Mastering Power Query in Excel: A Guide for Beginners

 Ever wondered how Power Query in Excel can make your data tasks easier?

If you're tired of manual data cleaning and complex formulas, Power Query is what you've been missing. This feature helps you import, transform, and automate data processes with just a few clicks. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, Power Query simplifies data handling, saving you time and effort.

Let's show you how this tool can transform how you work with data in Excel.

What is Excel Power Query?

Power Query in Excel is a data connection and transformation tool that allows users to easily import, clean, and manipulate data from various sources. It enables you to connect to a wide range of data sources like databases, online services, files, etc., and then perform tasks such as filtering, merging, and reshaping the data without needing to write complex formulas or code. Power Query automates these data preparation tasks, making it simpler to work with large datasets and streamline data analysis in Excel.

Read more: How to use Excel for project management.

How Can You Get Power Query in Excel?

Depending on the version of Excel you are using, enabling Power Query can be straightforward. Below, we will discuss the steps for both older versions (Excel 2010 and 2013) and newer versions (Excel 2016 and later):

For Excel 2010 and 2013.

Follow the steps below to enable Power Query Editor in Excel 2010 and 2013:

Step 1: Download the add-in.

Power Query is available as a free add-in for Excel 2010 and 2013. Go to Microsoft's website to download it.

Step 2: Choose the right version.

Click the "Download" button on the website. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to select the appropriate version for your operating system.

Step 3: Install Power Query.

Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install Power Query on your computer.

For Excel 2016 and later.

The following are procedures to activate Power Query Editor in Excel 2016 and later:

Step 1: Built-in feature.

Starting with Excel 2016, Power Query is built into the program. There's no need to download anything separately.

Step 2: Find Power Query.

Open Excel and go to the "Data" tab. Then, look for "Get Data" in the "Get & Transform Data" section. Launch the Power Query Editor by selecting the option.

How To Use Power Query

Power Query is an efficient ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool in Excel that simplifies data management. Here's a breakdown of what you can do with Power Query in three simple steps:

1. Get data.

Power Query makes it easy to import data from various sources using the Get & Transform Data section under the Data tab in Excel. The following are the different data sources you can import data from:

• Files: Excel workbooks, Text or CSV files, XML files, JSON files.
• Databases: SQL Server, Microsoft Access, SQL Server Analysis Services.
• Other Sources: Excel Tables/Ranges, Web, Microsoft Query, OData feeds.

2. Transform data.

Once you've imported data from your preferred data source, you can transform it to fit your needs using the Power Query Editor. Let's break down the main components of the Power Query Editor interface:

• Query editor ribbon: Like Excel's interface, it contains various commands organized in tabs.
• Query list: Browse through all queries in your current workbook.
• Formula bar: Displays the formula for the current transformation in the M language.
• Data preview: See a preview of your data based on the current transformation step. Access various transformation commands by right-clicking on the column header or using the filter option.
• Properties: Lists query steps and allows you to name your query for easy identification.
• Applied steps: Each transformation step is recorded here in order. You can add, remove, edit, or reorder steps as needed.

3. Combine data.

If you're working with multiple data sources, you can merge them to create a single dataset. For instance, you can merge customer data from one table with sales data from another based on a common field (e.g., customer ID).

You can also append queries to stack data from multiple tables on top of each other. This is useful when you have data from different periods or sources that need to be combined into one continuous table.

4. Load data to Excel.

After transforming your data, you will need to load it into your Excel worksheet. Follow the steps below to get it done:

• Tap the "Close and Load" option in the Ribbon section of the Power Query Editor.
• This will close the Editor and load the transformed data into your worksheet.

Simple Power Query Transformations in Excel

Here's a simple table you can use to practice Power Query transformations in Excel. The table below includes some common data issues that you can clean up and transform using Power Query:

1. Remove rows with missing data.

Objective: Remove rows that contain any NULL values.

Steps:

1. In the Power Query Editor, select the columns you want to check for missing data (e.g., hold down Ctrl and click each column).
2. Go to the "Home" tab and click "Remove Rows" > "Remove Rows with Errors" or "Remove Blank Rows."
3. Power Query will remove any rows that have NULL or blank values in the selected columns.
4. Click "Close & Load" to return the cleaned data to Excel.

2. Replace NULLs.

Objective: Replace NULL values with specific values (e.g., replace missing customer names with "Unknown").

Steps:

1. In the Power Query Editor, select the column where you want to replace NULL values (e.g., "Customer Name").
2. Go to the "Transform" tab and click "Replace Values."
3. In the dialog box that appears, enter NULL in the "Value to Find" field and type "Unknown" (or your preferred value) in the "Replace With" field. Click "OK."
4. Repeat the process for other columns, replacing NULL values with the appropriate default values (e.g., replace missing quantities with 0).
5. Click "Close & Load" to return the data to Excel.

3. Convert data types.

Objective: Ensure that "Order Date" is recognized as a date type and "Price per Unit" is treated as a decimal number.

Steps:

1. In the Power Query Editor, select the "Order Date" column.
2. Go to the "Transform" tab and click "Data Type" > "Date" to convert the column to a date type.
3. Next, select the "Price per Unit" column.
4. Click "Data Type" > "Decimal Number" to ensure it’s treated as a decimal.
5. Repeat these steps for any other columns that need specific data types.

4. Calculate total sales.

Objective: Add a new column to calculate the total sales for each order.

Steps:

1. In the Power Query Editor, click the "Add Column" tab and select "Custom Column."
2. In the "Custom Column" dialog box, give your new column a name, such as "Total Sales."
3. In the formula box, enter a formula that multiplies the "Quantity" column by the "Price per Unit" column, e.g., [Quantity] * [Price per Unit].
4. Click "OK." The new column will appear with the calculated total sales for each order.
5. Click "Close & Load" to return the data to Excel.

5. Sort data.

Objective: Sort the table by "Order Date" in ascending order.

Steps:

1. Click the drop-down arrow in the "Order Date" column header in the Power Query Editor.
2. Select "Sort Descending." The data will be reordered by the "Order Date" from the latest to the earliest.

Conclusion

Excel Query is a useful tool within Microsoft Excel that efficiently fetches, cleans, and presents data from various sources. Whether a student or a professional, learning to use Excel Query can save you time and simplify your data management tasks. By following the steps and tips outlined in this article, you can harness the full potential of Excel Query to streamline your data workflow.

Visit Simple Sheets for more easy-to-follow guides and examples. Remember to visit the related articles section of this blog post.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the M language in Power Query?

The M language is the formula language used in Power Query. It is used to create, edit, and manage queries. The M language allows for advanced data manipulation and transformation.

Can I combine data from multiple sources in Power Query?

Yes, you can combine data from multiple sources in Power Query. You can use the "Merge" and "Append" functions to combine data from different tables or queries into a single data set.

How do I save my Power Query transformations?

Power Query transformations are saved automatically when you close the Power Query Editor and load the data into your Excel worksheet. The query and its steps are saved within the Excel workbook.

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