Power BI Tip - Speed up development with Multi-Select

In this Pragmatic Works tutorial, Mitchell Pearson demonstrates a simple yet powerful tip to accelerate development in Power BI using the multi-select feature for columns. While long-time users might be surprised by this capability, it can significantly streamline workflows, especially when managing multiple measures or columns at once.

Why Multi-Select Matters in Power BI

For a long time, Power BI users could not select multiple columns simultaneously, which often slowed down development processes. Mitchell shares that although this feature has been added, it’s not immediately obvious in the interface. Understanding and leveraging it can save time and reduce repetitive actions.

Step-by-Step Multi-Select Demonstration

1. Identify Columns: Mitchell starts by showing a scenario where several measures need to be moved into a dedicated measures table.
2. Attempt Standard Selection: Initially, trying to select multiple columns by holding the Ctrl key in the default table view does not work. This limitation was standard in older versions of Power BI.
3. Switch to Model View: By navigating to the Model View and expanding the tables, users can now hold Ctrl and select multiple columns successfully.
4. Move Columns Efficiently: Once selected, the columns can be relocated to a new home table in a single action. Mitchell highlights the additional option of using display folders to organize columns and measures for better readability and categorization.

Additional Uses for Multi-Select

Mitchell emphasizes that multi-select isn’t just for moving columns. It’s also valuable for batch formatting and adjusting data types:

• Batch Formatting: Instead of changing currency or formatting for each measure individually, users can select multiple measures and apply changes in one step.
• Data Type Adjustments: Users can select all relevant measures and assign a specific data type, saving time and maintaining consistency across reports.

Practical Applications

This tip is particularly useful in the following scenarios:

• Organizing measures into dedicated tables, like a Measures Table.
• Grouping similar measures into display folders for reporting clarity.
• Applying batch formatting or currency adjustments to multiple columns simultaneously.
• Reducing repetitive actions for users managing large datasets with numerous measures or metrics.

Why Users Might Not Know About It

Despite being available in recent updates, the multi-select feature isn’t immediately visible to new or even experienced users. Mitchell notes that this has been a common question in his training sessions. Many Power BI users continue to perform repetitive individual actions, unaware of this time-saving tip.

Conclusion

Mitchell Pearson’s brief demonstration at Pragmatic Works highlights how a small feature like multi-select can have a big impact on development efficiency in Power BI. By switching to Model View and utilizing multi-select, users can streamline workflows, move multiple columns or measures at once, and apply consistent formatting or data type changes across datasets.

For those looking to improve their Power BI productivity, learning to use multi-select effectively is a quick win. As Mitchell wraps up the video, he encourages viewers to experiment with multi-select in their own reports and discover the full potential of this often-overlooked feature.

Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Power BI and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.