Standardize Naming Conventions

Standardize Naming Conventions

Interactive workflow for auditing and standardizing naming conventions in Power BI semantic models stored as TMDL files. Ensures tables, columns, measures, and display folders follow human-readable, consistent, business-aligned naming standards.

Primary Workflow

Phase 1: Discover the Model

Locate the TMDL files. Ask the user for the path to the .SemanticModel/definition/ directory if not obvious from context. Then scan the model structure:

# Count tables and get an overview
ls <path>/tables/*.tmdl

Read all table TMDL files to build a complete picture of current naming patterns. Focus on:

• Table names (check for DIM_, FACT_, or other technical prefixes)
• Measure names (check for abbreviations, programming conventions, inconsistent syntax)
• Column names (check for CamelCase, snake_case, abbreviations)
• Display folder structure (check for organization and consistency)
• Presence of descriptions (/// comments)

Phase 2: Understand Business Context

CRITICAL: Do not rename anything without understanding the business terminology.

Use AskUserQuestion to gather context:

1. Business terminology: "What terminology does your organization use for key metrics? For example, do you call it Revenue, Turnover, Sales, or Gross Sales?"
2. Existing conventions: "Do you have any documented naming conventions or standards already?"
3. Period conventions: "How do you typically refer to prior periods? (e.g., 1YP, PY, Prior Year, Last Year)"
4. Unit conventions: "How do you typically express units in measure names? (e.g., parentheses like (%), (Value), (Quantity))"
5. Downstream impact: "Are there downstream reports connected to this model that would need visual rebinding after renaming?"

Adapt the naming rules to the user's business context. The rules in references/naming-rules.md are defaults -- override them when the user's organization has established conventions.

Phase 3: Audit and Report

Before making changes, produce an audit report. Present a markdown table showing each proposed rename:

| Object Type | Current Name | Proposed Name | Issues Found |
|-------------|-------------|---------------|-------------|
| Table | FACT_Invoices | Invoices | Technical prefix |
| Measure | NetSls | Net Sales | CamelCase, abbreviation |
| Column | shp_dt | Ship Date | snake_case, abbreviation |

Group findings by issue type:

• Programming conventions: CamelCase, snake_case, UPPER_CASE
• Abbreviations/acronyms: Shortened or opaque names
• Inconsistent syntax: Mixed period, unit, or aggregation patterns
• Technical prefixes: DIM_, FACT_, STG_ on tables
• Missing descriptions: Objects without /// docstrings
• Disorganized folders: Missing or flat display folder hierarchy

Ask the user to confirm or adjust the proposed renames before proceeding.

Phase 4: Apply Changes

After user approval, edit the TMDL files. For each table file:

1. Rename the table (if needed): Change the table declaration
2. Rename measures: Change measure names in their declarations. IMPORTANT: Also update all internal DAX references to renamed measures using [Old Name] -> [New Name] patterns across ALL table files in the model
3. Rename columns: Change column names in their declarations. IMPORTANT: Also update DAX references using 'Table'[Old Column] -> 'Table'[New Column] across ALL table files
4. Reorganize display folders: Add or restructure displayFolder: properties
5. Add descriptions: Add /// comments for measures and columns that lack them
6. Update relationship references: Check relationships.tmdl for renamed tables/columns

Cross-file reference updates are critical. When renaming a measure or column, search the entire definition/ directory for all references:

# Find all references to a renamed measure
rg "OldMeasureName" <path>/definition/tables/
rg "OldMeasureName" <path>/definition/relationships.tmdl