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Anonymous's avatar
Anonymous
Not applicable
6 years ago
Solved

Combine Excel Files That Contains Photos

Can we combine multiple excel files that contains photos? I tried combining two excel files that contains photos yet the column is showing it's empty. 

Thanks!

3 Replies

  • edhans's avatar
    edhans
    Community Champion

    Power Query cannot see Excel images in a file. Those images are not in the table but float above it in a graphics layer. Same with all other objects like charts, icons, and any arrows or other graphics you can put in there via the INSERT ribbon in Excel. That is why PQ is showing the columns are empty.

  • Jimmy801's avatar
    Jimmy801
    Community Champion

    Hello Anonymous 

     

    to extract photos from an Excel-file you have to use a different approach. You have to unzip the file and read it's content.

    Here a code example to filter all JPG-file of one file

    let
        Source = UnzipContents( File.Contents("C:\test\Mappe1.xlsx")),
        UnzipContents = (ZIPFile) =>
        //used from http://sql10.blogspot.com/2016/06/reading-zip-files-in-powerquery-m.html
    let
        Header = BinaryFormat.Record([
            MiscHeader = BinaryFormat.Binary(14),
            BinarySize = BinaryFormat.ByteOrder(BinaryFormat.UnsignedInteger32, ByteOrder.LittleEndian),
            FileSize   = BinaryFormat.ByteOrder(BinaryFormat.UnsignedInteger32, ByteOrder.LittleEndian),
            FileNameLen= BinaryFormat.ByteOrder(BinaryFormat.UnsignedInteger16, ByteOrder.LittleEndian),
            ExtrasLen  = BinaryFormat.ByteOrder(BinaryFormat.UnsignedInteger16, ByteOrder.LittleEndian)    
        ]),
     
        HeaderChoice = BinaryFormat.Choice(
            BinaryFormat.ByteOrder(BinaryFormat.UnsignedInteger32, ByteOrder.LittleEndian),
            each if _ <> 67324752             // not the IsValid number? then return a dummy formatter
                then BinaryFormat.Record([IsValid = false, Filename=null, Content=null])
                else BinaryFormat.Choice(
                        BinaryFormat.Binary(26),      // Header payload - 14+4+4+2+2
                        each BinaryFormat.Record([
                            IsValid  = true,
                            Filename = BinaryFormat.Text(Header(_)[FileNameLen]),
                            Extras   = BinaryFormat.Text(Header(_)[ExtrasLen]),
                            Content  = BinaryFormat.Transform(
                                BinaryFormat.Binary(Header(_)[BinarySize]),
                                (x) => try Binary.Buffer(Binary.Decompress(x, Compression.Deflate)) otherwise x
                            )
                            ]),
                            type binary                   // enable streaming
                    )
        ),
     
        ZipFormat = BinaryFormat.List(HeaderChoice, each _[IsValid] = true),
     
        Entries = List.Transform(
            List.RemoveLastN( ZipFormat(ZIPFile), 1),
            (e) => [FileName = e[Filename], Content = e[Content] ]
        )
    in
        Table.FromRecords(Entries),
    
        FilterJPG = Table.SelectRows(Source, each ([FileName] = "xl/media/image1.jpg"))
    in
        FilterJPG

     

    Copy paste this code to the advanced editor in a new blank query to see how the solution works.

    If this post helps or solves your problem, please mark it as solution (to help other users find useful content and to acknowledge the work of users that helped you)
    Kudoes are nice too

    Have fun

    Jimmy