Avoiding calculated columns when possible

Creating calculated columns is one of the most essential and powerful features of DAX. Calculated columns, as the name suggests, are computed based on a formula; therefore, the calculated column values are unavailable in the source systems or the Power Query layer. The values of the calculated columns are computed during the data refresh and then stored in memory. It is important to note that the calculated columns reside in memory unless we unload the whole data model from memory, which in Power BI means when we close the file in Power BI Desktop or switch to other content in the Power BI Service. Calculated columns, after creation, are just like any other columns, so we can use them in other calculated columns, measures, calculated tables, or for filtering the visualization layer.

A common approach of developers is to use calculated columns to divide complex equations into smaller chunks. That is why we suggest avoiding the excessive...