The Definitive Guide to Power Query (M): Mastering complex data transformation with Power Query

Description

Learn how to use the Power Query M formula language and its functions effectively for better data modeling and impactful business intelligence reports. Get With Your Book: PDF Copy, AI Assistant, and Next-Gen Reader Free Key Features Get comprehensive coverage of fundamental and advanced Power Query concepts Gain hands-on experience with practical examples based on real-world problems Delve into the intricacies of Power Query M language for enhanced data manipulation Book Description Data transformation is a critical step in building data models and business intelligence reports. Power Query is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to master data transformation, and this book will equip you with the knowledge and skills to make the most of it. The Definitive Guide to Power Query (M) will help you build a solid foundation in the Power Query M language. As you progress through the chapters, you'll learn how to use that knowledge to implement advanced concepts and data transformations. This will set the stage for an uncompromisingly thorough exploration of the Power Query M Language. You'll also get to grips with optimizing performance, handling errors, and implementing efficient data processing techniques. As this is a hands-on guide, the practical examples in the chapters will help you gain the skills to apply Power Query to real-world problems and improve your data analysis capabilities. By the end of this book, you will be able to leverage all of Power Query's remarkable capabilities for data transformation. What you will learn Gain a strong understanding of Power Query fundamentals Master various functions within Power Query to perform complex data operations Acquire knowledge about values, types, and control structures in Power Query Develop proficiency in error handling techniques Learn performance optimization strategies for Power Query Apply what you've learned to real-world scenarios, including common troublesome patterns Who this book is for This book is for business analysts, business intelligence professionals, and power business users working with data who want to add Power Query mastery to their resume. This book will be beneficial for anyone who wants to automate their process of data cleaning and save huge amount of time. Having some basic experience in Power Query is recommended. Table of Contents Introducing M Working with Power Query/M Accessing and Combining Data Understanding Values and Expressions Understanding Data Types Structured Values Conceptualizing M Working with Nested Structures Parameters and Custom Functions Dealing with Dates, Times, and Durations Comparers, Replacers, Combiners, and Splitters Handling Errors and Debugging Iteration and Recursion Troublesome Data Patterns Optimizing Performance Enabling Extensions Review: Essential reading but absolutely not for beginners. - This is a very good book for people who already have some experience of Power Query and want to get serious with it. As the blurb states it is not for beginners. I would most recommend this book for anyone who has reached the stage of struggling to achieve what they want in Power query. It is systematic which can be a little dry at times and some of the examples are overly complicated in an effort to show off the full potential of the features. I found myself saying I wish id known X or Y a few times and know I will be coming back to several sections when I need them. As a programer, the transition to a functional way of working was a little odd to me and this book has changed the way I think about data processing in Power Query. Cant recommend it enough for those who are ready to stop asking google and start understanding how and why things are done. For a casual user its too much. If Power query is something you use on a regular basis then its essential reading. Power Query is part of several systems. If your focus is Power BI like me then the choice between advancing in power query or DAX is less clear cut. Thats not a criticism of this book which is just about Power Query, but most Power BI users will need some Dax to cope with dynamic processing. Power query is all about one off processing on input, where as DAX is dynamic and computationally expensive. I need to study both for work, lets hope the DAX book i bought is as useful as this one. Review: Highly Recommended - Masterpiece - As a Data Analyst Tutor, I highly recommend "The Definitive Guide to Power Query (M)" by Greg Deckler, Rick de Groot, and Melissa de Korte. I believe that If you work with data, this book is a game-changer, whether you're new to Power Query or an experienced user. The authors excel at breaking down even the most complex topics into clear and easy-to-understand explanations. It's like having your own personal Power Query tutor on hand, ready to answer your questions at any skill level. Forget theory overload! This book focuses directly on what you need: accomplishing tasks with Power Query. It starts with the basics of data wrangling and then takes you up to some seriously impressive M code. The best part? There are tons of real-life examples and tutorials, so you can put your newfound skills to work right away. This really helped me level up my skills in my application for M. Lots of best practices to take away! I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking to learn more. I think this book is a treasure trove, whether you're new to data analysis or looking to streamline your prep work. The chapters are awesome - easy to jump into specific topics if you need a refresher, or perfect for a deep dive cover-to-cover. Plus, they wrap up nicely with clear summaries, so you never feel lost. It's like having a cheat sheet for anything data-related. Moreover, the GitHub code bundles included are extremely useful for hands-on practice with the book's material. The authors also delve into advanced topics such as custom functions, enabling extensions, and using nested structures, making this resource particularly comprehensive and insightful. This book is a fantastic investment for anyone serious about leveraging the full potential of Power Query in Power BI or Excel. I will be using it regularly to bring back some best practices to my training and share with my apprentices what I have learned from it. To finish this, I would like to thank Brian Julius for all the recent posts related to Power Query lots of them link to this book, and the foreword of this book of course. Thanks to Vignesh Raju 💯🚀🎯📈 Raju for allowing me to read this fantastic masterpiece, next "Extending PowerBI with Python and R". Wish me luck, these are beasts I always wanted to tame!