can't apply changes when accessing tables using the #shared environment

[leinad]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to access some tables via their names as text using the #shared environment. Assuming for example I have the following two queries (called table1/table2 respectively):

let
  tab1 = Table.FromRecords({[CustomerID = 1, Name = "Bob", Phone = "123-4567"]})
in
  tab1

let
  tab2 = Table.FromRecords({[CustomerID = 4, Name = "Lisa", Phone = "576-5767"]})
in
  tab2

Now I want to acces them in another query like one of the following:

let
  first_table = Expression.Evaluate("table1", #shared)
in
  first_table

let
  first_table = Expression.Evaluate("table1", #shared),
  sec_table   = Expression.Evaluate("table2", #shared),
  res         = Table.Combine({first_table, sec_table})
in
  res

In preview it works just fine. However, when I am trying to apply the changes, I am getting the following error message when activating the first query: 

And this one when activating the second query:

I have also tried to use other methods to access the tables like Record.Field() or to use #sections[Section1] instead of #shared as an environment. Unfortunately, it always works in preview, but throws the respective error message when I am trying to apply the changes. The first error message seems to appear when I am only accessing one table, the second one when I am accessing multiple tables.

Would be great if you could help me out. 

[Greg_Deckler]

@leinad I don't understand why you are using #shared here. There is no reason to do so. Just write your last two queries like this:

let
  first_table = table1
in
  first_table

let
  first_table = table1,
  sec_table   = table2,
  res         = Table.Combine({first_table, sec_table})
in
  res

[leinad]

@Greg_DecklerThanks for your response. In this case i agree. However, this is just some dummy data to replicate the error. I just wanted to understand why the error messages occur.

The actual usecase is using a function to generate all the names of the tables which are to be combined and depends on a parameter for the number of tables. I hope that makes it a little bit clearer.

[Greg_Deckler · Accepted solution]

@leinad Maybe try something like this:

let
    Source = #shared,
    #"Converted to Table" = Record.ToTable(Source),
    #"Added Custom" = Table.AddColumn(#"Converted to Table", "Custom", each if Type.Is(Value.Type([Value]), Table.Type) then 1 else 0),
    #"Filtered Rows" = Table.SelectRows(#"Added Custom", each ([Custom] = 1)),
    #"Removed Columns" = Table.RemoveColumns(#"Filtered Rows",{"Value"})
in
    #"Removed Columns"