INFO.COLUMNS DAX function in Power BI

The INFO.COLUMNS() function in DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is a metadata function within the INFO family, designed to provide detailed information about the columns in a tabular data model.

INFO.COLUMNS() generates a table where each row represents a single column in the model, and the columns of this table provide metadata about those model columns.

Syntax INFO.COLUMNS()

Since INFO.COLUMNS() returns a table, it is typically used within a DAX query with the EVALUATE statement. For example:

DAX

EVALUATE INFO.COLUMNS()

When executed, this query returns a table listing all columns in the model along with their metadata.

Returned Columns Some of the returned columns are described below:

TableID: The ID of the table containing the column
ExplicitName: The name of the column
ID: A unique identifier for the column (often a GUID).
IsHidden: A boolean indicating whether the column is hidden from client tools (e.g., report view in Power BI).
Description: Any description provided for the column (if defined).
Format String: TThe format string applied to the column (e.g., "#,0" for integers, "$#,##0.00" for currency).
IsNullable: A boolean indicating whether the column allows null values.
Source Column: The name of the source column (if derived from a query or data source).

Use Cases

Model Documentation: Generate a comprehensive list of all columns in the model, including their properties, for documentation or auditing.
Troubleshooting: Identify hidden columns, check data types, or verify column metadata when resolving model issues.

Combining with Other Functions We can combine INFO.TABLES() with other DAX functions to refine the output. For example:

DAX

EVALUATE
FILTER(
    INFO.COLUMNS(),
    [IsHidden] = TRUE()
)

This query returns only the hidden columns in the model.

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