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The Definitive Guide to Power Query (M)

You're reading from   The Definitive Guide to Power Query (M) Mastering complex data transformation with Power Query

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Product type Paperback
Published in Mar 2024
Publisher Packt
ISBN-13 9781835089729
Length 758 pages
Edition 1st Edition
Languages
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Authors (3):
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Greg Deckler Greg Deckler
Author Profile Icon Greg Deckler
Greg Deckler
Melissa de Korte Melissa de Korte
Author Profile Icon Melissa de Korte
Melissa de Korte
Rick de Groot Rick de Groot
Author Profile Icon Rick de Groot
Rick de Groot
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Toc

Table of Contents (19) Chapters Close

Preface 1. Introducing M FREE CHAPTER 2. Working with Power Query/M 3. Accessing and Combining Data 4. Understanding Values and Expressions 5. Understanding Data Types 6. Structured Values 7. Conceptualizing M 8. Working with Nested Structures 9. Parameters and Custom Functions 10. Dealing with Dates, Times, and Durations 11. Comparers, Replacers, Combiners, and Splitters 12. Handling Errors and Debugging 13. Iteration and Recursion 14. Troublesome Data Patterns 15. Optimizing Performance 16. Enabling Extensions 17. Other Books You May Enjoy
18. Index

Lists

Beginning our exploration of structured values, we first encounter lists. So, what is a list?

Introduction to lists

A list contains a sequence of comma-separated values of any type. That includes primitive values (like text, numbers, dates, or times) and structured values (lists, records, or tables).

So why should lists interest you to begin with? You will find that lists are used extensively throughout Power Query. For example, selecting a column returns its values in the form of a list. Similarly, when functions take multiple values as input (like List.Count) or return multiple values as output (like Table.ColumnNames), you will often find that these functions involve lists. Let’s have a look at how you can create a list.

Creating a list is a straightforward process. You can define a list value by enclosing values in curly brackets { }, formally known as list initialization. Each value within the list is separated by a comma.

For instance, you can...

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