References
The References feature in AnalyticsCreator defines the logical relationships between tables in the data model. References are used to create foreign key constraints in the SQL layer and to drive semantic relationships in the Power BI model.
Function
References link a child table (foreign key side) to a parent table (primary key side) based on one or more columns. These relationships define the dimensional structure of the data model and influence the generation of joins, constraints, and semantic navigation.
Access
References are configured per table and can be managed from the References tab in the object properties. Each reference includes the parent table, mapping columns, and related settings for constraint enforcement and semantic behavior.
Properties
| ID | Property | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AutoCreated | Indicates whether the reference was created automatically by the system |
| 2 | Used | Marks whether the reference is currently active and considered during generation |
| 3 | Schema1 | Schema of the child (referencing) table |
| 4 | Table1 | Child table that contains the foreign key column |
| 5 | Schema2 | Schema of the parent (referenced) table |
| 6 | Table2 | Parent table containing the primary key |
| 7 | DoubleSided | Indicates if the relationship should be created in both directions in the semantic model |
| 8 | Inactive | Marks whether the reference is inactive (disabled for generation) |
| 9 | Force inheritance | Forces the inheritance of certain behaviors from parent to child in model relationships |
| 10 | Don't inherit | Blocks the inheritance of properties from referenced objects |
| 11 | Cardinality | Relationship type: OneToMany or OneToOne |
| 12 | References | The join condition used for the foreign key definition (e.g., T1.[Column] = T2.[Column]) |
| 13 | Description | A textual explanation of the reference and its role |
| 14 | ParentDescription | Auto-generated or user-defined technical name for the foreign key relationship |
Screen Overview
The image below shows the List References interface with columns labeled for easy identification.
Behavior
- References define both SQL-level constraints and semantic model relationships
- Only active references are considered during generation
- References support 1:1 and 1:N relationships; M:N is not supported
- Each reference must map at least one column pair (foreign key → primary key)
Notes
- Constraint creation is optional and platform-dependent
- Semantic relationships are used in Power BI model generation
- References are stored in project metadata and applied per environment
