6.2 Power Query Editor Tour
Start with a problem
Shraddha opens the Power Query Editor for the first time. She cannot find the M code, the step list or the row count.
Explain simply
The editor has six areas: ribbon, Queries pane (left), data preview (centre), formula bar, Query Settings with Applied Steps (right) and the status bar (bottom).
Show the data
| Area | Where | What you check there |
|---|---|---|
| Queries pane | Left | Which query you are editing |
| Formula bar | Above the grid | M code of the selected step |
| Applied Steps | Right | List of recorded steps |
| Status bar | Bottom | Column and row count |
About this data: This table uses columns: Area, Where, What you check there. This table uses columns: Column, Valid, Empty. This table uses columns: Area, Purpose. This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).
Fictional sample data. Practice file: pq_raw_pune_export.csv (source: src/practice/).
Demonstrate
- Open the raw Pune query from 6.1 (Home › Transform data).
-
Tick View › Formula Bar. Click the Removed Top Rows step.
Your result should look like this:
Formula bar shows = Table.Skip(Source, 2) -
Look at the status bar at the bottom-left.
Your result should look like this:
Status bar text (after Promoted Headers) 4 COLUMNS, 6 ROWS -
Tick View › Column quality. Read the bar under Order Date.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
| Column | Valid | Empty |
|---|---|---|
| Order Date | 67% | 33% (2 of 6 rows: BLK-404 and Total) |
| Store | 100% | 0% |
Explain what happened
Each area answers one question: which query, which step, what code, how many rows. Column quality counts blank cells as Empty: BLK-404 (date to fill down) and the Total row (to remove).
Explore further
- Turn on Monospaced and Show whitespace to see trailing spaces such as "Kothrud ".
Detailed reference for this lesson:
| Area | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Ribbon | Tabs: Home, Transform, Add Column, View, Tools, Help |
| Queries pane (left) | List of all queries (tables, functions, parameters). Right-click for Duplicate, Reference, Enable load, Group |
| Data preview (centre) | Preview of the data (not all rows). Column header icons show the data type (ABC = text, 123 = whole number, 1.2 = decimal, calendar = date) |
| Formula bar | Shows the M code of the selected step (switch on via View › Formula Bar) |
| Query Settings pane (right) | Query Name and the list of Applied Steps |
| Status bar | Column/row counts and "Column profiling based on top 1000 rows" |
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
A common mistake is working without the formula bar and the data preview tools switched on. Turn on the Formula bar and Column quality/distribution/profile in the View tab. Seeing the M code of each step is the fastest way to learn and debug. Clear?
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
एक common चूक म्हणजे formula bar आणि data preview tools चालू न करता काम करणं. View tab मध्ये Formula bar आणि Column quality/distribution/profile चालू करा. प्रत्येक step चा M code बघणं हा शिकण्याचा आणि debug करण्याचा सगळ्यात जलद मार्ग आहे. समजलं का?
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
एक common गलती है formula bar और data preview tools चालू किए बिना काम करना. View tab में Formula bar और Column quality/distribution/profile चालू करो. हर step का M code देखना सीखने और debug करने का सबसे तेज़ तरीका है. समझ आया?
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| No formula bar | Hidden by default | View › Formula Bar |
| Applied Steps missing | Query Settings pane closed | View › Query Settings |
| Profile numbers look perfect but data is wrong | Profiling uses top 1000 rows | Status bar › Column profiling based on entire data set |
Practise independently
Practice task
Which area shows Table.PromoteHeaders(...), and when?
Hints
- Select a step.
Solution
The formula bar, when the Promoted Headers step is selected in Applied Steps.
Think like a professional
Reading the formula bar for every step is the fastest way to learn M and debug other people's queries.
Revision card