Hi there! 👋

In this blog, we’re diving into an important statistical concept in Power BI — percentiles — specifically the difference between PERCENTILE.INC and PERCENTILE.EXC. If you work with distributions, outliers, or box plots, this one's for you!

Recently, I wanted to show quarterly data in a simple column chart over the period of last and current year. The data is monthly and the requirement was to show partial Quarter with an indicator. Also, if the current quarter, lets say Q1 is not full (i.e. if on Jan & Feb data available) then the previous year's Q1 also should show partial data with an indication of the same. We will have to show values starting from the previous year. The idea is to show something like this.

Power BI is a feature-rich tool for building powerful data reports and dashboards. But beyond the commonly used visuals and DAX measures, there's a hidden gem that can add personality, context, and even visual storytelling to your reports — the UNICHAR() function.

In this blog, we’ll explore what UNICHAR() does, how to use it, and where it can bring real magic to your reports. 🪄

🔍 What is the UNICHAR() Function?

The UNICHAR() function returns the Unicode character that corresponds to the given numeric code.

📌 Syntax:

UNICHAR(<Unicode_Code>)

🧠 Example:

Checkmark = UNICHAR(10004)

This will display: ✅

Unicode is a universal character set that includes symbols, emojis, characters from various languages, and more — meaning you can go far beyond plain text.

💡 Practical Use Cases for UNICHAR() in Power BI

Let’s look at how this small function can make a big impact.

1️⃣ Custom Icons & Visual Indicators

Use UNICHAR() to add visual feedback like checkmarks, crosses, arrows, and more.

✅ Example:

Success Icon = IF([Status] = "Completed", UNICHAR(10004), UNICHAR(10008))

• UNICHAR(10004) → ✓
• UNICHAR(10008) → ✗

These symbols help users immediately identify statuses without reading detailed text.

2️⃣ Emojis for Data Labeling 🎯

Emojis can turn boring tables into engaging insights. You can represent customer sentiment, priority levels, or product types with just a glance.

Customer Feedback =

SWITCH(TRUE(),

[Rating] = 5, UNICHAR(128522), -- 😊

[Rating] = 3, UNICHAR(128528), -- 😐

[Rating] = 1, UNICHAR(128546) -- 😢

)

👀 Bonus Tip: Combine with conditional formatting to show these emojis dynamically in table visuals!

3️⃣ Multilingual Flags 🌍

You can even use UNICHAR() to add flag emojis for internationalization — making your reports more user-friendly in global environments.

LanguageFlag =

IF([Language] = "French",

UNICHAR(127467) & UNICHAR(127479), -- 🇫🇷

UNICHAR(127464) & UNICHAR(127487) -- 🇺🇸

)

🗣️ Want to show language or region indicators next to your data? This is the cleanest way.

4️⃣ Decorative Separators & Styling ✨

Sometimes, all you need is a nice horizontal line, arrow, or bullet point to separate or decorate your visual components.

LineSeparator = UNICHAR(8213) -- ⎯⎯⎯⎯

Bullet = UNICHAR(8226) -- •

RightArrow = UNICHAR(10145) -- ➡️

You can use these in table columns, cards, or even as a legend in tooltips.

📌 Unicode Resources

You can find Unicode codes at:

• https://unicode-table.com
• https://emojipedia.org

Just copy the code number and plug it into UNICHAR()!

🎯 Conclusion

The UNICHAR() function in Power BI may not get the spotlight, but it’s a game-changer for anyone looking to:

• Enhance visual appeal
• Add contextual indicators
• Support international users
• Make reports more interactive and fun

Next time you're building a dashboard, think beyond charts. Add some Unicode charm with UNICHAR()! 🧩

📢 Let’s Stay Connected!

Regards

Anmol Malviya | Addend Analytics

Let’s assume you have multiple files with similar or identical structure that you need to combine into a single table.  We will show you a more streamlined process than what is offered by the default "Combine files" option.

Switching between development and production databases in Power BI can often be a hassle — especially if you're manually editing PBIX files every time. But what if you could dynamically change the database connection directly from the Power BI Service?

In this blog, I’ll show you exactly how to make your SQL Server connection dynamic using parameters, allowing seamless switching between databases without downloading your PBIX file.

Power BI offers a powerful feature called What-If Parameters, which allows users to interact with their reports in real-time and perform scenario-based analysis.

In this blog, we’ll walk through:

🔹 What a What-If Parameter is

🔹 How to create one in Power BI

🔹 A practical use case with a sample dataset

Let’s dive in!

📊 Intro to the Dataset

For this example, I’m using a sales prediction dataset that estimates sales based on three conditions:

RA,A,SB

Rather than focusing on the model’s backend logic, this blog will guide you through building a user-friendly, interactive report using these three columns as parameters.

🛠️ Creating What-If Parameters

To add What-If Parameters in Power BI:

Step 1: Go to the Modeling tab and select New Parameter.

Create three parameters – one each for RA, A, and SB. Here are the settings I used for each:

⚡ Pro Tip: When you create a What-If parameter, Power BI will automatically generate:

• A parameter table
• A measure that returns the selected value from the slicer

📈 Using What-If Parameters

Now that our parameters are set up, we’ll use them in a measure to simulate how changes affect sales predictions.

Step 2: Create a Measure

This measure will calculate the predicted sales based on parameter values.

(You can plug in your model’s logic here using the parameter values.)

Step 3: Build the Report

🧩 Add Slicers: Drag the columns from the parameter tables onto the report canvas to create three slicers for RA, A, and SB.

🧮 Add a Card or Chart: Use your newly created measure to visualize the outcome — in our case, predicted sales.

Now when you adjust the slicer values, the sales prediction updates instantly, allowing users to explore different scenarios.

✅ Conclusion

What-If Parameters are an excellent tool to enhance interactivity and provide flexibility to end users. Whether it’s for forecasting, pricing scenarios, or operational decision-making — they bring your data to life.

💡 Want to try more What-If ideas?

Experiment with pricing changes, marketing budget simulations, or stock forecasting!

Best regards

Anmol Malviya

Sr. Data Analyst | Addend Analytics

Problem Statement

In many financial dashboards and models, daily interest rates — especially Treasury Bill (T-Bill) rates — are critical data points.
Traditionally, this information is either:

• Manually downloaded,

• Updated periodically via spreadsheets, or

• Hardcoded into static tables.

👉 However, manually maintaining this data introduces:

• Risk of errors,

• Time overhead,

• Lack of real-time updates.

In a dynamic world, an automated solution is needed to fetch daily updated Treasury Bill rates directly inside Power BI — without needing to maintain tables manually.

Creating a Power BI report is only half the story. How you tell the story behind your data (your design choices, your analytical thinking, and how users interact with your report)  matters just as much.

Everyone knows how to get Top N metrics using Top N Filter type in the Filters section/pane or by using TOPN DAX function. However, some businesses require a more dynamic and interactive Top N selection to meet their analytical needs. In this blog, I will walk you through the steps to achieve a dynamic/interactive Top N selection in Power BI.

Step1: Create a Numeric Parameter for Top N Selection

After importing sample data into Power BI, we need to create a numeric parameter for Top N selection.

• Navigate to the Modelling (1) tab → Click on Parameters (2) drop down → Select Numeric range (3).
  
• Rename the parameter (4) and set the minimum, maximum and increment (5) values based on business needs. (Here I used Name: Top_Parameter, Min: 0, Max: 20 and Increment: 5 for presentation purpose). Then hit the Create button.
• The increment value ensures that to create a parameter range from minimum to maximum values.
  
• The TOP_Parameter output will look like a numeric range for slicer selection as below.
  

  
  Step 2: Replace Hardcoded TOPN Number with Dynamic Parameter

• Once the parameter is created, replace the hardcoded TOPN number (6) in the TOP 5 measure with the newly created TOP_Parameter. You can achieve this using one of two methods either 1 or 2.
  
• Updated measure as below
  
• After the above point, create a visual using the modified TOPN measure. The results will dynamically change based on the selected Top N value.   
  
  
  

  ***Addressing Business Needs with an Adaptive Model Count***

• So far, we have made the Top N selection dynamic, but have we truly addressed all business needs?

  NO, because we don’t yet know how many ‘Models/Categories’ exist in the dataset. To account for this:

• Modify the TOP_Parameter to dynamically count all Models/Categories. For that you need to change the measure as below to find out the maximum number of the Models/Categories. The list will extend to the maximum value, ensuring that any newly added ‘Model’ in the future is automatically included. 
  
• Create a new measure (IsTop) in the TOP_Parameter table to find whether the selected Model/Category exist in the TOPN list. Which will help us to get the selected TOPN Models for visualization.
  
• After completion of IsTop measure, add it to the visual Filters Section/Pane and set the filter to show the items where the value is 1. This will dynamically display results based on the selected Top N value.
  

By following this approach, we have successfully implemented an interactive and dynamic Top N selection in Power BI. This method allows businesses to analyse the top-performing categories (Ex: Sales, Models, Products) based on a user-defined Top N value. Additionally, we have addressed the challenge of tracking all available models dynamically, making the solution future-proof for evolving business requirements.

Now, with this setup, you can easily explore insights based on your selection and drive more meaningful data-driven decisions in Power BI.

Attachments: Sample BI report and data.

In this article, we will learn how to use UNICHAR icons in our report. It is beneficial to use UNICHAR icons as they are light weight text characters and not image files.  

Tailored CSV Export in Power BI – No More Unwanted Columns!

📌 Problem Statement

Often in Power BI reports, we want to display a dynamic value selected from a slicer — such as the year — alongside a static message for a more user-friendly view.

For example:

If the user selects the year 2022 from the slicer, we want to show a card that reads:

“Year is: 2022”

Let’s see how we can achieve that.

✅ Step-by-Step Solution

🔹 Step 1: Add a Slicer

Start by adding a slicer to your report.

In this case, we are using the Year column from the 'Date Table'.

🔹 Step 2: Create a Dynamic Measure

Now, we’ll write a DAX measure that displays the selected year along with a custom message.

Selected_Year_Text =

VAR Cond =

IF(

HASONEVALUE('Date Table'[Year]),

SELECTEDVALUE('Date Table'[Year]),

""

)

RETURN

"Year is: " & Cond

📝 Explanation:

• HASONEVALUE ensures only one year is selected.
• SELECTEDVALUE retrieves that selected year.
• The result is concatenated with the static text "Year is: ".

🔹 Step 3: Display the Measure in a Card

Add a Card Visual to your report canvas and drag the Selected_Year_Text measure into it.

Whenever a user selects a year in the slicer, the card will dynamically update to reflect that choice.

🎯 Final Result

When the user selects 2022, the card will show:

Year is: 2022

If no year is selected (or multiple are selected), the card will be blank or show a default message depending on how you enhance your DAX.

🧠 Conclusion

Using a combination of slicers and DAX, we can easily create dynamic card visuals that reflect user selections. This adds a personalized touch to reports and helps users keep track of applied filters at a glance.

💡 Want to take it a step further?

Try applying this logic to show selected regions, product categories, or even date ranges!

Best regards

Anmol Malviya

Sr. Data Analyst | Addend Analytics

Have you ever needed to view sales performance over different time periods like the past 30, 60, or 90 days? In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to create a dynamic slicer-based solution that allows you to switch between these periods and analyze your sales data accordingly.

Welcome to the Fabric Community DataViz Contest for the month of May 2025! We’re running our first community-led contest where we’ll regularly explore a new theme through data storytelling.