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webportal
Impactful Individual
Impactful Individual

Import SQL server database without empty columns

Hello,

 

I'm importing a set of tables from a SQL Server DB to Power BI Desktop.

It's a huge database and I'm selecting only some of its tables.

However, these tables have empty columns or columns with zeros only, so I've created two M functions to apply to each and every table to "clean" them.

Is it possible to specify an SQL command in the import settings to fetch only "valid" columns, thus avoiding loading Power BI and custom functions?

 

Can anyone please share sucha a SQL command?

 

Thank you!

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
v-piga-msft
Resident Rockstar
Resident Rockstar

Hi @webportal


I'm importing a set of tables from a SQL Server DB to Power BI Desktop.

It's a huge database and I'm selecting only some of its tables.

However, these tables have empty columns or columns with zeros only, so I've created two M functions to apply to each and every table to "clean" them.

Is it possible to specify an SQL command in the import settings to fetch only "valid" columns, thus avoiding loading Power BI and custom functions?

 

Can anyone please share sucha a SQL command?

The SQL query you want to use in Power BI when you get data is the same as you query the data in SQL Database.

 

You could refer to the queries in the thread here. You could also have a reference of IS NOT NULL .

 

Best Regards,

Cherry

Community Support Team _ Cherry Gao
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

View solution in original post

1 REPLY 1
v-piga-msft
Resident Rockstar
Resident Rockstar

Hi @webportal


I'm importing a set of tables from a SQL Server DB to Power BI Desktop.

It's a huge database and I'm selecting only some of its tables.

However, these tables have empty columns or columns with zeros only, so I've created two M functions to apply to each and every table to "clean" them.

Is it possible to specify an SQL command in the import settings to fetch only "valid" columns, thus avoiding loading Power BI and custom functions?

 

Can anyone please share sucha a SQL command?

The SQL query you want to use in Power BI when you get data is the same as you query the data in SQL Database.

 

You could refer to the queries in the thread here. You could also have a reference of IS NOT NULL .

 

Best Regards,

Cherry

Community Support Team _ Cherry Gao
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

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