Common properties
Note
This page was created with the help of AI.
The properties on this page appear on many object types and work the same way on every object that has them. Each entry gives the property's name in the Tabular Object Model (TOM), its type and its category. The object-specific pages link to these entries. For the other pages, see Object properties reference.
Basic
Name
Name · string · Basic
The name of the object. DAX references tables, columns, measures, hierarchies and user-defined functions by their name. Names must be unique among siblings, so two measures can't share a name. In most models, a measure also can't share a name with any column (see ForceUniqueNames on @object-properties-model). A KPI or a calculation group has no name of its own and takes its name from the object it belongs to.
When Formula Fix-up is enabled under Tools > Preferences, renaming an object updates the DAX expressions that refer to it. When it's disabled, a rename breaks the expressions that use the old name. See Formula Fix-up and Formula Dependencies.
To rename many objects at once, select them in the TOM Explorer and use batch rename, which supports regular expressions. See Duplicating Objects and Batch Rename. The Best Practice Analyzer (BPA) rules Trim Leading and Trailing Spaces from Object Names and Avoid Invalid Characters in Object Names flag names with leading or trailing spaces and names with control characters.
Description
Description · string · Basic
Free text that explains what the object is for. Power BI shows the description as a tooltip in the Data pane. Excel's PivotTable field list doesn't show descriptions. To translate descriptions, use TranslatedDescriptions.
In Tabular Editor 3, the TOM Explorer has a Description column where you read and edit descriptions, and DAX code assist shows the description of a table, column or measure in its tooltip. When a measure, calculated column or calculated table has no description, the tooltip shows the first lines of its expression.
The BPA rule Visible Objects Should Have Descriptions flags visible objects without a description, and Avoid Invalid Characters in Descriptions flags descriptions that contain control characters.
Display Folder
DisplayFolder · string · Basic
The folder that the object appears in, in the field list of client tools. A backslash (\) creates a subfolder, for example Sales\Year to date, and a semicolon (;) shows the object in more than one folder, for example Sales;Finance. Display folders don't affect DAX or security. Tabular Editor also uses them to group objects in the TOM Explorer.
To move a display folder with its objects and subfolders, drag it onto another folder in the TOM Explorer. See Drag and drop objects.
Hidden
IsHidden · bool · Basic
When true, client tools such as Power BI hide the object from report authors. The object stays in the model, and DAX expressions can still refer to it. Anyone who can query the model can also query a hidden object. To secure data, see Roles and Row-Level Security.
The BPA rule Hide Foreign Key Columns flags visible columns on the many side of a relationship. Its automatic fix hides them.
Metadata
Annotations
Annotations · collection of name/value pairs · Metadata
Custom name/value pairs stored with the object. Analysis Services and Power BI ignore annotations, and tools use them to store their own information. For example, Power BI Desktop stores layout information in annotations, and many C# scripts and BPA rules store settings in them.
In a C# script, use GetAnnotation, SetAnnotation and RemoveAnnotation. See How to Work with Annotations and Extended Properties.
Extended Properties
ExtendedProperties · collection of name/value pairs · Metadata
Name/value pairs like annotations, where the value is either a string or a JSON document. Power BI uses extended properties, for example to store query information about parameters. For your own metadata, use annotations.
In a C# script, use GetExtendedProperty and SetExtendedProperty.
Changed Properties
ChangedPropertiesCollection · collection · Metadata
The names of the properties that you changed on an object that comes from another source, such as a table in a composite model or an object that Power BI generates. When the engine synchronizes the object from its source, it doesn't overwrite the properties in this list.
Tabular Editor 3 doesn't add entries to this list. When you change such a property, add its name yourself. Type a comma-separated list of TOM property names, for example Name,FormatString, or expand the property and select the check box next to a property name. Duplicates and names that aren't properties of the object are ignored. The expanded list always includes Name, plus the properties already in the list. To empty the list, right-click the property and select Clear Changed Properties.
DAX identifier
DaxObjectFullName · string · Metadata · read-only · computed
The fully qualified name that DAX uses to reference the object, for example 'Sales'[Amount] for a column or [Total Sales] for a measure. C# scripts use it to build DAX expressions. See How to Work with Expressions and DAX Properties.
Error Message
ErrorMessage · string · Metadata · read-only
The error that the engine reported for the object, for example a syntax error in a DAX expression or a refresh error on a partition. It's empty when the object has no error.
In Tabular Editor 3, errors in DAX expressions also appear while you type, before the model is saved to the engine. The Messages view lists all errors and warnings in the model. Double-click a message to go to its object.
Object Type
ObjectTypeName · string · Metadata · read-only · computed
The kind of object, for example Measure, Calculated Column or Table.
State
State · ObjectState · Metadata · read-only
Whether the object is ready to be queried. The engine sets the value.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
Ready |
The object is valid and, where it holds data, the data is up to date. |
NoData |
The object is valid but holds no data yet. Refresh the table or partition. |
CalculationNeeded |
The object is valid but must be recalculated, for example a calculated column after a change to its expression. |
SemanticError |
The expression refers to something that doesn't exist or is invalid. See ErrorMessage. |
EvaluationError |
The expression is valid but failed when it was evaluated. |
DependencyError |
An object this one depends on is in an error state. |
Incomplete |
Some of the object's data is missing, for example when a partition failed to refresh. |
ForceCalculationNeeded |
The object must be recalculated even though it seems up to date. |
State only has a meaningful value when you're connected to a server or working in Workspace Mode. A model that you open from a file isn't connected to an engine.
In Tabular Editor 3, you can refresh a table from the TOM Explorer and follow the progress in the Data Refresh view.
Options
Lineage Tag
LineageTag · string · Options · compatibility level 1540+
A stable ID for the object, usually a GUID. Power BI uses lineage tags to follow an object through renames, so a report or a composite model that depends on a column keeps working after the column is renamed.
Power BI Desktop assigns lineage tags automatically. Don't change or copy them: the tools that depend on lineage tags can't tell apart two objects with the same tag. When Tabular Editor creates an object in a model that uses lineage tags, it assigns a new lineage tag.
Source Lineage Tag
SourceLineageTag · string · Options · compatibility level 1550+
The lineage tag of the object that this object comes from. Models built on top of another source, such as a composite model or a Direct Lake model, use it to link the object to the source column or table. For Direct Lake, it holds the name of the source column or table in the lakehouse or warehouse.
Tabular Editor 3 sets SourceLineageTag when you import Direct Lake tables, and on the columns it adds when you update the table schema of a Direct Lake model. On a table, the value is the schema and name of the source table, for example [dbo].[Sales], or [Sales] when the source doesn't use schemas. On a column, the value is the name of the source column.
Translations, Perspectives, Security
Translated Names
TranslatedNames · per culture · Translations, Perspectives, Security
The object's name in each culture of the model. Client tools show the translation that matches the user's language. When a culture has no translation, the untranslated name appears. See How to Work with Perspectives and Translations.
In Tabular Editor 3, the Metadata Translation Editor shows the translated names, descriptions and display folders of many objects side by side. To exchange translations with translators as a JSON file, see Import/Export Translations. The BPA rule Translate Visible Object Names for All Cultures flags visible objects with a missing name translation.
Translated Descriptions
TranslatedDescriptions · per culture · Translations, Perspectives, Security
The object's description in each culture of the model. The BPA rule Translate Descriptions for All Cultures flags descriptions with a missing translation.
Translated Display Folders
TranslatedDisplayFolders · per culture · Translations, Perspectives, Security
The object's display folder in each culture of the model, with the same backslash and semicolon syntax as DisplayFolder. The BPA rule Translate Display Folders for All Cultures flags visible objects with a missing display folder translation.
Synonyms
Synonyms · per culture · Translations, Perspectives, Security
Other words that users type to find the object in natural-language features, such as Q&A in Power BI. Tables, columns, measures, hierarchies and levels can have synonyms. They're stored in the linguistic schema of each culture (see Content on @object-properties-perspectives-cultures).
In Tabular Editor 3, the property only appears when at least one culture has a linguistic schema in JSON format. The collapsed property shows how many linguistic schemas are defined. Expand it to see one entry per culture, with the synonyms as a comma-separated list, for example revenue, turnover, and edit the list to add or remove synonyms. A removed synonym is marked as deleted in the linguistic schema. Deleted and suggested synonyms don't appear in the list.
Shown in Perspective
InPerspective · per perspective · Translations, Perspectives, Security
Whether the object is included in each perspective of the model. A perspective shows a smaller part of the model to a group of users. Like IsHidden, perspectives aren't a security feature.
When you select several objects, you can change their perspective membership at once in the Properties view. See Perspectives and Translations. In Tabular Editor 3, the Perspective Editor shows the perspective membership of all tables, columns, hierarchies and measures as check boxes.