Power Query - Help with column format

[Evans2]

Hi all,

I'm new to Power Query but I'm already really impressed by what it can do and I'm very excited about the possibilities.

I'm pulling data directly from an oracle server into Power Query and noticed that some of the columns have a strange format that I will need to change but I'm unsure how.

Some of the date fields are formatted as =T(""01-MAY-2013"") but I need the format to be 01-MAY-2013. Another is formatted as =T(""P-5201-A"") but I need the format to be P-5201-A.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Evan

 

[ImkeF]

Hi Evan,
Got irritated by your mentioning DAX - hope you're acutally using Power Query & not Power Pivot.

To start with, I'd move on step by step. So here it would be to check if the condition check works:

for my example:
if Text.StartsWith([Date],"=T(""") then 1 else 0 (instead of: Text.Range([Date],5,11) else [Date]))

For your example: if Text.StartsWith([PERIOD_TO],"=T(""") then 1 else 0

Then you build the other elements step by step, checking each time if the correct results are delivered.

& as Bill already said: Absolutely nothing to worry about changing your source data when working with PQ.

 

[ImkeF]

Hoppla - didn't know that you could actually change your data in the source, using PQ - have a look at this:

http://www.mrexcel.com/forum/power-bi/873216-simple-insert-function-power-query.html#post4236869

So, actually, some caution is advisable!