Native Power BI library
What can actually be achieved with native Power BI functionality — demonstrated with working examples on one workforce dataset. Every example states whether it is a native visual, a native configuration, a native interaction, or something Power BI does not provide.
Tables & data
Table and matrix visuals, sorting, totals and conditional formatting.
Flat record list with sorting, scrolling, selection, conditional formatting and tooltips.
Hierarchical rows and columns with expand/collapse, subtotals and grand totals.
Column header sorting with ascending/descending state and a defined default.
No totals, group subtotals or grand total — and how flat and hierarchical aggregation differ.
Background colour, font colour, data bars, icons and colour scales driven by rules or measures.
Filtering
Slicers, the filter pane and cross-filtering between visuals.
Dropdown, list, multi-select and search slicers with a reset state.
Report-level, page-level and visual-level filters, and how they stack.
Selecting a data point filters or highlights the other visuals on the page.
Navigation & exploration
Selection, drill-down, drill-through and page navigation.
Selecting a row updates a detail card, KPIs and a chart on the same page.
Move through Year → Quarter → Month → Day inside a single visual.
Right-click a record and open a dedicated detail page filtered to it, with a back button.
Contextual information
Tooltips, hyperlinks and button actions.
Large data
Scrolling, export and paginated reports.
Export data from a visual — availability depends on configuration, permissions and tenant settings.
Interactive tables scroll, filter and drill. Paginated reports print, repeat headers and produce fixed-format output.
Responsive
Desktop, tablet and mobile composition of the same table.
Decide
Native vs custom comparison, handoff split and the pattern decision guide.
Where to stay inside the native model and where an embedded or custom solution is required.
Who defines what: UX designer, BI developer and QA responsibilities per pattern.
Answer what the user needs and get the native pattern that serves it.
Native vs custom
Where to stay inside the native model| Pattern | Native Power BI | Custom implementation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table | Yes | Possible | Native Table visual covers flat record lists. |
| Matrix | Yes | Possible | Hierarchy, subtotals and totals are built in. |
| Sorting | Yes | Possible | Single column sort by header click. |
| Filtering | Yes | Possible | Report, page and visual scope. |
| Slicer | Yes | Possible | List, dropdown, date and search variants. |
| Drill-through | Yes | Custom equivalent possible | Context-carrying page navigation. |
| Tooltips | Yes | Possible | Field tooltips and report-page tooltips. |
| Conditional formatting | Yes | Possible | Rules, gradients, data bars, icons. |
| Pagination | Not a standard report-table pattern | Possible | Use a paginated report for fixed-format output. |
| Application-style row actions | Limited | Possible | No per-row buttons inside a native table. |
| Fully custom data grid | No | Yes | Requires a custom visual or an embedded application. |
Select a user need on the left to get the native pattern that serves it.