Power Query - Altering columns in a query

[MooseWinooski]

Hey all,

I would like to query a data set from another excel file, add it into the workbook and then manually add a few columns that suit my need...

Before I start doing this is this going to break anything? or if I refresh the data will it get angry with me or erase the columns I made?

M

 

[Alex Blakenburg]

Power Query will not complain about the additional columns.
Whether it will overwrite the columns depends on:-

• Are you doing a Pivot in the query that will expand the number of output columns the query will take up.
• Will you be modifying the query so that it outputs more columns ?

If yes to either it will overwrite the extra columns.

Also the additional columns can't be used for entering data manually.
Manually entered data is row dependent and a refresh could mean there is something different on that row.
Calculations that are consistently applied to all rows should be fine, and lookups should be fine.

 

[MooseWinooski]

Power Query will not complain about the additional columns.
Whether it will overwrite the columns depends on:-

• Are you doing a Pivot in the query that will expand the number of output columns the query will take up.
• Will you be modifying the query so that it outputs more columns ?

If yes to either it will overwrite the extra columns.

Also the additional columns can't be used for entering data manually.
Manually entered data is row dependent and a refresh could mean there is something different on that row.
Calculations that are consistently applied to all rows should be fine, and lookups should be fine.

So for my purposes what I am doing is extracting an org hierarchy from a system that I am repurposing to track some training.

So I would like to at the end of the query table just put a few columns like "Training booked" "Completed" "Notes" "Trainer name"

I am going to include the query in my data model but I dont think I will have any need to run a pivot

 

[Alex Blakenburg]

I don't think, the normal power query set up will work for you, unless you are using lookups to get that information.

You might get away with it is you have a column you sort on and you can be sure that new records will always add to the bottom.
The issue is if you add details to Row 3 of the query output and the data in Row 3 on the next refresh is now on Row 6, then you entries will appear against the wrong row.