To use the Excel Power Query function to import and transform data from external sources, follow these steps:
- Open Excel and navigate to the "Data" tab in the ribbon.
- Click on the "Get Data" button in the "Get & Transform Data" section. This will open a drop-down menu.
- From the drop-down menu, select the desired data source. Excel offers various options such as "From File," "From Database," "From Web," etc. Choose the appropriate option based on the source of your data.
- Once you select the data source, a dialog box will appear with options specific to that source. For example, if you choose "From File," you will need to browse and select the file location. Fill in the required information and click "Open."
- Excel will load a preview of the data in the "Query Editor" window. Here, you can apply transformations to the data before importing it into your worksheet.
- Use the tools in the "Query Editor" to transform the data as needed. Some common transformations include filtering rows, removing duplicates, changing data types, splitting or merging columns, etc. You can find these options in the "Home," "Transform," or "Add Column" tabs of the "Query Editor" ribbon.
- Once you have finished transforming the data, click on the "Close & Load" button in the "Home" tab of the "Query Editor." This will import the transformed data into a new worksheet or a specified location.
- Excel will create a connection to the data source, allowing you to refresh the data at any time. To refresh the data, right-click on the imported data in the worksheet and select "Refresh" from the menu. Excel will update the data based on the latest information from the external source.
By using the Excel Power Query function, you can efficiently import and transform data from various external sources, ensuring that your data is up to date and fit for analysis.