Creating datasets

Datasets are created from the data that's been imported from your data sources. You should now cleanse and shape this data so that it is ready for creating visualizations.

The first step is to use Power Query to transform the data. Power Query is a tool that's used in several Microsoft products for extracting and transforming data. We learned how Power Query can be used to import data into the Common Data Service in Chapter 6, Managing Data. 

Clicking on the Transform data button in the Power BI Desktop menu opens Power Query, as shown in the following screenshot:

Figure 17.10 – Power Query Editor

As you can see, Power Query Editor shows the records from the query and allows you to perform many transformations on the data, from changing the data type to adding calculated columns using the Transform and Add Column tabs. Power Query allows you to cleanse the data, remove duplicates, and replace values. Each transformation is recorded...