Allow formatting datetimezone fields to user local timezone
Typically date & time information is available in UTC (if not then put it to UTC at source), you just want it rendered in the users' locale/time zone at reporting time.
Adding an option to format datetimezone fields in the users' locale/time zone (based on the user account settings) would probably solve 90+% of requirements for rendering time zone information.
Currently MS does not provide for showing offset information (or local time zone) as you only have date/time format options, but in the query editor you can set type to datetimezone which show offset info so it's clearly available - just the rendering that lacks.
Not having this functionality is forcing people to resort to hacks like using DateTimeZone.AddZone() with hardcoded time offsets - not scalable where DST is involved. Current workarounds obviously only work as long as the viewer is in the designated time zone and does not scale across a global audience.
Christiaan B.
shared this idea
2 comments
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Kevin H
commented
Yep, I wish I could do at least one of the following...
1. Take my date/time values stored in the data model (e.g. in UTC), and create a DAX measures to return the date/time in the Power BI Service user's local time zone. (And, another DAX measure to say what the user's local time zone is.)
2. Store date/time/timezone values in the data model ... and, have a way for the Power BI Service to convert those values, in reports, to the user's local time zone.
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Scott A
commented
Since we will be deploying reports and dashboards for a global audience, this functionality is absolutely critical--and basic. We simply cannot tell our users to look at time series data and to "do the math" in their heads for their timezone.