Textbook in PDF format

This comprehensive guide is designed to address the most frequent and challenging issues faced by users of Power Query, a powerful data transformation tool integrated into Excel, Power BI, and Microsoft Azure. By tackling 96 real-world problems with practical, step-by-step solutions, this book is an essential resource for data analysts, Excel enthusiasts, and Power BI professionals. It aims to enhance your data transformation skills and improve efficiency in handling complex data sets.
Structured into 12 chapters, the book covers specific areas of Power Query such as data extraction, referencing, column splitting and merging, sorting and filtering, and pivoting and unpivoting tables. You will learn to combine data from Excel files with varying column names, handle multi-row headers, perform advanced filtering, and manage missing values using techniques such as linear interpolation and K-nearest neighbors (K-NN) imputation. The book also dives into advanced Power Query functions such as Table.Group, List.Accumulate, and List.Generate, explored through practical examples such as calculating running totals and implementing complex grouping and iterative processes. Additionally, it covers crucial topics such as error-handling strategies, custom function creation, and the integration of Python and R with Power Query.
In addition to providing explanations on the use of functions and the M language for solving real-world challenges, this book discusses optimization techniques for data cleaning processes and improving computational speed. It also compares the execution time of functions across different patterns and proposes the optimal approach based on these comparisons.
In today’s data-driven world, mastering Power Query is crucial for accurate and efficient data processing. But as data complexity grows, so do the challenges and pitfalls that users face. This book serves as your guide through the noise and your key to unlocking the full potential of Power Query. You’ll quickly learn to navigate and resolve common issues, enabling you to transform raw data into actionable insights with confidence and precision.
Introduction
Data Extraction from Sources
Referencing
Sorting and Filtering
Column Splitting and Merging
Pivoting and Unpivoting Tables
Grouping Rows with Table. Group
Merging and Appending Tables
Handling Missing Values
Looping in Power Query
Leveraging Scripting and External Integrations in Power Query Using a Regex Function Based on JavaScript in Power Query
Error-Handling Strategies
Custom Functions
Appendix A