tSQLt Testing to Trap Transgressions & Parameters and Functions in PowerBI

Microsoft Data Platform Group Birmingham - 7th September 2017, 6.15pm

*** NEW VENUE ***

*** Registration on MeetUp required for venue security ***

Session 1: Any Jones - tSQLt Testing to Trap Transgressions

Session 2: Chris Webb - Working with Parameters and Functions in Power Query/Excel and Power BI

Agenda

6.15pm – 6:30pm Meet & Greet

6:30pm - 7:30pm Any Jones - tSQLt Testing to Trap Transgressions: Unit Test Your SQL Server Code and Sleep Better

You are responsible for writing or deploying SQL Server code, and want to avoid unleashing catastrophe in your customer's databases. In this session you will learn how to install and use the tSQLt testing framework to run automated repeatable tests. You will gain an understanding of test driven development in the context of SQL Server to isolate and test the smallest unit of code. Some simple techniques can catch bugs early when they are cheapest to fix and make your development life-cycle far more robust. Remove that stomach churning feeling at release time wondering what will break and when your phone will start ringing ominously. Replace that nightmare with an optimism that your changes have been fully tested and are production ready. Relax, sleep well and get it right first time every time.

7:30pm - 8:00pm Break & Pizza

8:00pm – 9:00pm Chris Webb - Working with Parameters and Functions in Power Query/Excel and Power BI

Parameters are one of the most useful features in Power Query/Excel and Power BI, and in this session you'll find out how you can use them to make your queries easier to maintain and more user-friendly. In addition you'll also learn how you can use parameters to create Power BI template files, and also how they can be used to create M custom functions (without writing any code!) which in turn can be used to create complex data transformations.

Venue

This session will be held at Matthew Boulton College.

Level 7. Room MB 721.

Address:

Matthew Boulton College
Jennens Road
Birmingham
B4 7PS

https://www.bmet.ac.uk/our-locations/matthew-boulton/find-us/

On site parking is very limited and likely to already be taken by college staff/students. There are several car parks in the area, see Park-O-Pedia for more details:

https://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/locations/jennens_road_birmingham_b4_7ps_united_kingdom_gcqdt422cgm/?arriving=201709071700&leaving=201709072130

Other Details

We'll be putting on food for the event, so please do register so we know numbers. If you then can't make it we'd really appreciate it if you'd unregister and/or let us know.

Dress code: relaxed

Event Organiser Contact Details

If you need any further details or have any requests for this or future Data Platform Group events, please contact get in touch.

Paul Andrew
Twitter: @mrpaulandrew (https://twitter.com/mrpaulandrew)
Email: [masked]

Alex Whittles
Twitter: @PurpleFrogAlex (https://twitter.com/purplefrogalex)
Email: [masked] ([masked])

Microsoft Data Platform Group - Birmingham
Twitter: @MSDataGroupBrum (https://twitter.com/MSDataGroupBrum)

Speaker Profiles

Andy Jones is a data platform and business intelligence consultant for Coeo. He has been working with SQL Server since 2001 and his main interests are performance tuning, automated testing, data warehouse design and data visualisation. Andy regularly writes about SQL Server with numerous articles published on the popular sqlservercentral.com site. He is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert in SQL Server.

Chris Webb is an independent consultant specialising in Analysis Services, MDX, Power Pivot, DAX, Power Query and Power BI in general. He has been blogging about Microsoft BI for over 10 years. He also speaks at a number of conferences including SQLBits, the PASS Summit, the PASS BA Conference, SQL Saturdays and user groups. Check out his fantastic blog https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/ and you can follow him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Technitrain).