Tabular Editor C# Macros

Expert guidance for creating and managing C# macros in Tabular Editor 3 for Power BI semantic model development.

When to Use This Skill

Activate automatically when tasks involve:

• •Creating new macros from C# scripts
• •Editing or organizing existing macros
• •Understanding MacroActions.json structure
• •Setting up macro contexts and enabling conditions
• •Sharing macros across teams

Critical

• •Macros execute C# code with full model access - ensure scripts are safe before saving
• •Test scripts thoroughly in the C# Script pane before saving as macros
• •ValidContexts determines where macros appear in right-click menus
• •MacroActions.json is stored in %LocalAppData%\TabularEditor3

About Macros

• •Macros are saved C# scripts that can be reused across semantic models
• •They appear in right-click context menus based on ValidContexts
• •Macros can automate repetitive tasks like formatting DAX, creating measures, etc.
• •The Enabled expression controls when a macro is available

File Location

Note: There is only one macro file per user. Macros are not stored per-model or per-machine.

Sharing macros: To share macros across a team, export MacroActions.json and distribute via version control. Team members merge into their local file. Consider using symlinks for synchronized sharing.

Cross-Platform Access (macOS/Linux)

When working on macOS or Linux with Tabular Editor installed in a Windows VM:

Parallels on macOS:

/Users/<macUser>/Library/Parallels/Windows Disks/{VM-UUID}/[C] <DiskName>.hidden/

Full path to MacroActions.json:

• •<ParallelsRoot>/Users/<WinUser>/AppData/Local/TabularEditor3/MacroActions.json

Other platforms:

• •VMware Fusion - Check /Volumes/ for mounted Windows drives
• •WSL on Windows - /mnt/c/Users/<username>/AppData/Local/TabularEditor3/

Note: The VM must be running for the filesystem to be accessible.

Quick Reference

Macro JSON Structure

Macros are stored in MacroActions.json with an Actions array:

{
  "Actions": [
    {
      "Id": 0,
      "Name": "Formatting\\Format DAX",
      "Enabled": "Selected.Measures.Any()",
      "Execute": "foreach(var m in Selected.Measures) { m.FormatDax(); }",
      "Tooltip": "Formats DAX for selected measures",
      "ValidContexts": "Measure"
    }
  ]
}

Valid Contexts

Contexts control where macros appear in the UI:

Multiple contexts: Use comma-separated values: "Table, Measure, Column"

Enabled Expressions

Common patterns for the Enabled field:

// Always enabled
"true"

// Only when measures are selected
"Selected.Measures.Any()"

// Only when a single table is selected
"Selected.Table != null"

// Only when columns exist
"Selected.Columns.Any()"

// Only for hidden measures
"Selected.Measures.Any(m => m.IsHidden)"

// Only when connected to a workspace
"Model.Database.Server != null"

Execute Script Patterns

Common Script Objects

// Selected object(s)
Selected.Measure      // Single measure (null if multiple/none)
Selected.Measures     // All selected measures
Selected.Table        // Single table
Selected.Tables       // All selected tables
Selected.Columns      // All selected columns

// Model access
Model                 // Root model object
Model.Tables          // All tables
Model.AllMeasures     // All measures in model
Model.Relationships   // All relationships

// Scripting helpers
Info("Message")       // Show info dialog
Warning("Message")    // Show warning
Error("Message")      // Show error
Output("text")        // Output to console

Example Scripts

Format all selected measures:

foreach(var m in Selected.Measures) {
    m.FormatDax();
}

Create SUM measures for selected columns:

foreach(var c in Selected.Columns) {
    var measure = c.Table.AddMeasure(
        "Sum of " + c.Name,
        "SUM(" + c.DaxObjectFullName + ")"
    );
    measure.DisplayFolder = "Auto-generated";
}

Hide all columns not used anywhere:

foreach(var c in Model.AllColumns.Where(c =>
    !c.IsHidden &&
    c.ReferencedBy.Count == 0 &&
    !c.UsedInRelationships.Any())) {
    c.IsHidden = true;
}

File Locations

Workflow

Creating a Macro

1. •Write and test your C# script in the Script pane
2. •Click "Save as Macro" in the toolbar
3. •Enter name (use \ for folders: Category\Name)
4. •Add tooltip description
5. •Select appropriate context(s)
6. •Save

Sharing Macros

1. •Export MacroActions.json from %LocalAppData%\TabularEditor3\
2. •Share with team via version control
3. •Team members merge into their MacroActions.json
4. •Consider using symlinks for synchronized sharing

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• •schema/macros-schema.json - JSON Schema for validating MacroActions.json (temporary location)

Scripts

• •scripts/validate_macros.py - Validate macro files for schema compliance

External References

• •Tabular Editor Creating Macros
• •Tabular Editor Macros View
• •C# Scripts and Macros
• •Tabular Editor Script Library
• •Supported File Types

Example Macros

Format Numeric Measures

{
  "Id": 0,
  "Name": "Formatting\\Format Numeric Measures",
  "Enabled": "Selected.Measures.Any()",
  "Execute": "foreach(var m in Selected.Measures.Where(m => string.IsNullOrEmpty(m.FormatString))) { m.FormatString = \"#,##0\"; }",
  "Tooltip": "Applies #,##0 format to measures without a format string",
  "ValidContexts": "Measure"
}

Create Calculation Group

{
  "Id": 1,
  "Name": "Create\\New Calculation Group",
  "Enabled": "true",
  "Execute": "var cg = Model.AddCalculationGroup(\"New Calculation Group\"); cg.AddCalculationItem(\"Default\", \"SELECTEDMEASURE()\");",
  "Tooltip": "Creates a new calculation group with a default item",
  "ValidContexts": "Model, Tables"
}