Joe Billingham
Senior Data Engineer @ Purple Frog Systems
Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
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For more than a decade. I've been involved in the fascinating world of data! From SQL Server and SSIS, to Azure Data Factory, Synapse, Power BI, and more recently, Fabric. Day-to-day I'm a senior member of the data engineering team at Purple Frog Systems and in my spare time I run the Microsoft Data Platform Birmingham user group as well as my own blog.
Running a user group allows me to connect with amazing folks and either teach or learn from like-minded people. I've had the privilege of speaking at various user groups and conferences, giving back to the community wherever I can.
There's more to me than just data! I'm also the creator of the Data Luthier blog, where I talk all things tech and give a sneak peek into my other passion: guitars! Yup, I'm a total guitar geek – from playing to collecting, fixing, and even crafting my instruments.
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Harnessing the Power of the DAX Engine: Storage vs Formula
In this session we'll discuss the inner workings of the two parts of the DAX engine - Storage and Formula.
We'll cover the differences between the two parts and how to write expressions that target each individual component, allowing us to utilize their combined power to unlock the full potential of DAX. We'll see how optimizing expressions in order to harness the power of these engines helps increase performance. We'll also introduce two tools to help with diagnosis, Performance Analyser and DAX Studio.
By the end of this session, you'll have a solid understanding of what the DAX engine consists of, how the parts work together and how to use them to your advantage to make your expressions faster and more efficient. You will also know how to view a DAX query plan to help troubleshoot slow performing queries.
From No Code to Low Code: Getting Started with M in Power Query
Power Query is a powerful tool when used to manipulate Power BI data sets, but is it as complicated as it looks and does the GUI really let you get the most out of it?
In this session we will utilise the advanced editor to break the code structure down and demystify the complications. We will also discuss the ways in which knowing and applying a little bit of M-Code can elevate your data sets, demonstrating some practical examples.
You will leave the session with a better understanding of M syntax making it easily readable. You will have the confidence to make changes yourself as well as some ideas and examples of things you can do in the advanced editor that the GUI doesn’t allow for.
UNICHAR! Add Character to your Power BI Reports
UNICHAR() is a little known DAX function that allows you to display a Unicode value as a symbol. 90% of the information we process is visual so it makes sense to use icons where we can.
The UNICHAR function means we can use a whole host of emojis and symbols in our report writing, which is not only amusing, but can add real value if utilised correctly.
In this short session we will learn how the function works, show through practical examples and demos how it can be used to add value and increase readability and accessibility in reports, and most importantly, we’ll have a bit of fun along the way.
By the end of the session you will be able to use UNICHAR to increase readability and add context to reports and couple it with conditional formatting to enhance KPI visuals.
Joe Billingham
Senior Data Engineer @ Purple Frog Systems
Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
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