Lantern Tools

Contoso's Power BI model, drawn

JOINED TO NOTHING — OR ONLY TO EACH OTHER 0 joins out 1 join out 2 joins out 3 joins out Sales[channelKey] → Channel[Channel] ProductSubcategory[ProductCategoryKey] → ProductCategory[ProductCategoryKey] Sales[PromotionKey] → Promotion[PromotionKey] Product[ProductSubcategoryKey] → ProductSubcategory[ProductSubcategoryKey] Sales[StoreKey] → Stores[StoreKey] Stores[GeographyKey] → Geography[GeographyKey] Promotion[EndDate] → LocalDateTable_7b40f050-52ae-493d-ad24-bf98aa5b790f[Date] Sales[ProductKey] → Product[ProductKey] Promotion[StartDate] → LocalDateTable_8550debc-41b5-4b3f-a82b-164082f5de4b[Date] Sales[DateKey] → Calendar[DateKey] Calendar[DateKey] → LocalDateTable_8b7d5698-8e59-412f-8903-83f6d0ac96a6[Date] Sales Sales Calendar Calendar LocalDateTable_8b7d5698-8e59-412f-8903-83f6d0ac96a6 LocalDateTable_8b7d5698-8e59-412f-8903-83f6d0ac96a6 Product Product ProductSubcategory ProductSubcategory ProductCategory ProductCategory Stores Stores Geography Geography Promotion Promotion LocalDateTable_8550debc-41b5-4b3f-a82b-164082f5de4b LocalDateTable_8550debc-41b5-4b3f-a82b-164082f5de4b LocalDateTable_7b40f050-52ae-493d-ad24-bf98aa5b790f LocalDateTable_7b40f050-52ae-493d-ad24-bf98aa5b790f Channel Channel DateTableTemplate_1c853cb8-7c43-426c-92ee-a3404f9f49c7 DateTableTemplate_1c853cb8-7c43-426c-92ee-a3404f9f49c7 HOW TO READ ME1 join outa freckle = a measure · the grey tail = its copiesfact tables sit on the middle disca dot = a tablea rope = a join · the thick end is the many sideeach ring out = one more join awayHover anything: it tells you its name.Click a dot: its related tables and measures light up, everything else steps back. Ctrl-click adds.HOW BIGsmallbigstored data · the bigger, the palerHOW THICKfewmanykey values crossing the joinTHE ROPESa join · thick end = the many sidekeys find nothingflows both waysswitched offA DOT'S COLOUR — WHERE ITS TABLE COMES FROMa databasecomputed from other tablestyped in by handa calculation groupa field parametersource unresolvedWHAT GREW ON ITbarnacles = Power Query steps past the basic twothorns = calculated columns, one spike eachan inner ring = incremental refreshThe side lists hold the tables joined to nothing.lanternbi.com · drawn 2026-10-13

13 tables · 11 joins · 0 measures · 29 MB stored

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Contoso is Microsoft's retail demo: a chain of stores selling products through several channels, with promotions. The sample .pbix is a public download.

What the drawing shows

Where to get the sample

Microsoft's download page for theContoso Sales Sample for Power BI Desktop. Export the two files with the steps on this site, or click the Contoso disc on the landing page to open it directly.

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