Skip to main content
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

View all the Fabric Data Days sessions on demand. View schedule

Reply
KJChin
Frequent Visitor

Choose Column before Expand Table

I am importing data from multiple excel files in sharepoint folder to Power Query. I would like to define the chosen columns before expand the data. Previously I have defined to take the data of first sheet of every excel file in the folder as the sheet name is not constant (it works). Same reason with the columns, the name sometimes changes, while the order is remain same. 

This is the query I done in 'Transform Sample File':

let
    Source = Excel.Workbook(Parameter1, null, true),
    FirstSheet = Source{0}[Data],
    #"Promoted Headers" = Table.PromoteHeaders(FirstSheet, [PromoteAllScalars=true])
in
    #"Promoted Headers"

 

Below is the enhance version to cover the column, get error where it said:
Expression.Error: We cannot convert the value 1 to type Text.
Details:
Value=1
Type=[Type]

let

    Source = Excel.Workbook(Parameter1, null, true),
    FirstSheet = Source{0}[Data],
    #"Promoted Headers" = Table.PromoteHeaders(FirstSheet, [PromoteAllScalars=true]),
    SelectedColumns = Table.SelectColumns(PromotedHeaders, {1, 2, 3, 7})

in
    SelectedColumns

  I did set the data type yet the error still there.

 

Any suggestions is much appreciated. Thank you.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
slorin
Super User
Super User

Hi @KJChin 

 

...
Table.SelectColumns(PromotedHeaders, List.Transform({1, 2, 3, 7}, each Table.ColumnNames(PromotedHeaders){_ - 1}))

 Stéphane

View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
slorin
Super User
Super User

Hi @KJChin 

 

...
Table.SelectColumns(PromotedHeaders, List.Transform({1, 2, 3, 7}, each Table.ColumnNames(PromotedHeaders){_ - 1}))

 Stéphane

KJChin
Frequent Visitor

OMG, IT WORKED! HAHA

Thanks a lot, @slorin You are amazing!

Helpful resources

Announcements
November Power BI Update Carousel

Power BI Monthly Update - November 2025

Check out the November 2025 Power BI update to learn about new features.

Fabric Data Days Carousel

Fabric Data Days

Advance your Data & AI career with 50 days of live learning, contests, hands-on challenges, study groups & certifications and more!

FabCon Atlanta 2026 carousel

FabCon Atlanta 2026

Join us at FabCon Atlanta, March 16-20, for the ultimate Fabric, Power BI, AI and SQL community-led event. Save $200 with code FABCOMM.