Forum Discussion
Import from Excel with Data Type columns doesnt matter
- 1 year ago
Hey Prodingero ,
It seems like the issue arises because Power BI Power Query is unable to directly recognize or handle custom data types created in Excel (like the “Person” column with a List data type). Power BI does not yet support extracting or directly manipulating custom data types created in Excel when importing the file. Few possible workarounds:
- Convert the List to a Recognized Type: Before importing the file into Power BI, try to expand the “Person” column in Excel to a simpler type (e.g., a text or number column). You can do this by selecting the List within Excel (using Power Query) and expanding it into individual fields or values. This way, Power BI can import it more easily.
- Pre-process the Data in Power Query: If you can’t modify the Excel file, you can load the file into Power BI, and then in Power Query, try to expand the “Person” column manually by using the “Expand” option or transforming the data into a simpler format that Power BI can handle.
- Use a SharePoint List Instead: Since SharePoint lists work better with List-type columns, if possible, you could consider migrating this data to a SharePoint list where the List type is more natively supported.
For Detailed Information:
Create a custom data type in Power Query
Power BI SharePoint List Integration
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Best Regards,
Nasif Azam
Hi Prodingero
Thank you PwerQueryKees and Nasif_Azam for the insightful responses!
As PwerQueryKees and Nasif_Azam said, correct .Power BI doesn’t support custom data types (like lists or records) created in Excel Power Query. These types are Excel specific and appear as text or cause errors when imported into Power BI. To avoid this, expand or flatten the column in Excel Power Query before loading the file into Power BI.
Hope this helps.If so,give us kudos and consider accepting it as solution.
Thank you.
Regards,
Pallavi G.