Power Query / Power BI

[Sundayjumper]

Do any of you guys use these ? Power BI is very clever but I'm tearing my hair out with how s**t Power query is, and how you're forced to use it to feed Power BI.

Power BI isn't perfect either. Excel has far better formatting abilities for example.

[ZedLeg]

I was looking at it the other day as they've started doing analytics for an integration app we use. Not sure if we need analytics there though

[duncs500]

We use PowerBI for lots of stuff at work, but I'm not involved any of the set up (which I assume is what you're interested in). I just use it to access pre-arranged datasets.

[Sundayjumper]

...I'm not involved any of the set up (which I assume is what you're interested in)...

If you've not needed to touch Power Query you can count yourself lucky !

Power BI is my job now, so I'm frantically trying to learn it faster than they ask me to do stuff with it

[duncs500]

It's a good tool for what we need it for, if I had a minute to raise my head from the trough I could probably think of even more uses for it.

[duncs500]

What's Power Query? Is that the software that is used to bring in the data from the various sources?

[Beany]

Could have a look at Metabase, it's a similar sort of tool but with less Microsoft twaddle attached.

[Sundayjumper]

Could have a look at Metabase, it's a similar sort of tool but with less Microsoft twaddle attached.

I could, yeah, but persuading the MOD and by extension the wider Civil Service as well, to ditch Microsoft is just a tad above my pay grade

It seems to be an in demand skill and they're paying me to learn it, so I'm going to run with it.

[Beany]

Ah, forgot you were deep in MOD/Civil Service land these days, common sense and flexibility are, er, not their strong suits.

[simon_g]

I also spend a fair bit of time in Power BI reports but don't have to get too involved in building them beyond some quick and dirty pages to explore some data. Thankfully have some good people who make

Can recommend datacamp.com, I've been using it for other bits but they have several Power BI courses on data modelling, M and DAX as well as the lighter stuff. I find it a lot more digestible than most training, short intros to topics then a lot of hands-on (virtual desktops for the Power BI stuff). $150 a year if your training budget will cover that.