CALCULATE DAX Function (Filter)  Context Transition

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Evaluates an expression in a context modified by filters.

Syntax

CALCULATE ( <Expression> [, <Filter> [, <Filter> [, … ] ] ] )
Parameter Attributes Description
Expression

The expression to be evaluated.
Filter Optional
Repeatable

A boolean (True/False) expression or a table expression that defines a filter.

Return values

Scalar A single value of any type.

The value is the result of the expression evaluated in a modified filter context.

Remarks

Every filter argument can be either a filter removal (such as ALL, ALLEXCEPT, ALLNOBLANKROW), a filter restore (ALLSELECTED), or a table expression returning a list of values for one or more columns or for an entire expanded table.

When a filter argument has the form of a predicate with a single column reference, the expression is embedded into a FILTER expression that filters all the values of the referenced column. For example, the predicate shown in the first expression is internally converted in the second expression.

CALCULATE ( 
    <expression>,
    table[column] = 10
)

CALCULATE ( 
    <expression>,
    FILTER ( 
        ALL ( table[column] ),
        table[column] = 10
    )
)

A filter argument overrides the existing corresponding filters over the same column(s), unless it is embedded within KEEPFILTERS.

CALCULATE evaluation follow these steps:

  1. CALCULATE evaluates all the explicit filter arguments in the original evaluation context, each one independently from the others. This includes both the original row contexts (if any) and the original filter context. Once this evaluation is finished, CALCULATE starts building the new filter context.
  2. CALCULATE makes a copy of the original filter context to prepare the new filter context. It discards the original row contexts, because the new evaluation context will not contain any row context.
  3. CALCULATE performs the context transition. It uses the current value of columns in the original row contexts to provide a filter with a unique value for all the columns currently being iterated in the original row contexts. This filter may or may not contain one individual row. There is no guarantee that the new filter context contains a single row at this point. If there are no row contexts active, this step is skipped. Once all implicit filters created by the context transition are applied to the new filter context, CALCULATE moves on to the next step.
  4. CALCULATE evaluates the CALCULATE modifiers used in filter arguments: USERELATIONSHIP, CROSSFILTER, ALL, ALLEXCEPT, ALLSELECTED, and ALLNOBLANKROW. This step happens after step 3. This is very important, because it means that one can remove the effects of the context transition by using ALL as a filter argument. The CALCULATE modifiers are applied after the context transition, so they can alter the effects of the context transition.
  5. CALCULATE applies the explicit filter arguments evaluated at 1. to the new filter context generated after step 4. These filter arguments are applied to the new filter context once the context transition has happened so they can overwrite it, after filter removal — their filter is not removed by any ALL* modifier — and after the relationship architecture has been updated. However, the evaluation of filter arguments happens in the original filter context, and it is not affected by any other modifier or filter within the same CALCULATE function. If a filter argument is modified by KEEPFILTERS, the filter is added to the filter context without overwriting existing filters over the same column(s).

The filter context generated after point (5) is the new filter context used by CALCULATE in the evaluation of its expression.

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Examples

--  The compact syntax (boolean) is expanded in the full syntax 
--  prior to the evaluation
DEFINE
    MEASURE Sales[Red Sales] =
        CALCULATE ( [Sales Amount], 'Product'[Color] = "Red" )
    MEASURE Sales[Red Sales Full] =
        CALCULATE (
            [Sales Amount],
            FILTER ( ALL ( 'Product'[Color] ), 'Product'[Color] = "Red" )
        )
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
    'Product'[Color],
    "Sales Amount", [Sales Amount],
    "Red Sales", [Red Sales],
    "Red Sales Full", [Red Sales Full]
)
Product[Color] Sales Amount Red Sales Red Sales Full
Silver 6,798,560.86 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Blue 2,435,444.62 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
White 5,829,599.91 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Red 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Black 5,860,066.14 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Green 1,403,184.38 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Orange 857,320.28 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Pink 828,638.54 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Yellow 89,715.56 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Purple 5,973.84 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Brown 1,029,508.95 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Grey 3,509,138.09 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Gold 361,496.01 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Azure 97,389.89 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Silver Grey 371,908.92 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10
Transparent 3,295.89 1,110,102.10 1,110,102.10 
--  You can use any condition as an argument, as long as it can
--  be converted into a table by the DAX engine
DEFINE
    MEASURE Sales[Red Blue Sales] =
        CALCULATE ( [Sales Amount], 'Product'[Color] IN { "Red", "Blue" } )
    MEASURE Sales[Red Blue Sales Full] =
        CALCULATE (
            [Sales Amount],
            FILTER ( ALL ( 'Product'[Color] ), 'Product'[Color] IN { "Red", "Blue" } )
        )
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
    'Product'[Color],
    "Sales Amount", [Sales Amount],
    "Red Blue Sales", [Red Blue Sales],
    "Red Blue Sales Full", [Red Blue Sales Full]
)
Product[Color] Sales Amount Red Blue Sales Red Blue Sales Full
Silver 6,798,560.86 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Blue 2,435,444.62 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
White 5,829,599.91 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Red 1,110,102.10 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Black 5,860,066.14 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Green 1,403,184.38 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Orange 857,320.28 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Pink 828,638.54 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Yellow 89,715.56 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Purple 5,973.84 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Brown 1,029,508.95 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Grey 3,509,138.09 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Gold 361,496.01 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Azure 97,389.89 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Silver Grey 371,908.92 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72
Transparent 3,295.89 3,545,546.72 3,545,546.72 
--  The KEEPFILTERS modifier does not remove an existing filter
DEFINE
    MEASURE Sales[Red Blue Sales Keepfilters] =
        CALCULATE ( 
            [Sales Amount], 
            KEEPFILTERS ( 'Product'[Color] IN { "Red", "Blue" } )
        )
    MEASURE Sales[Red Blue Sales] =
        CALCULATE ( 
            [Sales Amount], 
            'Product'[Color] IN { "Red", "Blue" }
        )
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
    'Product'[Color],
    "Sales Amount", [Sales Amount],
    "Red Blue Sales", [Red Blue Sales],
    "Red Blue Sales Keepfilters", [Red Blue Sales Keepfilters]
)
Product[Color] Sales Amount Red Blue Sales Red Blue Sales Keepfilters
Silver 6,798,560.86 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Blue 2,435,444.62 3,545,546.72 2,435,444.62
White 5,829,599.91 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Red 1,110,102.10 3,545,546.72 1,110,102.10
Black 5,860,066.14 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Green 1,403,184.38 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Orange 857,320.28 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Pink 828,638.54 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Yellow 89,715.56 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Purple 5,973.84 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Brown 1,029,508.95 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Grey 3,509,138.09 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Gold 361,496.01 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Azure 97,389.89 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Silver Grey 371,908.92 3,545,546.72 (Blank)
Transparent 3,295.89 3,545,546.72 (Blank) 
--  When CALCULATE is executed in a row context, it transforms 
--  the row contexts in equivalent filter contexts
DEFINE
    MEASURE Sales[Yearly Avg] =
        AVERAGEX (
            VALUES ( 'Date'[Calendar Year] ),
            CALCULATE ( 
                SUMX ( Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Net Price] )
            )
        )
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
    'Product'[Color],
    "Sales Amount", [Sales Amount],
    "Yearly Avg", [Yearly Avg]
)
Product[Color] Sales Amount Yearly Avg
Silver 6,798,560.86 2,266,186.95
Blue 2,435,444.62 811,814.87
White 5,829,599.91 1,943,199.97
Red 1,110,102.10 370,034.03
Black 5,860,066.14 1,953,355.38
Green 1,403,184.38 467,728.13
Orange 857,320.28 285,773.43
Pink 828,638.54 276,212.85
Yellow 89,715.56 29,905.19
Purple 5,973.84 1,991.28
Brown 1,029,508.95 343,169.65
Grey 3,509,138.09 1,169,712.70
Gold 361,496.01 120,498.67
Azure 97,389.89 32,463.30
Silver Grey 371,908.92 123,969.64
Transparent 3,295.89 1,098.63 
--  CALCULATE is implicitly added to any measure reference
DEFINE
    MEASURE Sales[Sales Amount] = 
        SUMX ( Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Net Price] )
    MEASURE Sales[Yearly Avg] =
        AVERAGEX (
            VALUES ( 'Date'[Calendar Year] ),
            CALCULATE ( 
                SUMX ( Sales, Sales[Quantity] * Sales[Net Price] )
            )
        )
    MEASURE Sales[Yearly Avg 2] =
        AVERAGEX (
            VALUES ( 'Date'[Calendar Year] ),
            [Sales Amount]
        )
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
    'Product'[Color],
    "Sales Amount", [Sales Amount],
    "Yearly Avg", [Yearly Avg],
    "Yearly Avg 2", [Yearly Avg 2]
)
Product[Color] Sales Amount Yearly Avg Yearly Avg 2
Silver 6,798,560.86 2,266,186.95 2,266,186.95
Blue 2,435,444.62 811,814.87 811,814.87
White 5,829,599.91 1,943,199.97 1,943,199.97
Red 1,110,102.10 370,034.03 370,034.03
Black 5,860,066.14 1,953,355.38 1,953,355.38
Green 1,403,184.38 467,728.13 467,728.13
Orange 857,320.28 285,773.43 285,773.43
Pink 828,638.54 276,212.85 276,212.85
Yellow 89,715.56 29,905.19 29,905.19
Purple 5,973.84 1,991.28 1,991.28
Brown 1,029,508.95 343,169.65 343,169.65
Grey 3,509,138.09 1,169,712.70 1,169,712.70
Gold 361,496.01 120,498.67 120,498.67
Azure 97,389.89 32,463.30 32,463.30
Silver Grey 371,908.92 123,969.64 123,969.64
Transparent 3,295.89 1,098.63 1,098.63 
--  CALCULATE evaluation steps:
--      1. Evaluation of filter arguments
--      2. Context transition
--      3. Evaluation of CALCULATE modifiers
--      4. Application of filter arguments and KEEPFILTERS
DEFINE
    MEASURE Sales[Test] =
        AVERAGEX ( 
            VALUES ( 'Date'[Calendar Year] ),
            CALCULATE (
                [Sales Amount],
                'Product'[Category] = "Audio",
                KEEPFILTERS ( 'Product'[Color] IN { "Red", "Blue" } ),
                USERELATIONSHIP ( Sales[Delivery Date], 'Date'[Date] )
            )
        )
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS (
    'Product'[Color],
    "Sales Amount", [Test]
)
Color Sales Amount
Blue 22,266.55
Red 16,561.91

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Related functions

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Last update: Nov 14, 2024   » Contribute   » Show contributors

Contributors: Alberto Ferrari, Marco Russo, Ryan Reynolds

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