DataTables vs Lookup Tables
While data tables and lookup tables serve distinct purposes in Power BI, it is important to understand their key differences. Here are some of the main differentiating factors:
DataTables |
Lookup Tables |
---|---|
Data is organized in structured format with rows and columns for easy analyzing and visualizations. |
The data is associated with descriptive text based information which gives context to the data. |
They are also known as fact tables with granular data helping to run calculations over them. |
They are also known as control or dimension tables helping to speed up caluclations by saving datatables space. |
The data are mostly collected from input logs. |
The data are mostly user-defined ones. |
They are mostly used for easy visualization in the form of charts or graphs. |
They are mostly used for building relationships with actual data tables andgive meaning to them. |
They mostly contain numeric or quantitative values based data with some ID or key columns. |
They mostly contain non-numeric data giving context to numeric data. |
This holds the main table with transactional data. |
This holds the fundamental part of data model with user-defined filtering table. |
Understanding Data Tables vs. Lookup Tables
Power BI Data Tables are like normal tables like Sales data tables with sales-related columns or information fields. It can have numeric values and quantitative values like total sales, loans taken, salary, and so on. They are also known as fact tables.
In this article, we will learn the basics of data tables further knowing their importance and basic features. It will also help in understanding the difference between Data Tables and Lookup Tables. The article will take you to the process of creating, importing, and managing data. Finally, we’ll show you how to customize and visualize data tables with others.