Power Query (M Language)

Overview

Power Query is the data transformation engine in Power BI, using the M functional language. It handles ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) from sources to the data model. Understanding query folding, step optimization, and M syntax is critical for performant data refresh.

Query Folding

Query folding translates M steps into native source queries (SQL, OData, etc.), pushing computation to the source instead of the mashup engine.

How to check folding:

1. Right-click a step in Applied Steps > "View Native Query" -- if grayed out, folding broke
2. Use Query Diagnostics (Tools > Start Diagnostics) to see what queries are sent

Steps that fold (common):

Steps that break folding:

Golden rule: Put foldable steps BEFORE non-foldable steps. Once folding breaks, all subsequent steps run in the mashup engine.

M Language Essentials

Let Expression (Query Structure)

Every Power Query query is a let...in expression:

let
    Source = Sql.Database("server", "database"),
    Filtered = Table.SelectRows(Source, each [Status] = "Active"),
    Renamed = Table.RenameColumns(Filtered, {{"OldName", "NewName"}}),
    Typed = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Renamed, {{"Amount", type number}})
in
    Typed

Data Types

Common Table Functions

// Filter rows
Table.SelectRows(table, each [Column] > 100)

// Add column
Table.AddColumn(table, "NewCol", each [Col1] * [Col2], type number)

// Remove columns
Table.RemoveColumns(table, {"Col1", "Col2"})

// Select columns (keep only these)
Table.SelectColumns(table, {"Col1", "Col2", "Col3"})

// Rename columns
Table.RenameColumns(table, {{"Old1", "New1"}, {"Old2", "New2"}})

// Change types
Table.TransformColumnTypes(table, {{"Col1", type number}, {"Col2", type text}})

// Replace values
Table.ReplaceValue(table, "old", "new", Replacer.ReplaceText, {"Column"})

// Group by
Table.Group(table, {"GroupCol"}, {
    {"Sum", each List.Sum([Amount]), type number},
    {"Count", each Table.RowCount(_), Int64.Type}
})

// Merge (JOIN)
Table.NestedJoin(left, {"KeyCol"}, right, {"KeyCol"}, "Merged", JoinKind.LeftOuter)

// Expand merged columns
Table.ExpandTableColumn(merged, "Merged", {"Col1", "Col2"})

// Pivot
Table.Pivot(table, List.Distinct(table[PivotCol]), "PivotCol", "ValueCol")

// Unpivot
Table.UnpivotOtherColumns(table, {"KeepCol1", "KeepCol2"}, "Attribute", "Value")

// Sort
Table.Sort(table, {{"Col1", Order.Ascending}, {"Col2", Order.Descending}})

// Remove duplicates
Table.Distinct(table, {"KeyCol1", "KeyCol2"})

// Combine/Append tables
Table.Combine({table1, table2, table3})

// Buffer (force materialization)
Table.Buffer(table)

List Functions

// Generate a sequence
{1..100}
List.Numbers(1, 100)
List.Dates(#date(2024,1,1), 365, #duration(1,0,0,0))

// Transform
List.Transform({1,2,3}, each _ * 2)

// Filter
List.Select({1,2,3,4,5}, each _ > 3)

// Aggregate
List.Sum(list), List.Average(list), List.Min(list), List.Max(list)

// Generate with custom logic (pagination pattern)
List.Generate(
    () => [Page = 0, Data = GetPage(0)],
    each [Data] <> null,
    each [Page = [Page] + 1, Data = GetPage([Page] + 1)],
    each [Data]
)

Parameters and Dynamic Sources

Create parameters for environment-specific connections:

// Define parameter in Power Query UI or M:
// Name: ServerName, Type: Text, Current Value: "prod-server.database.windows.net"

// Use in query:
let
    Source = Sql.Database(ServerName, DatabaseName),
    ...

Dynamic source pattern:

let
    BaseUrl = "https://api.example.com/v2/",
    Endpoint = BaseUrl & "data?page=",
    GetPage = (pageNum as number) =>
        let
            url = Endpoint & Number.ToText(pageNum),
            response = Json.Document(Web.Contents(url))
        in
            response[results],
    AllPages = List.Generate(
        () => [i = 1, res = GetPage(1)],
        each List.Count([res]) > 0,
        each [i = [i] + 1, res = GetPage([i] + 1)],
        each [res]
    ),
    Combined = List.Combine(AllPages),
    AsTable = Table.FromList(Combined, Record.FieldValues,
        type table [id = Int64.Type, name = text, value = number])
in
    AsTable

Error Handling

// Try/otherwise pattern
let
    result = try SomeRiskyOperation() otherwise "default"
in
    result

// Try with error record inspection
let
    attempt = try Number.FromText("abc"),
    output = if attempt[HasError]
        then "Error: " & attempt[Error][Message]
        else attempt[Value]
in
    output

// Replace errors in a column
Table.ReplaceErrorValues(table, {{"Column1", null}, {"Column2", 0}})

// Remove error rows
Table.RemoveRowsWithErrors(table, {"Column1", "Column2"})

Custom Connectors

Build custom Power Query connectors using the Power Query SDK:

1. Install Power Query SDK (VS Code extension)
2. Create a .mproj project with DataConnector.pq file
3. Implement the data source function with authentication
4. Package as .mez file
5. Deploy to Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors or gateway

Basic connector structure:

section MyConnector;

[DataSource.Kind="MyConnector", Publish="MyConnector.Publish"]
shared MyConnector.Contents = (url as text) =>
    let
        source = Web.Contents(url),
        json = Json.Document(source)
    in
        json;

MyConnector = [
    Authentication = [
        Key = [],
        OAuth = [...]
    ],
    Label = "My Custom Connector"
];

MyConnector.Publish = [
    Beta = true,
    Category = "Other",
    ButtonText = {"My Connector", "Connect to My Service"}
];

Performance Optimization

Additional Resources

Reference Files

• references/m-patterns-cookbook.md -- Common M patterns: web API pagination, incremental load, JSON flattening, CSV handling, SharePoint folder combine