pbiplintRules / Performance
Remove auto-date table
What it checks
Calculated tables generated by the Auto date/time option, whose names start with DateTableTemplate_ or LocalDateTable_.
Why it matters
With Auto date/time on, Power BI Desktop creates a hidden calculated date table for every date column in the model, each with its own year, quarter, month, and day hierarchy. A model with a dozen date columns carries a dozen hidden tables, all rebuilt on every refresh, and none of them can be extended with fiscal periods or holidays or shared between fact tables. One real date table does everything they do, once.
How to fix it
In Power BI Desktop, open Options, then Current file, then Data Load, and clear Auto date/time. The hidden tables disappear on the next save. Then add a date table and mark it as a date table so the date hierarchies come from it.
Quirks
- With the option on, each hidden table also fires
REDUCE_USAGE_OF_CALCULATED_TABLES.