Providing Credentials to ODBC via CredentialsConnectionString option in Odbc.query and for files

[Anonymous]

1.) Just wondering if it is possible to pass credentials to the CredentialsConnectionString option for the Odbc.query so that it won't asks for credentials each time? I tried passing in a record like this [CredentialsConnectionString = [UID = xxxx, PWD=xxxx]] but nothing changed and I am still prompted for the the credentials when running my unit tests for the first time.

2.) Likewise, is it possible to supply credentials to power query so that we don't have to enter credetentials when accessing files on windows on power query?

[v-yingjl · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous ,

1) For safety reasons, no. Usually connection string just contain the dsn name, you need credentials to connec to the odbc data source. 

If you do not clear the permissions in power query, you do not need to enter credentials each time just select 'Recent Sources' to connect to the same odbc source.

2) When accessing filed on windows in power query, you can use the corresponding connectors to connect directly instead of entering credentials each time.

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ Yingjie Li
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[ChrisCB]

This is such a bad answer, and overall a terrible policy. There are so many situations where a report writer might need to distribute a report to non-technical users (who get scared by things like the word "Credentials") which needs to connect to a data source. There are plenty of other solutions outside of excel to secure such a flow, such as using a limited read-only account on a SQL Server that replicates production. My users don't want to bother with credentials, and they shouldn't have to.