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

The Power BI Data Visualization World Championships is back! Get ahead of the game and start preparing now! Learn more

Reply
Imposed
Frequent Visitor

How to replace specific values with null in a column

2022-10-16 18_23_00-test - Power Query Editor.jpg

 

Hello!

I would like to replace the values that have 5 numbers in them with "null" and keep the ones with 2-3 numbers. How would i proceed with that?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
ImkeF
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hi @Imposed ,
you can do a dummy-replace-operation on that column and then tweak the resulting M-code a bit:
Table.ReplaceValue(#"Changed Type", each [Column1], each if Text.Length([Column1]) > 3 then null else [Column1], Replacer.ReplaceValue, {"Column1"} )

I have described this method here: Table.TransformColumns - alternative in PowerBI and PowerQuery in Excel (thebiccountant.com)

Or you paste hte following code into the advanced editor and follow the steps:

let
    Source = Table.FromRows(
        Json.Document(
            Binary.Decompress(
                Binary.FromText("i45WMjQAAqVYnWglIzjLEEobmxqCaVMzc6XYWAA=", BinaryEncoding.Base64), 
                Compression.Deflate
            )
        ), 
        let
            _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true])
        in
            type table [Column1 = _t]
    ), 
    #"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source, {{"Column1", type text}}), 
    #"Replaced Value" = Table.ReplaceValue(
        #"Changed Type", 
        each [Column1], 
        each if Text.Length([Column1]) > 3 then null else [Column1], 
        Replacer.ReplaceValue, 
        {"Column1"}
    )
in
    #"Replaced Value"

Table.ReplaceValue(#"Changed Type", each [Column1], each if Text.Length([Column1]) > 3 then null else [Column1], Replacer.ReplaceValue, {"Column1"} )
 

Imke Feldmann (The BIccountant)

If you liked my solution, please give it a thumbs up. And if I did answer your question, please mark this post as a solution. Thanks!

How to integrate M-code into your solution -- How to get your questions answered quickly -- How to provide sample data -- Check out more PBI- learning resources here -- Performance Tipps for M-queries

View solution in original post

3 REPLIES 3
slorin
Super User
Super User

Hi

 

..., each if Text.Length([Custom]) > 4 then null else [Custom], ...

Stéphane 

ImkeF
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hi @Imposed ,
you can do a dummy-replace-operation on that column and then tweak the resulting M-code a bit:
Table.ReplaceValue(#"Changed Type", each [Column1], each if Text.Length([Column1]) > 3 then null else [Column1], Replacer.ReplaceValue, {"Column1"} )

I have described this method here: Table.TransformColumns - alternative in PowerBI and PowerQuery in Excel (thebiccountant.com)

Or you paste hte following code into the advanced editor and follow the steps:

let
    Source = Table.FromRows(
        Json.Document(
            Binary.Decompress(
                Binary.FromText("i45WMjQAAqVYnWglIzjLEEobmxqCaVMzc6XYWAA=", BinaryEncoding.Base64), 
                Compression.Deflate
            )
        ), 
        let
            _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true])
        in
            type table [Column1 = _t]
    ), 
    #"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source, {{"Column1", type text}}), 
    #"Replaced Value" = Table.ReplaceValue(
        #"Changed Type", 
        each [Column1], 
        each if Text.Length([Column1]) > 3 then null else [Column1], 
        Replacer.ReplaceValue, 
        {"Column1"}
    )
in
    #"Replaced Value"

Table.ReplaceValue(#"Changed Type", each [Column1], each if Text.Length([Column1]) > 3 then null else [Column1], Replacer.ReplaceValue, {"Column1"} )
 

Imke Feldmann (The BIccountant)

If you liked my solution, please give it a thumbs up. And if I did answer your question, please mark this post as a solution. Thanks!

How to integrate M-code into your solution -- How to get your questions answered quickly -- How to provide sample data -- Check out more PBI- learning resources here -- Performance Tipps for M-queries

Hi,

I am facing the issue in replacing values greater than text lenght 4 and below error is displaying in custom column function.

 

yasiralifeeds_0-1687263263618.png

 

Your help will be highly appreciated.

 

Helpful resources

Announcements
Power BI DataViz World Championships

Power BI Dataviz World Championships

The Power BI Data Visualization World Championships is back! Get ahead of the game and start preparing now!

December 2025 Power BI Update Carousel

Power BI Monthly Update - December 2025

Check out the December 2025 Power BI Holiday Recap!

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.