Understanding Power Query

As mentioned, Power Query is a powerful data transformation and preparation tool within Microsoft Power BI. It allows users to extract, transform, and load (more commonly known in the industry as ETL) data from various sources, enabling efficient data cleaning, shaping, and integration for analysis and reporting. In this chapter, we will delve into the details of Power Query, exploring its functionality, features, and UI.

Rather than a query language as such, Power Query is primarily accessed and used through the Power Query Editor UI. An example of this view is shown next:

Figure 1.3 – UI of the Power Query Editor

This UI is the hub for cleaning and preparing data within Power BI. It allows users such as yourself to connect to a wide range of data sources and apply transformations within the UI. As you begin to clean and prepare data, Power Query then tracks the steps of your cleaning process.

The actual language...