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AUaero
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3 years ago
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Query Folding and Query References

Hey folks, I can't find the answer to this in the docs, so maybe someone here can clarify.  I have a Power Query script that pulls data from a SQL Server table.  Call this query A.  This query folds just fine as indicated by the fact that I can view the native query in PQ.  If I create a new query that references the query A (call this one query B), I can't view the native query.  Am I correct in assuming that the reference to query A breaks folding for query B?

We use a stage/load pattern for all of our PQ development where we stage untransformed tables but don't load them to PBI.  We then do any transformations against a reference to the staged table and then load the transformed table to PBI.  If this breaks folding then we'll need to rethink our approach.

 

Thanks!

  • Not being able to view the native query doesn't always mean that it won't fold. In this case, I think it probably is still folding but just isn't generating the native query preview. Try adding a simple filter step after referencing and see if it shows the native query option or not (this works for me on a simple example I just tried).

     

    For more on this, I recommend this Guy in a Cube video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEFze-LdLqo

    (You can skip the first 3 minutes to jump right to the relevant part.)

3 Replies

  • Not being able to view the native query doesn't always mean that it won't fold. In this case, I think it probably is still folding but just isn't generating the native query preview. Try adding a simple filter step after referencing and see if it shows the native query option or not (this works for me on a simple example I just tried).

     

    For more on this, I recommend this Guy in a Cube video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEFze-LdLqo

    (You can skip the first 3 minutes to jump right to the relevant part.)

    • AUaero's avatar
      AUaero
      Icon for Responsive Resident rankResponsive Resident

      Thanks, Alexis - I tested as you suggested and you're right, query folding is still in effect.