BLANK DAX Function

Returns a blank.

Syntax

BLANK ( )

This expression has no parameters.

Return values

Scalar A single value of any type.

The BLANK value does not have a data type.

Remarks

The BLANK value is automatically converted in case it is compared with other values.
The right way to check whether a value is BLANK is by using either the operator == or the ISBLANK function. Do not use the operator “=”.
The operator == is a “strictly equal to” operator that considers BLANK as a different value other than 0 or an empty string.
See related articles for more details.

» 6 related articles

Examples

--  BLANK returns the BLANK value
--
--  It is mostly useful to blank out the result of a calculation
--  or to perform comparisons.
DEFINE
    MEASURE Customer[EmptyNames] =
        CALCULATE (
            COUNTROWS ( Customer ),
            Customer[Customer Name] == BLANK ()
        )
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
    Customer[Continent],
    "Customers", COUNTROWS ( Customer ),
    "Customers with blank name", [EmptyNames]
)
Continent Customers Customers with blank name
Asia 3,658 34
North America 9,665 138
Europe 5,546 21
--  BLANK is useful also to provide BLANK arguments to some functions
--  like DATESBETWEEN.
EVALUATE
    DATESBETWEEN ( 
        'Date'[Date],
        DATE ( 2011, 12, 20 ),
        BLANK ()
    )
ORDER BY 'Date'[Date]
Date
2011-12-20
2011-12-21
2011-12-22
2011-12-23
2011-12-24
2011-12-25
2011-12-26
2011-12-27
2011-12-28
2011-12-29
2011-12-30
2011-12-31
--  BLANK is equal to 0 and to an empty string in DAX.
--  You need to use == to check for "strictly equal to"
EVALUATE
    { 
        ( "Blank = 0", BLANK () = 0 ),
        ( "Blank = """"", BLANK () = "" ),
        ( "Blank == 0", BLANK () == 0 ),
        ( "Blank == """"", BLANK () == "" ) 
    }
Value1 Value2
Blank = 0 true
Blank = “” true
Blank == 0 false
Blank == “” false

Related articles

Learn more about BLANK in the following articles:

  • How to handle BLANK in DAX measures

    This article describes a counterintuitive behavior of BLANK in DAX measures affecting Power BI, Analysis Services, and Power Pivot. That behavior could cause mistakes in a report using alternate expressions of the same calculation. Indeed, these expressions are not equivalent when BLANK is involved. » Read more

  • Handling BLANK in DAX

    The blank value in DAX is a special value requiring particular attention in comparisons. It is not like the special null value in SQL, and it could appear in any conversion from a table expression. This article explores in details the behavior of the blank value in DAX, highlighting a common error in DAX expressions […] » Read more

  • Blank row in DAX

    There are two functions in DAX that return the list of values of a column: VALUES and DISTINCT. This article describes the difference between the two, explaining the details of the blank row added to tables for invalid relationships. » Read more

  • Optimizing conditions involving blank values in DAX

    This article describes how blank values considered in a DAX conditional expression can affect its query plan and how to apply possible optimizations to improve performance in these cases. » Read more

  • From SQL to DAX: Implementing NULLIF and COALESCE in DAX

    This article describes how to implement a syntax equivalent to the T-SQL function NULLIF and the ANSI SQL function COALESCE, in DAX. » Read more

  • How to return BLANK instead of zero

    This article describes how to return BLANK instead of zero in a DAX measure. Using this technique, you can remove rows in a Power BI matrix visual where the result of a measure is zero. » Read more

Last update: Mar 13, 2024   » Contribute   » Show contributors

Contributors: Alberto Ferrari, Marco Russo, Kenneth Barber,

Microsoft documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dax/blank-function-dax

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Context Transition

This function performs a Context Transition if called in a Row Context. Click to read more.

Row Context

This expression is executed in a Row Context. Click to read more.

Iterator

Not recommended

The use of this function is not recommended. See Remarks and Related functions for alternatives.

Not recommended

The use of this parameter is not recommended.

Deprecated

This function is deprecated. Jump to the Alternatives section to see the function to use.

Volatile

A volatile function may return a different result every time you call it, even if you provide the same arguments. Click to read more.

Deprecated

This parameter is deprecated and its use is not recommended.

DirectQuery compatibility

Limitations are placed on DAX expressions allowed in measures and calculated columns.
The state below shows the DirectQuery compatibility of the DAX function.

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