C# Scripting for Tabular Editor

Expert guidance for writing and executing C# scripts to manipulate Power BI semantic model metadata using Tabular Editor 2/3 CLI or the Tabular Editor IDE.

When to Use This Skill

Activate automatically when tasks involve:

•Writing C# scripts for Tabular Editor
•Bulk operations on model objects (measures, columns, tables)
•Creating or modifying calculation groups
•Managing model security (roles, RLS, OLS)
•Formatting DAX expressions
•Automating repetitive model changes
•Querying model metadata via TOM API
•Building interactive scripts with user input dialogs

Critical

•Every statement must end with ; (semicolon required by C#)
•Use double quotes " for strings and escape with \ when needed
•Use forward slashes / in DisplayFolder paths (auto-converted to \)
•Always add Info() statements for debugging - script stops at error point
•Test scripts on non-production models first
•Changes are undoable with Ctrl+Z in the Tabular Editor UI

C# Version Support

Environment	C# Version	Notes
Tabular Editor 2	Default compiler	Older C# syntax
Tabular Editor 3	Roslyn	Supports up to C# 12 with VS2022
TE2 with Roslyn	Configurable	Set in File > Preferences > General

To use newer C# features in TE2, configure Roslyn compiler path in preferences.

Default Imports and Assemblies

Auto-Imported Namespaces

Scripts automatically have these using statements applied:

csharp

using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Newtonsoft.Json;
using TabularEditor.TOMWrapper;
using TabularEditor.TOMWrapper.Utils;
using TabularEditor.UI;

Pre-Loaded Assemblies

These .NET assemblies are loaded by default:

•System.Dll
•System.Core.Dll
•System.Data.Dll
•System.Windows.Forms.Dll (for UI dialogs)
•Microsoft.Csharp.Dll
•Newtonsoft.Json.Dll
•TomWrapper.Dll
•TabularEditor.Exe
•Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Dll

Adding External Assemblies

csharp

// Assembly references must be at the very top of the file:
#r "System.IO.Compression"
#r "System.Drawing"

// Using statements come after assembly references:
using System.IO.Compression;
using System.Drawing;

Prerequisites

For Tabular Editor CLI

Requirement	Description
Tabular Editor 2 CLI	Download from GitHub releases
XMLA Read/Write	Enabled on Fabric capacity or Power BI Premium
Azure Service Principal	For XMLA connections (see authentication.md)

Environment Variables (for XMLA)

code

AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<app-id>
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<tenant-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=<secret>

Execution Methods

1. Tabular Editor CLI

bash

# Inline script
TabularEditor.exe "WorkspaceName/ModelName" -S "Info(Model.Database.Name);"

# Script file
TabularEditor.exe "WorkspaceName/ModelName" -S "script.csx"

2. Connection Types

Type	Format	Example
XMLA	`workspace/model`	`"Sales WS/Sales Model"`
Local BIM	`path/to/model.bim`	`"./model.bim"`
Local TMDL	`path/to/definition/`	`"./MyModel.SemanticModel/definition/"`
PBI Desktop	`localhost:PORT`	`"localhost:52123"`

Core Objects

The `Model` Object

Access any object in the loaded Tabular Model:

csharp

Model                           // Root model object
Model.Tables                    // All tables
Model.Tables["Sales"]           // Specific table
Model.AllMeasures               // All measures across all tables
Model.AllColumns                // All columns across all tables
Model.Relationships             // All relationships
Model.Roles                     // All security roles
Model.CalculationGroups         // All calculation groups
Model.Perspectives              // All perspectives
Model.Cultures                  // All translations/cultures
Model.Expressions               // All M expressions (shared queries)
Model.DataSources               // All data sources

The `Selected` Object

Access objects currently selected in the TOM Explorer (IDE only):

csharp

// Plural form - collections (safe even when empty)
Selected.Tables                 // Selected tables
Selected.Measures               // Selected measures
Selected.Columns                // Selected columns
Selected.Hierarchies            // Selected hierarchies

// Singular form - single object (error if not exactly one selected)
Selected.Table                  // The single selected table
Selected.Measure                // The single selected measure
Selected.Column                 // The single selected column

// Set properties on multiple objects at once
Selected.Measures.DisplayFolder = "Test";
Selected.Columns.IsHidden = true;

// Bulk rename with pattern
Selected.Measures.Rename("Amount", "Value");

When a Display Folder is selected, all child items are included in the selection.

LINQ Fundamentals

LINQ (Language Integrated Query) is essential for filtering and transforming collections.

Common LINQ Methods

Method	Purpose	Example
`Where(predicate)`	Filter collection	`.Where(m => m.Name.Contains("YTD"))`
`First([predicate])`	Get first item	`.First(t => t.Name == "Sales")`
`FirstOrDefault([predicate])`	Get first or null	`.FirstOrDefault(t => t.Name == "Sales")`
`Any([predicate])`	Check if any match	`.Any(m => m.IsHidden)`
`All(predicate)`	Check if all match	`.All(c => c.DataType == DataType.String)`
`Count([predicate])`	Count items	`.Count(m => !m.IsHidden)`
`Select(map)`	Transform items	`.Select(m => m.Name)`
`OrderBy(key)`	Sort ascending	`.OrderBy(m => m.Name)`
`OrderByDescending(key)`	Sort descending	`.OrderByDescending(m => m.Name)`
`ToList()`	Convert to List	`.Where(...).ToList()`
`ForEach(action)`	Execute on each	`.ForEach(m => m.IsHidden = true)`

Lambda Expression Syntax

csharp

// Simple predicate (returns bool)
m => m.Name.Contains("YTD")

// Multi-condition predicate
m => m.Name.StartsWith("Total") && !m.IsHidden

// Complex predicate with curly braces
m => {
    if(m.Expression.Contains("CALCULATE")) {
        return m.Name.StartsWith("_");
    }
    return false;
}

// Action (no return value)
m => m.DisplayFolder = "Metrics"

// Map/projection
m => m.Name + " (" + m.Table.Name + ")"

LINQ Examples

csharp

// Filter measures by name pattern
var ytdMeasures = Model.AllMeasures.Where(m => m.Name.EndsWith("YTD"));

// Check if table exists before accessing
if(Model.Tables.Any(t => t.Name == "Sales")) {
    var sales = Model.Tables["Sales"];
}

// Get all hidden columns
var hiddenCols = Model.AllColumns.Where(c => c.IsHidden);

// Count measures per table
foreach(var t in Model.Tables) {
    Info($"{t.Name}: {t.Measures.Count()} measures");
}

// Find first matching or null
var dateTable = Model.Tables.FirstOrDefault(t => t.DataCategory == "Time");

// Chain operations
Model.AllMeasures
    .Where(m => m.Name.Contains("Revenue"))
    .Where(m => string.IsNullOrEmpty(m.FormatString))
    .ForEach(m => m.FormatString = "$#,0");

Helper Methods

Output and Messaging

Method	Purpose
`Info(message)`	Display info popup (CLI: writes to console)
`Warning(message)`	Display warning popup
`Error(message)`	Display error popup and stop script
`Output(object)`	Display detailed object inspector dialog

Output() Variations

csharp

// Scalar value - shows simple message
Output("Hello World");
Output(123);

// Single TOM object - shows property grid (editable)
Output(Model.Tables["Sales"].Measures["Revenue"]);

// Collection of TOM objects - shows list with property grid
Output(Model.AllMeasures.Where(m => m.IsHidden));

// DataTable - shows sortable grid
var dt = new System.Data.DataTable();
dt.Columns.Add("Name");
dt.Columns.Add("Expression");
foreach(var m in Model.AllMeasures) {
    dt.Rows.Add(m.Name, m.Expression);
}
Output(dt);

File Operations

csharp

SaveFile("path/to/file.txt", content);
string content = ReadFile("path/to/file.txt");

Property Export/Import

csharp

// Export to TSV
var tsv = ExportProperties(Model.AllMeasures, "Name,Expression,FormatString");
SaveFile("measures.tsv", tsv);

// Import from TSV
var tsv = ReadFile("measures.tsv");
ImportProperties(tsv);

Interactive Selection (IDE Only)

csharp

// Let user select a measure
var measure = SelectMeasure();
var measure = SelectMeasure(preselect, "Choose a base measure");

// Let user select from any collection
var table = SelectTable(Model.Tables, null, "Select target table");
var column = SelectColumn(table.Columns, null, "Select date column");
var obj = SelectObject(Model.AllMeasures, null, "Pick one");

// Multi-select
var selected = SelectObjects(Model.AllMeasures, null, "Pick measures");

DAX Formatting

csharp

// Queue for formatting (executed after script)
measure.FormatDax();

// Format immediately
CallDaxFormatter();

// Format collection
Model.AllMeasures.FormatDax();

// Convert locale (US/UK <-> non-US/UK)
var converted = ConvertDax(daxExpression, useSemicolons: true);

DAX Execution (When Connected to AS)

csharp

// Evaluate scalar or table expression
var result = EvaluateDax("SUM(Sales[Amount])");
var table = EvaluateDax("TOPN(10, Sales)");

// Execute DAX query returning DataSet
var ds = ExecuteDax("EVALUATE Sales");

// Execute and stream results
using(var reader = ExecuteReader("EVALUATE Sales")) {
    while(reader.Read()) { /* process rows */ }
}

// Execute TMSL command
ExecuteCommand(tmslJson);

// Execute XMLA command
ExecuteCommand(xmla, isXmla: true);

Macro/Custom Action Invocation

csharp

// Call another macro by name
CustomAction("Time Intelligence\\Create YTD");
CustomAction(Selected.Measures, "Format Measures");

WinForms UI Patterns

Create interactive dialogs for user input using System.Windows.Forms.

Basic Input Dialog

csharp

#r "System.Drawing"

using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;

// Hide the 'Running Macro' spinner
ScriptHelper.WaitFormVisible = false;

string userInput = "";

using(var form = new Form())
{
    form.Text = "Input Required";
    form.AutoSize = true;
    form.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterScreen;
    form.AutoScaleMode = AutoScaleMode.Dpi;

    var font = new Font("Segoe UI", 11);

    var label = new Label() {
        Text = "Enter value:",
        Location = new Point(20, 20),
        AutoSize = true,
        Font = font
    };

    var textBox = new TextBox() {
        Location = new Point(20, 50),
        Width = 200,
        Font = font
    };

    var okButton = new Button() {
        Text = "OK",
        Location = new Point(20, 90),
        DialogResult = DialogResult.OK,
        Font = font
    };

    var cancelButton = new Button() {
        Text = "Cancel",
        Location = new Point(100, 90),
        DialogResult = DialogResult.Cancel,
        Font = font
    };

    form.AcceptButton = okButton;
    form.CancelButton = cancelButton;

    form.Controls.Add(label);
    form.Controls.Add(textBox);
    form.Controls.Add(okButton);
    form.Controls.Add(cancelButton);

    if(form.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK) {
        userInput = textBox.Text;
        Info("You entered: " + userInput);
    } else {
        Error("Cancelled!");
    }
}

Dropdown Selection Dialog

csharp

#r "System.Drawing"

using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;

ScriptHelper.WaitFormVisible = false;

using(var form = new Form())
{
    form.Text = "Select Option";
    form.AutoSize = true;
    form.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterScreen;

    var combo = new ComboBox() {
        Location = new Point(20, 20),
        Width = 150,
        DropDownStyle = ComboBoxStyle.DropDownList
    };
    combo.Items.AddRange(new object[] { "Option A", "Option B", "Option C" });
    combo.SelectedIndex = 0;

    var okButton = new Button() {
        Text = "OK",
        Location = new Point(20, 60),
        DialogResult = DialogResult.OK
    };

    form.Controls.Add(combo);
    form.Controls.Add(okButton);
    form.AcceptButton = okButton;

    if(form.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK) {
        Info("Selected: " + combo.SelectedItem.ToString());
    }
}

Quick Reference

Core Patterns

Add a Measure:

csharp

var m = Model.Tables["Sales"].AddMeasure("Total Revenue", "SUM(Sales[Amount])");
m.FormatString = "$#,0";
m.DisplayFolder = "Key Metrics";
m.Description = "Total sales revenue";
Info("Added: " + m.Name);

Iterate Tables/Columns:

csharp

foreach(var t in Model.Tables) {
    foreach(var c in t.Columns.Where(c => c.Name.EndsWith("Key"))) {
        c.IsHidden = true;
    }
}
Info("Hidden key columns");

Conditional Operations:

csharp

foreach(var m in Model.AllMeasures) {
    if(m.Name.Contains("Revenue")) m.FormatString = "$#,0";
    if(m.Name.Contains("Rate")) m.FormatString = "0.00%";
}

Create Calculation Group:

csharp

var cg = Model.AddCalculationGroup("Time Intelligence");
cg.Precedence = 10;

var ytd = cg.AddCalculationItem("YTD", "CALCULATE(SELECTEDMEASURE(), DATESYTD('Date'[Date]))");
var prior = cg.AddCalculationItem("Prior Year");
prior.Expression = @"
CALCULATE(
    SELECTEDMEASURE(),
    DATEADD('Date'[Date], -1, YEAR)
)
";
Info("Created calculation group");

TOM API Quick Reference

Object	Access	Common Properties
Model	`Model`	`.Tables`, `.AllMeasures`, `.Relationships`
Table	`Model.Tables["Name"]`	`.Measures`, `.Columns`, `.Partitions`, `.IsHidden`
Measure	`Table.Measures["Name"]`	`.Expression`, `.FormatString`, `.DisplayFolder`, `.Description`
Column	`Table.Columns["Name"]`	`.DataType`, `.FormatString`, `.IsHidden`, `.SummarizeBy`
Relationship	`Model.Relationships`	`.FromTable`, `.ToTable`, `.IsActive`, `.CrossFilteringBehavior`
Role	`Model.Roles["Name"]`	`.Members`, `.TablePermissions`
Hierarchy	`Table.Hierarchies`	`.Levels`, `.DisplayFolder`, `.IsHidden`
Partition	`Table.Partitions`	`.Expression`, `.SourceType`, `.DataSource`
Perspective	`Model.Perspectives`	Objects have `.InPerspective["Name"]`
Culture	`Model.Cultures`	Objects have `.TranslatedNames["culture"]`

Object Type Reference

Detailed documentation for each object type in object-types/:

•tables.md - Table CRUD, properties, partitions
•columns.md - Column types, properties, sorting
•measures.md - Measure creation, formatting, organization
•relationships.md - Relationship management
•calculation-groups.md - Calculation groups and items
•roles.md - Roles, RLS, OLS configuration
•hierarchies.md - Hierarchy and level management
•partitions.md - Partition types and configuration
•perspectives.md - Perspective membership
•translations.md - Culture and translation management
•annotations.md - Custom metadata annotations

Example Scripts

Example scripts organized by category in examples/:

Structure & Organization

•columns/ - Column properties, hiding, data types
•relationships/ - Relationship creation and management
•display-folders/ - Organize objects into folders
•format-strings/ - Currency, percentage, date formats

Measures & Calculations

•measures/ - Measure CRUD and time intelligence
•calculation-groups/ - Time intelligence calc groups

Security

•roles/ - Role and RLS configuration

Bulk Operations

•bulk-operations/ - Model initialization, batch updates

Interactive Scripts

•ui-dialogs/ - WinForms input dialogs

Common Workflows

1. Bulk Format Measures

csharp

var count = 0;
foreach(var m in Model.AllMeasures) {
    if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(m.Expression)) {
        m.FormatDax();
        count++;
    }
}
Info("Formatted " + count + " measures");

2. Create Time Intelligence Measures

csharp

var baseMeasure = Model.Tables["Metrics"].Measures["Sales Amount"];
var table = baseMeasure.Table;

var ytd = table.AddMeasure(
    baseMeasure.Name + " YTD",
    "CALCULATE([" + baseMeasure.Name + "], DATESYTD('Date'[Date]))"
);
ytd.FormatString = baseMeasure.FormatString;
ytd.DisplayFolder = "Time Intelligence";

var py = table.AddMeasure(
    baseMeasure.Name + " PY",
    "CALCULATE([" + baseMeasure.Name + "], SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR('Date'[Date]))"
);
py.FormatString = baseMeasure.FormatString;
py.DisplayFolder = "Time Intelligence";

Info("Created time intelligence measures");

3. Configure RLS

csharp

var role = Model.AddRole("Regional Access");
role.ModelPermission = ModelPermission.Read;

// Add table filter
var salesPerm = role.TablePermissions.Find("Sales");
if(salesPerm == null) {
    salesPerm = role.AddTablePermission(Model.Tables["Sales"]);
}
salesPerm.FilterExpression = "[Region] = USERNAME()";

Info("Configured RLS for " + role.Name);

4. Audit Hidden Objects

csharp

var hidden = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
hidden.AppendLine("Hidden Objects Report:");

foreach(var t in Model.Tables.Where(t => t.IsHidden)) {
    hidden.AppendLine("  Table: " + t.Name);
}

foreach(var c in Model.AllColumns.Where(c => c.IsHidden && !c.Table.IsHidden)) {
    hidden.AppendLine("  Column: " + c.DaxObjectFullName);
}

foreach(var m in Model.AllMeasures.Where(m => m.IsHidden)) {
    hidden.AppendLine("  Measure: " + m.DaxObjectFullName);
}

Output(hidden.ToString());

Debugging & Troubleshooting

Script Doesn't Complete

Add Info() checkpoints to find where script fails:

csharp

Info("Step 1: Starting");
var table = Model.Tables["Sales"];
Info("Step 2: Got table");
var measure = table.AddMeasure("Test", "1");
Info("Step 3: Added measure");  // If this doesn't appear, AddMeasure failed

Object Not Found

Check existence before accessing:

csharp

if(Model.Tables.Contains("Sales")) {
    var table = Model.Tables["Sales"];
    // ...
} else {
    Error("Table 'Sales' not found");
}

// Or use FirstOrDefault
var table = Model.Tables.FirstOrDefault(t => t.Name == "Sales");
if(table == null) {
    Error("Table not found");
}

Changes Not Appearing

•XMLA operations may take 2-5 seconds to sync
•Refresh Power BI Desktop connection after changes
•Check for silent errors (add Info() after each operation)

TE2/TE3 Compatibility

Use preprocessor directives for version-specific code:

csharp

#if TE3
    // TE3-specific code (version 3.10.0+)
    Info("Running in Tabular Editor 3");
#else
    // TE2 fallback
    Info("Running in Tabular Editor 2");
#endif

Check version at runtime:

csharp

var majorVersion = Selected.GetType().Assembly.GetName().Version.Major;
if(majorVersion >= 3) {
    // TE3 code
}

Best Practices

•Add Info() statements - Track script execution and catch errors early
•Check object existence - Use .Contains() or .Any() before accessing
•Use bulk operations - Single script with loops is faster than multiple scripts
•Test on dev models - Never test new scripts on production
•Use @"..." for DAX - Multi-line strings for DAX expressions
•Format with FormatDax() - After creating measures/columns
•Set DisplayFolder with / - Forward slashes auto-convert to backslashes
•Hide the wait spinner - ScriptHelper.WaitFormVisible = false; for UI dialogs

Additional Resources

Reference Files

•object-types/ - Detailed API docs per object type
•examples/ - Working script examples

C# Scripting for Tabular Editor

When to Use This Skill

Critical

C# Version Support

Default Imports and Assemblies

Auto-Imported Namespaces

Pre-Loaded Assemblies

Adding External Assemblies

Prerequisites

For Tabular Editor CLI

Environment Variables (for XMLA)

Execution Methods

1. Tabular Editor CLI

2. Connection Types

Core Objects

The Model Object

The Selected Object

LINQ Fundamentals

Common LINQ Methods

Lambda Expression Syntax

LINQ Examples

Helper Methods

Output and Messaging

Output() Variations

File Operations

Property Export/Import

Interactive Selection (IDE Only)

DAX Formatting

DAX Execution (When Connected to AS)

Macro/Custom Action Invocation

WinForms UI Patterns

Basic Input Dialog

Dropdown Selection Dialog

Quick Reference

Core Patterns

TOM API Quick Reference

Object Type Reference

Example Scripts

Structure & Organization

Measures & Calculations

Security

Bulk Operations

Interactive Scripts

Common Workflows

1. Bulk Format Measures

2. Create Time Intelligence Measures

3. Configure RLS

4. Audit Hidden Objects

Debugging & Troubleshooting

Script Doesn't Complete

Object Not Found

Changes Not Appearing

TE2/TE3 Compatibility

Best Practices

Additional Resources

Reference Files

External References

The `Model` Object

The `Selected` Object