Power BI supports various data types to handle different types of data and facilitate effective analysis and visualization.
Here are the common data types in Power BI:
- Text: Text data type represents alphanumeric characters, such as names, descriptions, or any textual information. It can include letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces.
- Whole Number (Integer): The whole number data type represents positive and negative integers without decimal places. It is used for counting, identification numbers, or any numerical values that don’t require fractions or decimals.
- Decimal Number: The decimal number data type is used for numeric values with decimal places. It includes both positive and negative values and can handle fractional calculations.
- Date/Time: The date/time data type is used for handling dates and times. Power BI provides various date/time formats and supports operations like filtering, grouping, and calculations based on dates and times.
- Boolean: The boolean data type represents logical values of true or false. It is useful for creating conditions or making binary comparisons.
- Currency: The currency data type is designed specifically for monetary values. It supports currency symbols, formatting, and calculations involving currency amounts.
- Percentage: The percentage data type represents values as a percentage. It is often used to display ratios, proportions, or relative values.
- Duration: The duration data type is used to represent the duration or time span between two specific points in time. It handles values in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds.
- Geographical Location: Power BI has built-in support for geospatial data types. It allows you to represent geographical locations like latitude, longitude, and addresses, enabling mapping and spatial analysis.
- Binary: The binary data type represents binary data, such as images, files, or any other non-textual data stored as binary code.
