Convert text to number across multiple columns where each column is a mix of text and numbers

[leungi]

Scenario

Source table has multiple columns, where columns are a mix of Text and Number data.

Upon data import, Power Query automatically assigns column to Text data type for conformity.

Goal

For each column, convert Number data to Number type and keep Text data as-is.

Currently, custom columns are added with the below expression. It is manual and unnecessarily double the column count.

Ideally, expression is applied to and replace existing columns in data source.

Expression

try Number.FromText([1]) otherwise [1])

[leungi]

Thanks for the prompt solution @ronrsnfld...a Solution Sage indeed 🙂

[ronrsnfld · Accepted solution]

try this:

• Set the data type for all the columns to "any"
• For each column, do a Table.Transform which changes values that can converted to numbers as such, otherwise leave them as is.

let
    Source = Table.FromRows(Json.Document(Binary.Decompress(Binary.FromText("i45WSkxKVtJRMlSK1YlWSklNA7KNwGxDIMsYzDICskCqQGxjIBukKjYWAA==", BinaryEncoding.Base64), Compression.Deflate)), let _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true]) in type table [Column1 = _t, Column2 = _t]),
    
//set data type to any
    #"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,
        List.Transform(Table.ColumnNames(Source), each {_, type any})),

//If they can transformed to a number, do it, otherwise leave it as is
    #"Text Numbers to Numbers" = Table.TransformColumns(#"Changed Type",
        List.Transform(Table.ColumnNames(#"Changed Type"), (cn)=> {cn, each try Number.From(_) otherwise _}))
in
    #"Text Numbers to Numbers"

Before

After