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Shantanu3006's avatar
Shantanu3006
New Member
2 years ago
Solved

Power Query - How to ignore column with invalid first value (#REF!) while promoting headers

Hi,

I have data in an excel sheet like below.  I have few columns (from Year till Profit) to be imported in the power query. There is also a column with an invalid value (#REF!). When I try to promote the headers I get an error saying invalid data format. I understand its becasue of this invalid #REF! value. My question is how do I ignore this column while promoting the headers of this table, so that I can get only columns from Year to Profit.

 

I have multiple sheets to be combined after promoting the headers so I can not expand the columns simply from UI and select what is required. 

 

Any help in this regard is very helpful and appreciated.

 

YearMonthDayCategoryProfit #REF!
202411A242  
202412B32432  
202413C3543  
202414D676  
202415E35436  
202416F8734  
202417G8656  
202418H90  
202419I8797  

 

Thanks

Shantanu

  • You can use the "Replace Errors"  transform to replace the #REF!  with something meaningful

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Consider the next image as your data with the name Source, use the next formula to remove the columns with the error value in the first row.

     

    = Table.SelectColumns(Source,List.Accumulate(Table.ColumnNames(Source),{},(a,b)=> if (try Table.Column(Source,b){0})[HasError] then a else a & {b}))

     

     

    data=>

     

    result=>

     

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    2 years ago

    Hi,

    Thanks for the solution Omid_Motamedise and lbendlin offered, and i want to offer some more information for user to refer to.

    hello Shantanu3006 , you can create a blank query and input the following code to advanced editor in power query.

    let
        Source = Table.FromRows(Json.Document(Binary.Decompress(Binary.FromText("bY27DsIwDEV/BcLaoeTZjJS2wICE2FDUIUOBLkSKsvD3XEMn5OHY1j12EoK4TTGLSpzTqzzRu/hG3ccyPVKm8ZLTfS4YNtd+WIuxCkLWUiPYLuyA1BJ19a8pbIGSWrELij6jbrTiPPUOWGc5bUC/nLMLFA6gcUpz3oEDeWvY+wYcga8568Hp+7p3Pz9+AA==", BinaryEncoding.Base64), Compression.Deflate)), let _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true]) in type table [Column1 = _t, Column2 = _t, Column3 = _t, Column4 = _t, Column5 = _t, Column7 = _t]),
        #"Changed Type1" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,{{"Column7", Int64.Type}}),
        #"Transposed Table" = Table.Transpose(#"Changed Type1"),
        #"Removed Errors" = Table.RemoveRowsWithErrors(#"Transposed Table", {"Column1"}),
        #"Transposed Table1" = Table.Transpose(#"Removed Errors"),
        #"Promoted Headers" = Table.PromoteHeaders(#"Transposed Table1", [PromoteAllScalars=true])
    in
        #"Promoted Headers"

    Output

    Best Regards!

    Yolo Zhu

    If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

     

     

4 Replies

  • You can use the "Replace Errors"  transform to replace the #REF!  with something meaningful

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Hi,

    I have data in an excel sheet like below.  I have few columns (from Year till Profit) to be imported in the power query. There is also a column with an invalid value (#REF!). When I try to promote the headers I get an error saying invalid data format. I understand its becasue of this invalid #REF! value. My question is how do I ignore this column while promoting the headers of this table, so that I can get only columns from Year to Profit.

     

    I have multiple sheets to be combined after promoting the headers so I can not expand the columns simply from UI and select what is required. 

     

    Any help in this regard is very helpful and appreciated.

     

    YearMonthDayCategoryProfit #REF!
    202411A242  
    202412B32432  
    202413C3543  
    202414D676  
    202415E35436  
    202416F8734  
    202417G8656  
    202418H90  
    202419I8797  

     

    Thanks

    Shantanu

    • Omid_Motamedise's avatar
      Omid_Motamedise
      Icon for Super User rankSuper User

      Consider the next image as your data with the name Source, use the next formula to remove the columns with the error value in the first row.

       

      = Table.SelectColumns(Source,List.Accumulate(Table.ColumnNames(Source),{},(a,b)=> if (try Table.Column(Source,b){0})[HasError] then a else a & {b}))

       

       

      data=>

       

      result=>

       

      • Anonymous's avatar
        Anonymous
        Not applicable

        Hi,

        Thanks for the solution Omid_Motamedise and lbendlin offered, and i want to offer some more information for user to refer to.

        hello Shantanu3006 , you can create a blank query and input the following code to advanced editor in power query.

        let
            Source = Table.FromRows(Json.Document(Binary.Decompress(Binary.FromText("bY27DsIwDEV/BcLaoeTZjJS2wICE2FDUIUOBLkSKsvD3XEMn5OHY1j12EoK4TTGLSpzTqzzRu/hG3ccyPVKm8ZLTfS4YNtd+WIuxCkLWUiPYLuyA1BJ19a8pbIGSWrELij6jbrTiPPUOWGc5bUC/nLMLFA6gcUpz3oEDeWvY+wYcga8568Hp+7p3Pz9+AA==", BinaryEncoding.Base64), Compression.Deflate)), let _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true]) in type table [Column1 = _t, Column2 = _t, Column3 = _t, Column4 = _t, Column5 = _t, Column7 = _t]),
            #"Changed Type1" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,{{"Column7", Int64.Type}}),
            #"Transposed Table" = Table.Transpose(#"Changed Type1"),
            #"Removed Errors" = Table.RemoveRowsWithErrors(#"Transposed Table", {"Column1"}),
            #"Transposed Table1" = Table.Transpose(#"Removed Errors"),
            #"Promoted Headers" = Table.PromoteHeaders(#"Transposed Table1", [PromoteAllScalars=true])
        in
            #"Promoted Headers"

        Output

        Best Regards!

        Yolo Zhu

        If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.