since they do not have an Issue category for "Documentation" but figured I'd give it shot until someone yells at me.

@Seth_C_Bauer, you know of any "official" channels for flagging outdated/bad documentation?

[Seth_C_Bauer]

@Greg_Deckler From my understanding they monitor the User Voice sites pretty closely. With the new (er) "Issues" site I think you'll get the fastest traction there.

[Greg_Deckler]

Well, I know at least one of those bullet point limitations is wrong, in April or March they released the ability to change data types for Direct Query queries. So, that's one of the problems with a product that moves so fast, documentation can be wrong because it is generally published early in the feature lifecycle and then gets out of date. So, while I do not see that feature added in April or May, perhaps it was added in some update. Are you adding the calculated colum in Power Query or in the data model?

[Anonymous]

I create the columns on the report view after loading the data so I assume it is a data model.

[Seth_C_Bauer · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous You can do it now. One of the challenges with Power BI is that the pace of new features is monthly, so be aware of that in blogs and apparently even some of their own documentation. Originially when direct query was first introduced, you couldn't do this. They have since added the ability to create measures and calculated columns when using direct query.

[Greg_Deckler]

@Seth_C_Bauer - Great minds think alike! 🙂

[Seth_C_Bauer]

@Greg_Deckler - 🙂

@Anonymous smoupre reminded me of this as well. I absolutely LOVE this blog (which is kept up to date all the time) by Meagan Longoria. She lists the new features in all the releases, and it's  a great way to search for things you may have missed. You can download the entire list to excel and easily search. I do it all the time!

And if you're obsessed (like some of us) all the latest features are blogged on the PBI blog here

[Greg_Deckler]

@Seth_C_Bauer - Nice find on that first blog link you posted. I have that favorited now!