In this video, Leila Gharani, a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), shares crucial tips on how to import entire file contents in Microsoft Excel Power Query. This is a handy feature for anyone using Excel or Power BI, as it allows users to import Excel workbooks that contain Power Query queries and Power Pivot models into Power BI Desktop, automatically generating reports and visualizations based on the imported workbook.
Power BI Desktop can analyze larger workbooks, however, the larger the workbook, the longer it will take for Power BI Desktop to process and import it. The video also offers a workaround for loading or importing Excel files from shared OneDrive for work or school folders or from Microsoft 365 group folders: using the URL of the specific Excel file and inputting it into the Web data source in Power BI Desktop.
With Power BI Desktop, once the file is imported, the workbook is then converted into a Power BI Desktop file (.pbix) and Power BI Desktop prepares a report based on the workbook's content. This process is a one-time event and there is no dependence on the original Excel workbook after the file has been created. This ensures that modifications, saving, and sharing do not affect the original workbook.
Importing workbooks into Power BI Desktop is a powerful way to leverage Excel's flexible data manipulation capacities with Power BI's robust reporting and visualization tools. The imported elements, typically referred to as objects, include Power Query queries, Power Pivot external data connections, worksheet tables linked to the data model, and data model calculated columns, measures, KPIs, data categories, and relationships.
However, there are a few limitations to the import process, including support for external connections to SQL Server Analysis Services tabular models, hierarchies, binary data columns, and named ranges using From Table in Power Query, or using Excel.CurrentWorkbook in M. Furthermore, PowerPivot external connections to SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) are not currently supported.
This video outlines the process of importing entire file contents into Microsoft Excel Power Query or Power BI. It serves as a tutorial for users of either of these applications, and particularly useful as a guide for beginners to these platforms.
The process discussed in the video touches on various aspects including the actual import of an Excel workbook, what elements of the workbook import, and limitations to the import process. Power BI Desktop's auto-creation of reports and visualizations pulled from Excel workbooks is explained, demonstrating how users can enhance these reports using existing features or new ones released in the monthly updates.
The video also provides the steps needed to import Excel files from shared OneDrive for work or school folders or from Microsoft 365 group folders. The correct formatting of the OneDrive URL, while importing using the Web data source in Power BI Desktop, is emphasized. This process is clearly shown in the screenshots provided in the video.
To learn more about the detailed process of importing entire file content in Excel or Power BI, users can follow this video, practice the outlined steps and explore more such tutorials. They can also enroll in training courses on platforms such as Microsoft Learn to expand their knowledge of Excel and Power BI.
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