Measures

A measure is a named SQL aggregation, such as a total or an average, that every report on a semantic model can use. This page covers the measure library: the Measures section of the BI tables panel, where you add, organise and watch over your measures. For writing a measure's expression, see Measure editor; for tests and previews, see Measure tests.

What the Measures section shows

• The Measures row in BI tables holds every measure of the model, with a count badge beside its name.
• Measures group into folders under the row. A measure that sits in no folder is listed under No folder; a model without folders shows a flat list.
• Searching in BI tables opens the folders that hold matches, and a search that matches no measure hides the section until you clear it. Search matches a measure's name, not folder names.
• When a report is open, the section lists only the measures the selected visual uses, and each row carries a Use measure <name> in the selected visual checkbox.

Add and open a measure

1. Right-click Measures in BI tables and choose Add measure, or use the add button on the Measures row. A BI table's or a column's menu offers Add measure too.
2. The measure editor opens with a new draft, named with the first free number such as Measure 1, until you rename it.
3. Write the expression and save the measure. Measure editor describes the editor, its AI help and its shortcuts.

To open a saved measure, select it in the tree or choose Open in its menu; the editor opens beside the panel.

File measures into folders

1. Right-click Measures and choose Add folder. The new folder appears in rename mode with a default name like Folder 1; type a name and press Enter.
2. Drag a measure row onto a folder to file it. The folder highlights when the dragged measure can land there.
3. To take a measure out of a folder, choose Remove from folder in its menu, or drag it onto the Measures row.
4. A measure's menu also holds Move to folder, with a New folder item inside it. Folder rows have their own menu: Rename folder, Create measure in this folder and Delete folder.
5. Deleting a folder asks Delete folder? and explains: This removes the "<label>" folder. Its measures are kept and move back to "No folder". The measures stay in the model.

• An open folder without measures shows Empty folder; an empty folder stays in the tree.
• A draft cannot be dragged or filed into a folder. Save the measure first.
• A folder rename that collides with another folder is refused: A folder with this name already exists. Folder names are labels, so two folders cannot share one.
• Other refused folder actions answer Folder names cannot be blank., The folder already has that name. or Measure folder not found; if a folder changed elsewhere, refresh the model to see the current list.

Rename, copy and delete a measure

1. Choose Rename in a measure's menu, or double-click its row. Enter commits the name, Escape cancels, and clicking away commits too.
2. A name that another measure already holds is refused as you type: Another measure is already named "<name>".
3. A name that a column or a BI table holds is refused when you save the measure: measure validation failed: measure name "<name>" collides with a column or BI table name of the semantic model. Rename the measure, or the object that holds the name.
4. Copy name copies the measure's name.
5. Delete asks first. The dialog reads Delete measure? with This will permanently delete "<name>". This action cannot be undone. When other measures use the measure, it also warns: "<A, B> use this measure - deleting will invalidate them until a measure named "<name>" exists again."

• A measure name holds up to 255 characters.

See broken measures

• A measure that stops working shows in red, with an Invalid badge. Its tooltip reads: This measure is invalid: it references a missing or invalid measure, its name now collides with a column or BI table name in the model, or it failed its check after a table was replaced. It is excluded from charts until fixed, and it is never deleted.
• To fix it, correct the expression and save the measure again, or select Re-check once the cause is gone. Measure editor describes the repair banner, and Model files and replacing a table covers replaced tables.
• While the model has broken measures, a chip sits on the Measures row: {n} broken measure or {n} broken measures. Click it to filter the tree to the red measures only; click again to show every measure again. The tooltips read Show only the red measures in the tree. They are never deleted; fix them by hand or with the AI. and Show every measure in the tree again.
• The chip carries a re-check control: Re-check the broken measures, for example after recreating a relationship. A re-check answers with Measures re-checked: <a> work again, <b> are still red, <c> could not be checked., or No measure needed a re-check. when nothing has to be re-checked. If the model has no fact table, the message reads The model has no fact table, so nothing was checked.

Read test status at a glance

• A dot on the row summarizes the measure's tests: hover it to read <total> test(s): <pass> pass, <fail> fail, <error> error, <never> never run. Green means every test passes, red means a test failed or errored, and grey means some tests have not run yet.
• Run a measure's tests in its editor, or run every test of the model with Run all tests on the Measures menu while no run is going. Measure tests has the run flow, the results and the budgets.

Hide a measure from report field lists

• Use the eye control on a measure row, or the Hide from reports and Show in reports items in its menu. While hidden, the tooltip reads Hidden from report field lists. Charts that already use it keep working.
• A hidden measure leaves report field lists, and charts that already use it keep working.
• Without edit access the eye appears as a read-only marker; see Permissions below.

Permissions

• Edit DataPrism Semantic Model lets you add, rename and delete measures, hide them, organise folders, run tests and re-check broken measures.
• Without it you can still read the model and its measures, but the hide control, the re-check control, the status dots and Run all tests are not offered.
• For AI help in the editor, see Measure editor; the full permission list is on Who can do what in DataPrism.

Questions, answered

Why is the Measures section missing from the tree?

A search in BI tables that matches no measure hides it until you clear the search. On a report tab, the section lists only the measures the selected visual uses.

What happens to a folder's measures when I delete the folder?

They stay in the model and move back to No folder. Only the folder is removed.

Why can't I rename a folder to a name that already exists?

Folder names are labels, so two folders with the same name would read as one. Choose a different name; the refusal reads A folder with this name already exists.

Why can't I drag my new measure into a folder?

Drafts cannot be dragged or filed. Save the measure first, then drag it into a folder.

Where does a measure go when I drop it on empty space?

Nothing changes. A drop only files a measure when it lands on a folder; released over empty space, it keeps its place. To take a measure out of a folder, choose Remove from folder, or drag it onto the Measures row.

What does the dot next to a measure mean?

It summarizes the measure's tests. Hover it to read something like 3 test(s): 2 pass, 1 fail, 0 error, 0 never run. Green means all its tests pass, red means a test failed or errored, and grey means some have not run yet. See Measure tests.

What does the red Invalid badge mean?

The measure fails its validity check: it references a missing or invalid measure, its name now collides with a column or BI table name, or it failed its check after its table was replaced. It is left out of charts until it is fixed, and it is never deleted. Correct the expression and save, or select Re-check once the cause is gone.

Why can't I see the re-check icon on the broken-measures chip?

It only appears for people who can edit the semantic model. Ask an administrator for Edit DataPrism Semantic Model; see Who can do what in DataPrism.

I renamed a measure. Do my reports still work?

Yes. Reports that use the measure show the new name, and measures that reference it have their expressions updated to follow the rename.

If I hide a measure, do existing charts break?

No. A hidden measure only leaves report field lists; charts that already use it keep working. Choose Show in reports to bring it back.

Can I delete a measure that other measures use?

Yes, but the confirmation warns that the measures that use it stay invalid until a measure named "<name>" exists again. If you want to keep it out of the way instead, hide it from report field lists.

Why does a test run say the test runner is busy?

The test runner was handling other work and did not take the run. Wait a moment, then run the tests again. See Measure tests for runs and budgets.