Forum Discussion
first and 4th entry (variable) of a field parameter ?
- 10 months ago
hi lauriedata
Those columns are meant for slicer selections. Use something like this:
COALESCE ( SWITCH ( SELECTEDVALUE ( parameterTable[order] ), 1, "this text", 2, "this text2" ), "selected measures" )
Thankyou, danextian for your response.
Hi lauriedata,
We appreciate your inquiry on the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum and thank you for the detailed explanation.
Based on my understanding, when a Field Parameter table is manually extended with an additional fourth column (typically an alias or display label), visuals such as Small Multiples and dynamic subtitles bind to whichever column the slicer is using. If the slicer or visual is bound to the fourth column instead of the first column, DAX expressions such as SELECTEDVALUE() will return a blank value when referencing the incorrect column. This explains why you had to reference the fourth column in those scenarios.
Field Parameters support only the first three official columns:
- Display Name
- Field Reference (via NAMEOF)
- Sort Order
Any column beyond these three is custom metadata and may behave differently depending on how visuals interpret the parameter.
The fourth column becomes the active selection column because the slicer or visual uses it as the display field. Therefore, dynamic titles and small multiples must reference this column to correctly retrieve the selected value. This is likely why the fourth column sometimes works, whereas the first column does not.
To ensure consistent behaviour across all visuals, please follow the steps below which may help resolve the issue:
- Identify which Field Parameter column your slicer is using (Display Name or Alias).
- Use the same column in dynamic subtitles, Small Multiples, and in DAX functions such as SELECTEDVALUE() or CONCATENATEX().
- If possible, rebuild the Field Parameter using the default three-column structure to avoid ambiguity.
- If aliases or groups are required, continue using the fourth column but ensure it is used consistently in slicers and DAX.
Additionally, please refer to the link provided below:
Use report readers to change visuals - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
We hope the information above helps resolve the issue. Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.
Thank you.