Power BI Desktop's strongest 2026 story is not a single AI button. It is a shift toward reusable calculations, simpler visual-level analysis, code-based modeling, better DAX testing and software-style project development.
The important 2026 direction is visible in how Microsoft is changing the authoring workflow. DAX user-defined functions let developers package business logic for reuse. Visual calculations make many visual-only calculations shorter and easier. TMDL View exposes semantic-model metadata as editable code. DAX Query View makes testing calculations more direct. PBIP gives report and model definitions a structure that works better with source control and developer tools. Together, these changes reduce repetition and make BI work easier to test, maintain and collaborate on.
Generally available since June 2026: package reusable, parameterized DAX logic once and call it from measures, calculated columns, visual calculations and other UDFs.
Write DAX directly on a visual for running totals, moving averages, period comparisons and other calculations without adding model measures for every visual-only need.
Now generally available in Desktop: script, inspect and modify semantic-model metadata with a modern code editor and reusable text-based model definitions.
Test DAX queries, inspect model objects, use quick queries and update supported model calculations without building temporary report visuals.
Move beyond one opaque PBIX file toward source-control-friendly report and semantic-model files that fit Git, VS Code and team development workflows.
A DAX UDF can centralize repeated rules instead of copying the same formula across many measures.
UDFs can accept scalar, table and reference-style parameters, with optional type hints for safer authoring.
They appear under Functions in Model Explorer and can be authored in DAX Query View or TMDL View.
What is the main value of a DAX UDF?
Since when are DAX UDFs generally available according to Microsoft?
Where can UDFs appear as first-class model objects?
Visual calculations run directly on the data already present in a visual.
Functions such as RUNNINGSUM can express visual-level logic without navigating full model filter context.
A visual calculation can reference what is on its visual, but not arbitrary model objects that are absent from that visual.
Where is a visual calculation stored?
Which is a good visual-calculation use case?
What can a visual calculation reference?
TMDL View exposes semantic-model objects and properties in a text-based scriptable representation.
You can generate TMDL for model objects, edit it and apply supported metadata changes back to the model.
Reusable scripts can standardize objects such as calendar tables, measures or calculation groups across models.
What does TMDL View expose?
What can you do after editing valid TMDL in Desktop?
Why is TMDL useful across projects?
DAX Query View provides an authoring surface for evaluating queries and inspecting results directly.
Functions, measures and other semantic-model objects become easier to inspect and navigate from one structured explorer.
Project files make model/report definitions easier to diff, version and collaborate on with development tools.
Why use DAX Query View?
What does Model Explorer improve?
What is a key PBIP benefit?
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0 / 12 · 0%Juan Carballo
Research checked September 2026. Independent educational training; not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.