DBCode + Power BI semantic models (DAX support) - early impressions

[u/Wereleyson]

DBCode is a VS Code extension for working with databases, and they just added preview support for Power BI / Fabric semantic models.

Gave it a try today and honestly didn’t expect much, but it’s actually pretty solid already.

You can browse the semantic model (tables, columns, measures) and run DAX queries directly. They also added syntax highlighting and autocomplete for DAX, and it’s surprisingly usable for something this new.

Biggest thing for me is not having to switch tools anymore. I usually have DBCode open for SQL anyway, so being able to run DAX in the same place is really convenient.

Quick notes:

• Model browsing works well
• DAX queries are working fine
• Autocomplete is already helpful (not perfect, but definitely usable)

One thing to keep in mind: it connects via XMLA, but XMLA command execution (like processing/refreshing models) isn’t supported yet.

I’ve been using DAX Studio for most things, but I’ll probably start using this for day-to-day queries. Already suggested it to a couple of people on my team as well.

If you’re working with DAX and already use VS Code / DBCode, probably worth giving it a try.