What should be created to enable visualizations to display varying date periods?

To enable visualizations to display varying date periods, creating a data table is essential. A data table serves as the foundational structure that organizes data in a way that can be easily manipulated and used for analysis. It allows for the inclusion of date dimensions, which can come from various periods such as days, weeks, months, or years. This flexibility is crucial for dynamically generating visualizations that can adjust based on the selected date range.

In the context of Power BI, for instance, a well-structured data table can provide the necessary context for date hierarchies, allowing users to drill down from years to quarters to months, or to aggregate data accordingly for different date spans. Consequently, having a robust data table is key to being able to create meaningful visualizations tailored to varying time frames.