Mastering Power BI: Connect, Preview, and Transform Data from any Source

Key Takeaways from Connecting to Multiple Data Sources in Power BI

Connecting to multiple data sources in Power BI is crucial for creating robust and insightful reports. Here are some key takeaways:

1. Power Query as Your First Line of Defense:

   • Always profile and preview your data before loading it into the model.
   • Use Power Query's built-in features like Column Quality, Distribution, and Profile to identify missing values, inconsistencies, and uniqueness issues.

2. Column Quality, Distribution, and Profile:

   • These tools help you understand the quality of your data by highlighting missing values, identifying inconsistent entries, and assessing the distribution of unique values.
   • This step is critical for ensuring that your data is clean and ready for analysis.

3. Data Sources Vary in Complexity:

   • Flat files like CSV are straightforward to import but may require some transformation.
   • Hierarchical sources such as JSON or PDF documents need more complex transformations to extract meaningful data.
   • Relational databases (SQL Server, MySQL) demand careful table selection to maintain relationships and avoid duplicates.

4. Relational Databases:

   • When connecting to relational databases like SQL Server or Azure Analysis Services, ensure that you select

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