Forum Discussion
Table.DuplicateColumn ColumnType ignored
I have used a Table.DuplicateColumn command to create a copy of a datetime column (Start DateTime), including specifying the type as date:
#"Duplicated Start DateTime" = Table.DuplicateColumn(#"Previous Step", "Start DateTime", "Start Date", type date)
My question / issue is that the ColumnType option seems to be ignored and the new column appears as datetime (although the 'icon' is date), which I then have to change in another step.
Original columns:
New Column:
Might be just a cosmetic issue, similar to what we had for the longest time with Table.AddColumn *
Note: Specifying a Date column type is futile as Power BI doesn't actually have such a data type. In Power BI everything is datetime behind the scenes.
* on second thought you can replace Table.DuplicateColumn with Table.AddColumn.
3 Replies
Might be just a cosmetic issue, similar to what we had for the longest time with Table.AddColumn *
Note: Specifying a Date column type is futile as Power BI doesn't actually have such a data type. In Power BI everything is datetime behind the scenes.
* on second thought you can replace Table.DuplicateColumn with Table.AddColumn.
Table.AddColumn(#"Previous Step", "Start Date", each Date.From([Start DateTime]), type date)
Did the job equally as well - in which case, what's the benefit of DuplicateColumn and the (optional) ColumnType?!It's what we call "syntax sugar" - a convenience function that is equivalent (or should be) to a more atomic function.
