PowerBI Dax syntax shortcuts

Following 4 days of PowerBI training and lots of Dax syntax correcting, I've found a few different shortcuts and Dax tricks which seem to be helpful:

1. AND() function can be interchangeably used with &&.

How would you use?

• Using AND()
  IF(AND([Sales] > 1000, [Profit] > 100), "High", "Low")
• Using &&
  IF([Sales] > 1000 && [Profit] > 100, "High", "Low"

But which to use if they both do the same thing? Use &&

Why use &&?

• More concise and readable
• Faster due to short-circuit logic, meaning
  • If the first condition is false, it won’t bother checking the second — saving time.
  • AND() evaluates all arguments, even if the first fails.
• Don't mix AND() and && in the same condition — stick to one style in a given expression.

2. OR() function can be interchangeably used with ||

How would you use?

• Using OR()
  IF(OR([Region] = "Europe", [Region] = "Asia"), "EMEA", "Other")
• Using ||
  IF([Region] = "Europe" || [Region] = "Asia", "EMEA", "Other")

But which to use if they both do the same thing? Use ||

Why use ||?

• More efficient (short-circuits logic)
• Always evaluates both conditions
• Concise and familiar for coders
• Nesting becomes harder to read

What does "short-circuit" mean?

• With ||:
  If the first condition is TRUE, DAX won’t bother checking the second
  • This means it's faster, especially with complex measures.
• With OR():
  It evaluates both arguments every time — even if the first is already TRUE.

3. SWITCH(TRUE()) function can be used for multiple condition branches instead of IF()

• Use SWITCH(TRUE(), ...) for multiple condition branches instead of deeply nested IF().

How would you use?

• Using SWITCH(TRUE()
  • Sales Category =
    SWITCH(TRUE(),
    [Sales] > 100000, "Platinum",
    [Sales] > 50000, "Gold",
    [Sales] > 20000, "Silver",
    "Bronze"
    )
• Using Nested IFs
  • Sales Category =
    IF([Sales] > 100000, "Platinum",
    IF([Sales] > 50000, "Gold",
    IF([Sales] > 20000, "Silver",
    "Bronze"
    )))

Why use SWITCH(TRUE())?

• When checking ranges of values (like thresholds or bands).
• When you have more than 2–3 conditions.
• When clarity and maintainability matter

is your best friend for multi-condition categorization — it's cleaner, safer, and easier to scale.

IF can still be useful however, especially when:

• Simple binary conditions (e.g., IF([Value] > 0, "Yes", "No")).
• When using IF with logical connectors like && or ||.

Final thoughts:
I hope these DAX shortcuts help streamline your writing and make your Power BI measures easier to read and maintain.