Power Query - Loop through unknown number of Tables and append them all - solved

Anonymous
2018-07-17T09:29:18+00:00

Hello,

I have an Excel spreadsheet with a lot of columns but I want to save it in csv format with line breaks to put certain columns on different lines.   This is because I can upload different record types into my database but each record type needs its own line in csv with a header type as the first field on that line.

eg this in Excel:

col1   col2   col3   col4   col5   col6   col7   col8   col9   col10

01        b        c        d       e        02         g       h        03         j

01        r         s         t       u        02         v       w        03         x

becomes this in csv:

01, b, c, d, e

02, g, h

03, j

01, r, s, t, u

02, v, w

03, x              

Is this possible?  Easy?  

thanks

Louise

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Lz365 38,201 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2018-08-01T12:23:56+00:00

This is a very simplified version of this thread. We have an Input Table that looks like:

where each Group of colored columns needs to be transformed in a separate Table (so 3 in this case) and at the end we want the 3 Tables to be Appended (Combined according to Power Query M language)

Challenge

The number of Groups may vary (i.e. from 1 to say 10) from time to time. So we need a query that is flexible enough to handle this variation

Note

In the above example the 1st Group has 3 columns, the 2nd has 4 and the last has 5. To properly Append/Combine Tables they all must have the same number of columns. That aspect of the problem is not detailed in the below Power Query M snipet.

How To

Power Quey M language doesn't offer an easy way to loop. This example uses the List.Generate function to do that the appropriate number of times to build each Table and then Append/Combine them

let

    ...

    GroupsList = Record.ToList(Table.FirstN(Source, 1){0}),

    NbGroups = List.Count(List.Distinct(GroupsList)),

    // Loop (actually NbGroups of times) to create a Table for each "Group"

    // At the end we get a List that contains Table(s)

    The next Step will Append/Combine all Table(s)

    TablesToAppend = List.Generate(

         ()=> [i = -1, j = 0, OutputTable = #table({"Col","Index","Index2"},{})],

            each [i] < NbGroups,

                each

                    [

                        j = [j] +1,

                        ...,              // step1 to build the OutputTable

                        ...,              // step2 to build the OutputTable

                        TableIdx = ...,   // step3 to build the OutputTable

                        OutputTable = Table.AddIndexColumn(TableIdx, "Index2", j, 1),

                        i = [i] +1

                    ],

                each [OutputTable]

                                  ),

    // Append all tables from above List

    TablesAppended = Table.Combine(List.Transform(TablesToAppend, each (_))),

    ...

in

    ...

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  1. Lz365 38,201 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2018-07-18T09:03:09+00:00

    Hi Louise,

    Are you saying what I highlited in grey shouldn't be in the output (what you want to export as CSV) and we're only interested in what's in orange (truncated on the right)?

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-07-18T09:09:51+00:00

    Hi,  Yes, and the orange bit looks perfect!  :0)  

    By using the record identifiers at the start of each row (00EMPLOYEE, 10PERDET, 35EMPBASIC), the API knows which field to put data in column 7/G for example so it will put the surname in the correct field as it's the 7th column after the 10PERDET record type and it follows the 00EMPLOYEE row for the staff number.

    So what's your magic?

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  3. Lz365 38,201 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2018-07-18T09:18:22+00:00

    OK. Clearer. I will revise the query accordingly and will provide you with a sample to check this is accurate (won't be the final step though)

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  4. Lz365 38,201 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2018-07-18T10:16:17+00:00

    Louise

    Sample available here

    • The OUTPUT tab is what should be saved as CSV. Before you ask ;-) it is not possible to generate the same thing w/o row 1 (Col1, Col2...). You will have to remove it before saving as CSV
    • Re. the INPUT tab. This is your data (untouched) + 1 row at the top as all data must be stored in a Table
    • If you change data in the INPUT sheet, switch to the OUTPUT sheet > click somewher in the green table > Refresh

    Currently INPUT and OUTPUT are in the same file. This will cause you problem to save the OUTPUT (only) as CSV but don't worry we can do the same thing with separate files. I'll explain...

    Most important thing for now is to check the current OUTPUT is what you need + test the upload to your system

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