VLOOKUP in PowerPivot

[funky2406]

Hi

this is my first post. I think this question has been asked already before but I wasn't able to understand the answers so please be patient with me.
I'm quite new in PowerPivot and I am trying to convert an old excel file in a new one using PowerPivot.

In my PowerPivot I have two tables (linked to excel tables):

- the first table called "dimCars"<dimcars> with two fields: [BrandID] and [Brand]
- the second table called "factSales"<factsales> with three fields: [Date], [BrandID], [CustomerID]

Extract of the two tables as follows:

table: "dimCars"<dimcars></dimcars>
BrandID	Brand
1000	VW
1001	Audi
1002	Mercedes Benz
1003	Toyota
1004	Hyundai
1005	Volvo
1006	Renault
1007	Nissan

<tbody>
</tbody>

table: "factSales"<factsales></factsales>
Date	BrandID	CustomerID	CalculatedColumn: Brand
11.12.2013	1000	A001245	=VLOOKUP([@BrandID];dimCars[#All];2;FALSE)
24.01.2014	1004	A002486	Hyundai
16.02.2014	1001	B00486	Audi
27.02.2014	1002	C04663	Mercedes Benz
01.03.2014	1003	A003496	Toyota
18.03.2014	1006	Z45069	Renault
29.03.2014	1007	YA48060	Nissan
02.04.2014	1004	D048804	Hyundai

<tbody>
</tbody>

The relationship between the two tables is a one to one relationship between the [BrandID] Primary Key in the parent table "dimCars" and the [BrandID] Foreign Key in the child table "factSales"<dimcars[brandid]><factsales[brandid]> .

In the second table ("factSales"<factsales>) in PowerPivot I want to add a calculated column that will lookup the [BrandID] value and will return the corresponding [Brand] value from the <dimcars> table "dimCars".

In a few words, I want to do a VLOOKUP formula (I wrote the Excel VLOOKUP formula in the table "factSales" for more detail), but i just want to do it in PowerPivot using DAX.

Until now I searched everywhere in google and in several posts but didn't find the answer to this.
Am I wanting to do something wrong?
Is there a way to do this in PowerPivot?

Your reply(es) would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance
Frank</dimcars></factsales></factsales[brandid]></dimcars[brandid]></factsales></dimcars>

 

[GDRIII]

I think your calculated column in factSales needs to be simply:

=REALATED(dimCars[Brand])

 

[funky2406]

hi GDRIII

thanks for the reply.
I will try it later at home (I don't have PowerPivot in the office .
I will let you know how it works.
Cheers
Frank

 

[funky2406]

Hi again GDRIII

I did as you told and tested. It works great!
Thank you a lot.
Frank

 

[StudentITE]

Since " =REALATED(dimCars[Brand]) " worked in the calculated column in factSales was the reason that VLOOKUP is just not compatible with this particular table and if so in what instance would VLOOKUP be suitable in PowerPivot?

 

[Tianbas]

... was the reason that VLOOKUP is just not compatible with this particular table and if so in what instance would VLOOKUP be suitable in PowerPivot?

There is no VLOOKUP in PowerPivot/Dax, the formula that is similar is called RELATED() but in most cases you do not even need that as the "lookup"-connection between your tables is already working when you create a relationship between the tables.

In the example above you can create the calculated column with RELATED() as proposed by GDRIII or you can use the brand and/or brand ID from dimCars table in a pivot to see the sales per brand from fact table