TOCSV Function in DAX

The TOCSV() function in DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is used to convert a table or table expression into a single string of comma-separated values (CSV). It's useful when you want to display or export table data as a string, often for tooltips, labels, or exports.

DAX Syntax

TOCSV(Table, [MaxRows], [Delimiter], [IncludeHeaders])

The function has the following parameters:

Table: The table to be converted to CSV.
MaxRows: It is an optional parameter. The maximum number of rows to convert. Default is 10 rows.
Delimiter: It is an optional parameter. A column delimiter. Default is comma ",".
IncludeHeaders: It is an optional parameter. A boolean value (TRUE or FALSE) specifies a header with column name as the first row. Default is True.

Return value A string with CSV representation of the table.

Example: Let's say we have a table named ‘Student List’.

Let’s create a measure with name “TOCSV measure”.

DAX

TOCSV Measure = TOCSV('Student List')

Let’s use this measure in the card visual as shown in the image below:

DAX

TOCSV Measure = TOCSV(
  SELECTCOLUMNS(
      'Student List', 
      "Student", 'Student List'[StudentName], 
      "Teacher", 'Student List'[AssociatedTeacher]
  )
)

The output of the above code is shown below:

Example: With Custom Delimiter and No Headers.

DAX

TOCSV Measure = TOCSV(
  SELECTCOLUMNS(
      'Student List', 
      "Student", 'Student List'[StudentName], 
      "Teacher", 'Student List'[AssociatedTeacher]
  ), 20, "|", FALSE()
)

The output of the above code is shown below:

Example:

DAX

TOCSV Measure = TOCSV(
  TOPN(3, 'Student List', 'Student List'[ID], DESC),
  3, ", ",
  TRUE
)

The output of the above code is shown below:

We can also export the data from the visual, by clicking on three dots, and then click on Export data.

The file is downloaded as a csv file.

Note: As it is a measure the table used in the function is also filtered by the filter context.

Use Cases:

Showing small table data in tooltips or cards
Creating a summary text from a list
Exporting small sets of data in CSV-like format

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