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PowerBI_Chaos's avatar
PowerBI_Chaos
Helper I
2 years ago
Solved

Dataflow: Traceback Invalid Cell Value Errors to Source

Hello all,   Needing some guidance! Hopefully there is a simple solution available!   I am working through several power BI report dataflows (through Fabric) which have errors relating to Pipelin...
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  • PowerBI_Chaos's avatar
    PowerBI_Chaos
    2 years ago

    I was able to resolve this issue by inserting a temporary step after the folder of excel workbooks is loaded into the query, which filtered the workbooks down by name into batches (beginning with).  Using this I was able to test batches of about 5-10 at a time, until I narrowed it down to the two files which were throwing the "#REF!" errors.  I opened them up, cleared up the formulas generating the errors, and now the dataflow is working again.  

BA_Pete's avatar
BA_Pete
Super User
2 years ago

Hi PowerBI_Chaos ,

 

#REF! and #N/A are Excel errors, not Power Query errors, so you're correct to want to trace this back to the Excel source.

To get this identified quickly you need to first: ignore generic ChatGPT answers, second; do it in Excel (not in the Dataflow). Dataflows are slow to load/filter and the rows aren't guaranteed to be in the same order as your source anyway.

 

In your Excel file you can either:

-1- Hit F5 (Go To), click on 'Special', select 'Formulas' radio button, and check the 'Errors' box.

-2- Hit Ctrl+F, type #REF! or #N/A in the Find field and either 'Find All' or 'Find Next'.

 

Pete

  • PowerBI_Chaos's avatar
    PowerBI_Chaos
    Helper I
    2 years ago

    Hi there,

     

    Thank you for the reply.  I had tried to adjust my post last night, but it appears to have not went through.  While I was able to resolve one of the two, using the exact method mentioned... The problem is that the second power query pulls data from a bunch of excel files in a folder. Is there any way in Power Query to tell which of the files the errors are coming from?  Otherwise I would need to open each and every one of them up, and there are like 50 or more.

     

    I took this over from my predecessor, and am trying to piece it back together.  Pulling data in this manner is not my preferred method.

    • BA_Pete's avatar
      BA_Pete
      Super User
      2 years ago

       

      When you say that "the second power query pulls data from a bunch of excel files in a folder", do you mean it uses the Transform & Combine folder connector? You can tell if this is the case as you will have an auto-generated folder of queries called "Helper Queries" or similar.

      If so, then you should see a [Source.Name] column in the combined query (the final one where all the files get combined together, not a helper query) that will tell you exactly which file each row has come from. You may need to click back up the query step list a bit in case this column has been removed in subsequent steps but, once you find it, you can use it identify exactly where your errors have come from.

       

      Pete

      • PowerBI_Chaos's avatar
        PowerBI_Chaos
        Helper I
        2 years ago

        Thank you for your reply BA.Pete.

         

        The query pulls yearly financial data from a folder full of excel documents using a custom function it seems.  Below is the function (step) that is used to pull in this data.  All of the preceding steps are getting to the folder location and removing unncessary files through transformations.  After this step it is normal transformations cleaning up the data. Nothing appears wrong within the transformations, however when/if I try and 'load more' than the sample (1000) rows then the error data.format error '#REF!' appears.  The problem is that the query does not tell me where the error is stemming from, which of the myriad of excel files that the query pulls from within the folder.  

         

         

        -------------------------------------------------------------------

         

        (FileName as text, FolderPath as text)=>

        let
            Source = SharePoint.Files(
                "https://sitename.sharepoint.com/sites/", [ApiVersion = 15]
                ),
            #"Selected File" = Source{
                [Name=FileName,
                #"Folder Path"=FolderPath
                ]}[Content],
            #"Imported Excel" = Excel.Workbook(
                #"Selected File"
                ),
            #"Selected Range" = #"Imported Excel"{
                [Item="R_RollupData",Kind="DefinedName"]
                }[Data],
          #"Promoted Headers" = Table.PromoteHeaders(#"Selected Range", [PromoteAllScalars = true]),
          #"Removed Columns" = Table.RemoveColumns(#"Promoted Headers", {
            "F19-01 Hours", "F19-02 Hours", "F19-03 Hours", "F19-04 Hours", "F19-05 Hours", "F19-06 Hours", "F19-07 Hours", "F19-08 Hours", "F19-09 Hours", "F19-10 Hours", "F19-11 Hours", "F19-12 Hours",
            "F20-01 Hours", "F20-02 Hours", "F20-03 Hours", "F20-04 Hours", "F20-05 Hours", "F20-06 Hours", "F20-07 Hours", "F20-08 Hours", "F20-09 Hours", "F20-10 Hours", "F20-11 Hours", "F20-12 Hours",
            "F21-01 Hours", "F21-02 Hours", "F21-03 Hours", "F21-04 Hours", "F21-05 Hours", "F21-06 Hours", "F21-07 Hours", "F21-08 Hours", "F21-09 Hours", "F21-10 Hours", "F21-11 Hours", "F21-12 Hours",
            "F22-01 Hours", "F22-02 Hours", "F22-03 Hours", "F22-04 Hours", "F22-05 Hours", "F22-06 Hours", "F22-07 Hours", "F22-08 Hours", "F22-09 Hours", "F22-10 Hours", "F22-11 Hours", "F22-12 Hours",
            "F23-01 Hours", "F23-02 Hours", "F23-03 Hours", "F23-04 Hours", "F23-05 Hours", "F23-06 Hours", "F23-07 Hours", "F23-08 Hours", "F23-09 Hours", "F23-10 Hours", "F23-11 Hours", "F23-12 Hours",
            "F24-01 Hours", "F24-02 Hours", "F24-03 Hours", "F24-04 Hours", "F24-05 Hours", "F24-06 Hours", "F24-07 Hours", "F24-08 Hours", "F24-09 Hours", "F24-10 Hours", "F24-11 Hours", "F24-12 Hours",
            "F25-01 Hours", "F25-02 Hours", "F25-03 Hours", "F25-04 Hours", "F25-05 Hours", "F25-06 Hours", "F25-07 Hours", "F25-08 Hours", "F25-09 Hours", "F25-10 Hours", "F25-11 Hours", "F25-12 Hours",
            "Team", "Role", "Name", "Rate", "Specialty", "Timesheet Activity"}),
          #"Unpivoted Columns" = Table.UnpivotOtherColumns(#"Removed Columns", {"Project Number", "Spend Type", "Source", "Vendor Name", "Quote Number", "Description", "Spend Class", "Spend Category", "Table Row", "File Template Version", "File Last Refresh CT"}, "FYY-FP", "Cost"),
          #"Filtered Rows - Cost <> 0" = Table.SelectRows(#"Unpivoted Columns", each [Cost] <> 0 and [Cost] <> null and [Cost] <> "0" and [Cost] <> ""),
          #"Added Column - Fiscal Year" = Table.AddColumn(#"Filtered Rows - Cost <> 0", "Fiscal Year", each Number.From(
                    "20" & Text.Middle(
                        [#"FYY-FP"],1,2)
                        )),
          #"Added Column - Fiscal Period" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Column - Fiscal Year", "Fiscal Period", each Number.From(Text.End([#"FYY-FP"], 2))),
          #"Renamed Columns" = Table.RenameColumns(#"Added Column - Fiscal Period", {{"Cost", "Amount"}, {"Spend Type", "Transaction Type"}, {"Project Number", "Project Number Short"}}),
          #"Removed Columns1" = Table.RemoveColumns(#"Renamed Columns", {"FYY-FP"}),
          #"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(#"Removed Columns1", {{"Project Number Short", Int64.Type}, {"Fiscal Year", Int64.Type}, {"Fiscal Period", Int64.Type}, {"Table Row", Int64.Type}, {"Amount", Currency.Type}, {"File Last Refresh CT", type datetime}, {"Spend Category", type text}, {"Spend Class", type text}, {"Description", type text}, {"Quote Number", type text}, {"Vendor Name", type text}, {"Source", type text}, {"Transaction Type", type text}})
        in
          #"Changed Type"