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Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

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Kevin H on 08 Sep 2017 04:29:54

For example: when the Power BI data model first creates a column with Data Type = 'Date', by default that column is formatted like 'Wednesday, March 14, 2001 (dddd, MMMM d, yyyy)'.

Then, I always go to the Modeling tab, and use the Format drop-down to change it to '2001-03-14 (yyyy-MM-dd)'.

Instead, I would like to be able to go into the "Options" menu in Power BI Desktop, and have a section where, for each Data Type (or at least Date, Date/Time, Decimal Number and Whole Number), I can set the default Format.

So that I don't have to manually change it every single time!

It would also be nice to add this as a setting in the Power BI Service. Set default Formats (maybe for the entire tenant, or maybe by user?) when creating a data model using the Power BI Service.

Comments (84)
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Max Pelz on 28 Jun 2023 15:21:20

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

Agree with Jennifer. This default makes no sense to me and we should really be able to set this in settings.

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Jennifer T Zelmanski on 31 May 2023 18:31:12

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

How easy would this be for Microsoft to fix ?? Five years and we are all still complaining about the LONG date default formatting which I swear absolutely NOBODY PREFERS ! Microsoft, you're killin me!!

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James Hallock on 08 May 2023 17:33:35

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

This is one feature that needs to be added! I am spending hours just reformatting to Short Date on EVERY report! would love to set a global default!

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Ryan Ferguson on 08 May 2023 14:45:58

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

Is this ever going to be fixed? Who uses the Long Date format? I love spending the first 30 minutes of building a report doing nothing but fixing date formats....

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Mary Chan on 28 Apr 2023 15:16:40

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

If you have 20 date columns, you need to do this 20 times. If you need to change the display format, another 20 times.....So annoying!!

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Jeremy Spiro-Winn on 24 Mar 2023 17:06:17

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

Completely bizarre that this is the default behavior - and frankly pretty revealing of a lot of the issues as Microsoft. So many arbitrary and frustrating design choices. Literally the only reason I use any of their products is because I'm in the medical field and effectively have to thanks to their monopoly.

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Travell Brown on 10 Feb 2023 21:30:13

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

We have hundreds of date fields, and what a pain to convert one at a time.

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William Bond on 03 Jan 2023 04:42:08

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

Has this even been seen by the BI devs? Going on 6 years since it was suggested, with no way around for us who have to manually edit hundreds of date / number / percentage fields... It takes SO long for everything to load too when I change the formats!

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Colin Giles on 15 Dec 2022 16:18:49

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

It is a major nuisance that you cannot set a default date format, but even worse is that they chose the longest, most obnoxious option for the default date format. I know that there are problems with deciding between DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY because different countries write dates differently, but this is a terrible compromise.

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Terry Voorhis on 07 Dec 2022 21:06:03

RE: Set the data model's default Format, for each Data Type

Would save tons of time / money & speed acceptance of the PBI tool.