Ever Wondered How to Turn a Stream of Data Into a Roaring River with Minimal Effort?

Hello Data Wizards! 🌟

Ever wondered how to test your Power Query skills with larger datasets but you only have a small sample at hand? Well, you're in for a treat! Today, we're going to magnify your data with a simple but powerful little magic trick, and no we’re not turning your data into dollars (I’ll leave the money-making magic to you 😁).

🔍 Table.Repeat: The Data Multiplier

Table.Repeat is like a magic wand for your datasets. It allows you to replicate your data as many times as you need. Imagine turning a small stream of data into a roaring river!

💭 How does it work?

In our example, we're starting with a modest dataset of just 96 rows and in the “IncreaseDataSet” step we are using Table.Repeat to increase this dataset 1000 times!

Please click here to download the practice file.

Here are the steps for today's task:

Breaking Down the Steps:

1. Ensure that your last step is selected in your Applied Steps, in this instance it’s the “Changed Type” step

2. In the formula bar click on the “fx” to insert a new step:

   ➡️the #”Changed Type” step is generated

3. Still in the formula bar after the equals sign type:

   ➡️Table.Repeat

   ➡️Insert the open parenthesis before #”Changed Type”

   ➡️Insert a comma and type the number of times that you want your table to be repeated. In this example we’re repeating it 1000 times.

   ➡️Insert the closed parenthesis after “1000” and hit enter.

4. In your Applied Steps you will notice that the above steps have been generated in the “Custom” step, you can rename “Custom”, in this example I’ve renamed it to “IncreaseDataSet”.

The Syntax:

Essentially Table.Repeat is made up of two arguments:

👉The table you want to repeat, in this example #”Changed Type” is the last step to return a table, hence this will be the first argument.

👉And count is the second argument, which is the number of times you want your table repeated.

📊 Column Profiling: Understanding the Impact

Column profiling is crucial here. It lets you see how the data has changed. For instance, after applying Table.Repeat how many rows do we have now? The answer lies in the column profiling feature of Power Query, which is usually set at the default top 1000 rows. Follow the steps below to show the entire data set instead:

By applying Table.Repeat we've now expanded our dataset to a whopping 96,000 rows!

📥 Your Turn: Share Your Thoughts & Topic Wishes

So there you have it! With Table.Repeat you can easily scale up your dataset, and column profiling helps you understand the new scope of your data. How would you use this function in your projects? Well it’s particularly useful in scenarios where you need more data for testing performance or analysing how queries behave with larger datasets. It allows you to simulate a more robust data environment without the need to manually gather more data.

I would love to hear if you enjoyed today’s newsletter, please hit reply and let me know:

• 💌Loved it!

• 😐It’s okay

• 👎Do better

Are there other Power Query features you'd like to explore? Share your thoughts and let's delve deeper into the world of data transformation together!

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🌟 Recommended:

Can You Trust Your Choices with Unreliable Data?

👀 Sneak Peek for the Next Edition:

Our next edition is one you won't want to miss. We're advancing our Power Query adventure with an incredible addition to our toolkit, specifically designed to optimize refresh times. Stay tuned!

Until next time, keep those queries rolling, and may your data always be clean and your transformations swift!

Happy Querying!

Thanks for reading. Until next time!

Miss Microsoft

P.S. We will be using this data set in our next edition’s example!