Forum Discussion
Joining multiple tables/queries
This will be the reason for the error.
One option is to create a new column that combine your CompanyID/CustomerID into a single column, which you can do in the Query Editor. This would need to be done in both tables to create the relationship.
Otherwise, you could combine both tables into 1 in Query Editor using the Merge command to create a table with the following columns
CompanyID , CustomerID , CustomerName , InvoiceNum
Cheers,
Phil
I think you're actually better off using that first suggestion - keep the two separate tables, but create concatenated key columns in both tables that combine the CompanyID and CustomerID columns, using these new columns to join the tables. This allows you to treat the customer table as a lookup table. As you start learning more about PowerBI, you'll see that this is the standard modelling approach.
Hi Machzy
Does your Customer table have only 1 row per Customer? No blanks or duplicates in the CustomerID column (which is what I presume you are linking on).
No, if you want no duplicates, it would have to be a combination of the Company ID & the Customer ID for the customer table. And Company ID & Invoice Number for the invoice table.
Attached is an example.
This will be the reason for the error.
One option is to create a new column that combine your CompanyID/CustomerID into a single column, which you can do in the Query Editor. This would need to be done in both tables to create the relationship.
Otherwise, you could combine both tables into 1 in Query Editor using the Merge command to create a table with the following columns
CompanyID , CustomerID , CustomerName , InvoiceNum
Cheers,
Phil
Yeah, I was hoping I wouldn't have to use the Merge function, but it worked.
Another question if you don't mind. I had the Customers and Invoices queries separate, but after the merge (I merged using the Invoices query) the customer query is still there but when I try to delete it, I get this error message:
The query 'Customers' cannot be deleted because it's being referenced by another query: 'Invoices'
Is there a way that I can delete it? or do I have to leave it there?
You might be able to right click the table in the Query Editor and tell it not to refresh or load to the model. In which case it only exists to get data from your source into Power Query and deliver it to the merge.