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Calculated Column - Fill Using Text From Another Column
Hi Everyone, I'm struggling creating a calculated column for my dataset to fix a report issue but I'm now left wondering if it is even possible as I'm only using text fields (nothing numeric).
I've spent hours looking for a solution but struggling. Any help available is greatly appreciated.
This is my dataset and creating the calculated column is the aim.
DocumentNo | Reference | Employee | Calculated Column |
100 | ABC | Joe Bloggs | |
100 | ABC | Joe Bloggs | Joe Bloggs |
110 | ABC | Joe Bloggs | |
110 | ABC | Joe Bloggs | |
110 | ABC | Joe Bloggs | |
200 | DEF | Harry Brown | |
200 | DEF | Harry Brown | Harry Brown |
200 | DEF | Harry Brown | |
300 | XYZ | Steve Austin | |
300 | XYZ | Steve Austin | |
300 | XYZ | Steve Austin | |
300 | XYZ | Steve Austin | |
310 | XYZ | Steve Austin | |
310 | XYZ | Steve Austin | Steve Austin |
310 | XYZ | Steve Austin | |
105 | XYZ | Steve Austin | |
210 | XYZ | Steve Austin |
Solved! Go to Solution.

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Hi @tonybrogan
You can try the following solutions.
1.Put the following code to advanced editor in power query
let
Source = Table.FromRows(Json.Document(Binary.Decompress(Binary.FromText("i45WMjQwUNJRcnRyBpIKSrE6qCJe+akKTjn56enFEClDDMVEiBiBDXRxdcMq4pFYVFSp4FSUX56HQ7UxWCQiMopSEUN8IsElqWWpCo6lxSWZeTiUGxqYookYoaqJBQA=", BinaryEncoding.Base64), Compression.Deflate)), let _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true]) in type table [DocumentNo = _t, Reference = _t, Employee = _t]),
#"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,{{"DocumentNo", Int64.Type}}),
#"Grouped Rows" = Table.Group(#"Changed Type", {"Reference"}, {{"Count", each List.Max([Employee]), type nullable text}, {"Data", each _, type table [DocumentNo=nullable number, Reference=nullable text, Employee=nullable text]}}),
#"Expanded Data" = Table.ExpandTableColumn(#"Grouped Rows", "Data", {"DocumentNo", "Employee"}, {"DocumentNo", "Employee"}),
#"Reordered Columns" = Table.ReorderColumns(#"Expanded Data",{"Reference", "DocumentNo", "Employee", "Count"})
in
#"Reordered Columns"
Output
2.You can create a calculated column
Column =
MAXX (
FILTER (
'Table (2)',
[Reference] = EARLIER ( 'Table (2)'[Reference] )
&& [Employee] <> BLANK ()
),
[Employee]
)
Output
Best Regards!
Yolo Zhu
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

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Hi @tonybrogan
You can try the following solutions.
1.Put the following code to advanced editor in power query
let
Source = Table.FromRows(Json.Document(Binary.Decompress(Binary.FromText("i45WMjQwUNJRcnRyBpIKSrE6qCJe+akKTjn56enFEClDDMVEiBiBDXRxdcMq4pFYVFSp4FSUX56HQ7UxWCQiMopSEUN8IsElqWWpCo6lxSWZeTiUGxqYookYoaqJBQA=", BinaryEncoding.Base64), Compression.Deflate)), let _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true]) in type table [DocumentNo = _t, Reference = _t, Employee = _t]),
#"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,{{"DocumentNo", Int64.Type}}),
#"Grouped Rows" = Table.Group(#"Changed Type", {"Reference"}, {{"Count", each List.Max([Employee]), type nullable text}, {"Data", each _, type table [DocumentNo=nullable number, Reference=nullable text, Employee=nullable text]}}),
#"Expanded Data" = Table.ExpandTableColumn(#"Grouped Rows", "Data", {"DocumentNo", "Employee"}, {"DocumentNo", "Employee"}),
#"Reordered Columns" = Table.ReorderColumns(#"Expanded Data",{"Reference", "DocumentNo", "Employee", "Count"})
in
#"Reordered Columns"
Output
2.You can create a calculated column
Column =
MAXX (
FILTER (
'Table (2)',
[Reference] = EARLIER ( 'Table (2)'[Reference] )
&& [Employee] <> BLANK ()
),
[Employee]
)
Output
Best Regards!
Yolo Zhu
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
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Massive thanks Yolo Zhu, it worked perfectly.
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Hi @tonybrogan
This works for me:
let
Origen = Excel.Workbook(File.Contents("C:\ex.xlsx"), null, true),
Hoja1_Sheet = Origen{[Item="Hoja1",Kind="Sheet"]}[Data],
#"Encabezados promovidos" = Table.PromoteHeaders(Hoja1_Sheet, [PromoteAllScalars=true]),
#"Filas agrupadas" = Table.Group(#"Encabezados promovidos", {"NoReference"}, {{"Data", each Table.FillDown(_,{"Employee"}), type table [Document=number, NoReference=text, Employee=nullable text]}}),
#"Se expandió Data" = Table.ExpandTableColumn(#"Filas agrupadas", "Data", {"Document", "NoReference", "Employee"}, {"Document", "NoReference.1", "Employee"}),
#"Columnas quitadas" = Table.RemoveColumns(#"Se expandió Data",{"NoReference"}),
#"Columnas con nombre cambiado" = Table.RenameColumns(#"Columnas quitadas",{{"NoReference.1", "NoReference"}}),
#"Filas agrupadas1" = Table.Group(#"Columnas con nombre cambiado", {"NoReference"}, {{"Data", each Table.FillUp(_,{"Employee"}), type table [Document=nullable number, NoReference=nullable text, Employee=nullable text]}}),
#"Se expandió Data1" = Table.ExpandTableColumn(#"Filas agrupadas1", "Data", {"Document", "NoReference", "Employee"}, {"Document", "NoReference.1", "Employee"}),
#"Columnas quitadas1" = Table.RemoveColumns(#"Se expandió Data1",{"NoReference.1"}),
#"Columnas reordenadas" = Table.ReorderColumns(#"Columnas quitadas1",{"Document", "NoReference", "Employee"})
in
#"Columnas reordenadas"
My procedure is:
- Group by Nºreference but putting in operation: All rows
- Then, where it puts each_ replace by each Table.FillDown(_,{"Employee"}).
- Expand all the data. You will see, that you still have null values. So, I repeat the procedure, but instead of FillDown in the second step, you put FillUp
Hope I make it clear

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