Power BI is a powerful data visualization and business intelligence tool developed by Microsoft. Power BI has become popular among individuals and organizations of all sizes, and across various industries, due to its ability to analyze and visualize data from a wide range of sources. 

Power BI offers several aggregate functions for data visualization, data exploration, and business intelligence purposes. One of the many aggregate functions available on Power BI is Count Distinct. 

ONLC offers comprehensive Microsoft Power BI training on our website, with training on Count Distinct and other functions.

Count Distinct Explained

Count Distinct is an aggregate function available on Power BI that is used to count the number of unique values in a column of a dataset. It is often used in database management, data analysis, and reporting applications.

This function is particularly useful when you need to count the number of unique items in a data set, such as the number of unique customers, products, or transactions. The Count Distinct function inputs a column or set of columns from a data set and returns the number of unique values in that column or set of columns.

Using the Count Distinct function can help improve the quality of your data because it identifies duplicates and removes them, leading to more accurate analysis and reporting. You can also use Count Distinct with the DirectQuery mode in Power BI.

In addition, by removing duplicates and counting only unique values, the Count Distinct function in Power BI simplifies your data analysis process and makes it easier for you to work with large datasets.

Difference Between Count Distinct and Distinct Count

Although they appear similar, Count Distinct and Distinct Count are two different functions within Power BI that give different results when used. 

The major difference between the two aggregate functions is that with Count Distinct, the distinct filter (counting of unique values) happens while computation is ongoing. On the other hand, with the Distinct Count function, the distinct filter happens after counting is finished.

While they are two separate functions, Count Distinct and Distinct Count are both part of DAX in Power BI. DAX, short for Data Analysis Expressions, is a programming language that is used within the Power BI software.

More About DAX in Power BI

DAX is used for creating calculated columns, measures, and custom tables. It is a collection of functions, operators, and constants that can be used in a formula or expression to calculate and return one or more values. 

How to Use Count Distinct in Power BI

You can use the Count Distinct aggregate function in Power BI by following the steps below: 

Step 1: Open Power BI Report.

Step 2: Create a new measure. To do this, go to the ‘Fields’ pane, right click ‘Dataset,’ and select ‘New measure.’

Step 3: Write the formula as ‘Distinct category = Distinctcount([Category])’ with ‘ColumnName’ as the name of the column that contains the data you want to count.

For example, if you have a data set that contains a column called ‘CustomerPurchases,’ you could create a measure that counts the number of unique customer purchases in the data set. You would have ‘= DISTINCTCOUNT (Customers[CustomerPurchases]).’

In this example, the Count Distinct aggregate function returns the number of unique customer purchases in the ‘CustomerPurchases’ column of the ‘Customers’ table.

It is important to note that the Count Distinct aggregate function in Power BI only counts unique values, so if a value appears multiple times in the data set, it will only be counted once. 

In a Nutshell

The Count Distinct aggregate function in Power BI is useful for counting the number of unique values in a column of a dataset. It provides fast, accurate, and efficient results when you need to calculate the number of unique items in a data set, such as the number of unique customers, products, or transactions. This makes the Count Distinct function in Power BI a useful tool for data analysis and reporting.

About The Author

Microsoft Certified Trainer and Consultant specializing in Office 365, Microsoft SharePoint, Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Office Development, and Crystal Reports

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