BLANK DAX Function
Returns a blank.
Syntax
This expression has no parameters.
Return values
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.
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:
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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: Oct 3, 2024 » Contribute » Show contributors
Contributors: Alberto Ferrari, Marco Russo, Kenneth Barber,
Microsoft documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dax/blank-function-dax